The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 3, 1864.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Hornet, 17, screw sloop, of 735 tons and
100 horse power, Commander the Hon. R. Hare,
arrived at Spithead yesterday on her return to
England from foreign service, to dismantle and pay
out of commission. She sailed from Trincomalee
on the 22d of May, the Cape of Good Hope on the
12th of July, and St. Helena on the 25th. Her
news from the two latter ports has been antici-
pated. Very fine weather was experienced from
the Cape of Good Hope to the Channel.

The naval cadets belonging to the Imperial
French training corvettes Le Bougainville and Le
Chasseur, now lying at Spithead, were engaged
during yesterday and Thursday in visiting Ports-
mouth dockyard and other public establishments
of the port. An intimation had been given that
the cadets would visit the Excellent gunnery ship
at 1 p.m. yesterday, in order to witness the usual
Friday afternoon's drill and firing on board that
ship, but the visit was postponed at the last mo-
ment, owing to the boisterous state of the weather-
For the same cause the afternoon's drill and prac-
tice on board the ship was confined to the lower
deck battery. The gun ports were all closed, and
the guns all secured in-board as they would be at
sea in a heavy gale of wind. A roll on the drum
and the guns were instantly swarmed round by the
seamen from the mess-deck, conspicuous among
whom could be seen the white flannel guernseys
and trousers of the young officers training for gun-
nery lieutenants. In a few minutes every gun had
been cast loose and two rounds each of the tube
firing gone through. To this succeeded two broad.
sides with shot at 1,000 yards, and two with shell
at 1,250 yards. The practice closed with arconvergs
ing broadside of shot and shell, the ship being sup-
posed to be so surrounded by smoke or tne darkness
of night that the enemy could not be seen from the
gun deck, and the order to fire being given to the
officer in charge of the battery from the upper deck
through a voice tube. The ease with which the gnns
were handled, and the perfect discipline and cat-
like agility of the men were extraordinary, even
for the Excellent. It is significant to notice the
feeling entertained, without a known exception, by

the officers and trained seamen of the Excellent
with regard to the different guns on board. Thus,
while no confidence whatever is placed in any de-
scription of castpiron or homogeneous made gun,
every possible confidence is placed in a coil.built
gun, from the fact that if the one gives way it
breaks itself up, and would destroy the men work•
ing it, while if the other, the coil-built, goes it
merely opens its coils and lets the gases escape
without further damage. Our best smooth-bore
cast-iron gun—the 95 cwt. 68-pounder—rarely re-
mains serviceable after firing 200 rounds, while
there are coil-built guns which have fired their
thousands of rounds. One of Sir \V. Arm-
strong's 70-pounder wedge-loading guns now
on board the Excellent has fired 300 trial
rounds, and 100 of these continuously by
having a double crew relieving each other
every 25 rounds. This is considered on board the
Excellent to be the most perfect breech-loading gnu
that has yet been produced. Among other trial
guns now on board are two 64-pounders, one rifled
after the French cannon rage, and the other on Sir
W. Armstrong's shunt principle. These two guns
are to undergo a competitive trial asi soon as their
ammunition can be provided.
Her Majesty's iron steamship Oberon, built at
Deptford in 1847 by Messrs. Rennie of half-inch
plates, is now undergoing a thorough overhaul at
Woolwich. The under part of her bilge has been
repaired, and some few of the plates have been re.
placed by new ones. Her interior, which was
payed down with Day's and other patent marine
cements, in order to test the superiority of the
compositions for preserving the rivet-heads, &c.,
from rust has been recoated throughout with Day's
composition, which was proved superior, and is now

introduced generally in the service. Her sides are
being experimentally coated with Hay's protective
and anti-fouling varnishes.
The hired transport Swan yesterday went down

to Woolwich and shipped a number of 110-pounder
Armstrong guns and other war stores for Halifax.

In consequence of repeated suggestions made by
Mr Turner, the master-shipbuilder at -Woolwich, for
an immediate augmentation of the establishment of
the dockyard, as well as for the important increase
of skilled ironworkers, the Lords of the Admiralty
yesterday despatched an order to Woolwich sanc-
tioning the proposal that the number be raised to

1,120 men of all trades, to constitute the permanent
establishment. About 100 additional men of various
trades will likewise be taken on as " permanent
men."

The paddlewheel steamer Salamis, 4; 853 tons,
250-horse power, Commander F. G. Luttie, in ac-
cordaßce with orders to that effect telegraphed to
Chatham, has taken her departure from the Med-
way for the eastern coast of Scotland, to attend
upon the Osborne, 2, paddlewheel steam yacht,
Staff-Commander G. H. K. Bower, which conveys the
Prince and Princess of Wales and suite to Denmark
Since the Salamis was last at Chatham she has been
employed principally on particular service, and on
the breaking out of hostilities between Denmark
and the German Powers she was despatched to
cruise off the island of Heliogoland to watch the
Prussian and Danish squadrons. She subsequently
conveyed the members of the Fishery Commission
on a tour of inspection to various parts of the coast.
During the time the Salamis was employed in these
duties her performance, both under sail and steam,
more than realised the expectations formed of her
by her designers and builders at Chatham Dock-
yard, the vessel making from two to three knots per
hour more than on the occasion of her official trial of
speed at the Maptin Sands; while on some occa.
sions she attained a speed of 18 knots, and even 20
knots per hour. Some inconvenience has arisen ow
ing to her boilers having originally been covered with
felt ; and on two or three occasions fire has actually
broken out on board from this cause, necessitating
the cutting away of some portion of the decks and
funnel casings to get at the seat of the fire. Since
the Salamis has been in harbour, however, this has
been altered, and the boilers covered with firebricks
and clay, which will prevent any similar occur.
rence.
The Misletoe, 2, 60-horse power, attached to the

second division of the Chatham Steam reserve,

having, upon being surveyed by the Admiralty and
dockyard officials, been found in an exceedingly rot-
ten state, orders have been received directing her
to be broken up, and she will accordingly be taken
to pieces at Sheerness dockyard. The MitletoE was
built for the Admiralty during the late war, and has
seen very little service, while for the last few years
she has been lying idle in the Medway. It is pro-
bable that many others of the gunboats attached to
the Chatham Steam Reserve will, upon examination,
be found in an equally rotten condition, and fit only
to be broken up.
The ironclad frigate Research, 4,200 horse power,
Capt. A. Wilmshurst, which sailed from the Nore
on Wednesday to join the Channel squadron, steamed
through Spithead yesterday, and continued her
course to the westward, through the Needles-
channel.
The fine frigate Arethusa, 35, 3,141 tons, 500
horse power, attached to the first division of the
Steam Reserve in the Medway, will not, according

to present arrangements, be commissioned until the

sister steam frigates Octavia, 39, 3,161 tons, 500
horse power, and the Constance, 39, 3,213 tons, 500
horse power, are ready for the pennant, when they
will proceed together on an experimental cruise to
test their sailing and steaming qualities. The Are-
thusa would beiready for sea in a few days, but from
an announcement received at Chatham from Ports-
mouth and Devonport, where the other frigates are
fitting, neither of these vessels will be ready for sea
for at least a couple of months to come.
According to annual custom the returns have been
forwarded from the Admiralty to Chatham dock-
yard of the intended alterations in the number of
mechanics and other workmen employed at that
establishment for the ensuing year. From the cir.
cumstance of Chatham having become almost exclu.
sively an iron shipbuilding yard, a considerable in-
crease will take place in the number of mechanics
employed at that establishment. Accordingly the
order directs that about 50 of the hired mechanics
are to be established, and there will also be a rather

considerable increase in the number of smiths,
joiners, painters, and apprentices. On the other
hand, a great number of the ropemakers will be die-
charged, the new spinning and other machinery re•
cently introduced into the dockyard, dispensing to
a great extent with this kind of manual labour. A
number of the workmen now employed as sawyers
will fall back as labourers, and some of the additional
hands taken on as coppersmiths will be established.
The order also directs a new appointment to be
made at Chatham Dockyard—that of " assayer of
metals, paints, oils, lead," &c.
The Prince Albert cutter, Master Commanding
Bones, which has been for some time engaged in
surveying service on the north west coast of Scot-
land, under Capt. Otter, late of her Majesty's ship
Porcupine, has returned to the Clyde. A Danish
ironclad frigate, built by Messrs Thomson, Govan,
will shortly leave the Clyde for Denmark,
Yesterday a detachment of noncommissioned
officers mad men of the Royal Engineers, selected
from the companies at headquarters, Chatham, left
the garrison and proceeded to Gravesend, for the
purpose of undergoing a course of ball practice
under the direction of Capt. Drake, the newly ap-
pointed rifle instructor to the Royal Engineers.
The following appintment has been made in the
Royal Naval Reserve :—William Henry Ellis, to
be Honorary Lieutenant.
Barry F. Domoile, and not B. T. Domville, was
appointed to the Artillery, as notified in the last
Gazette but one.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Commander G. A. W. Welch,
to be an inspecting Commander of the Coastguard,
vice Commander Maunsell, whose period of service
has expired ; W. J. Lewis, surgeon, additional, to
the Duncan ; Harry T. Nettleton, paymaster, to the
Brilliant ; A. C. Archdeacon, assist.-paymaster, to
irresistible ; and F. Hyndman, assist.-paymaster,
to the Duncan.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

GREAT WESTERN.

The following is the report of the directors of this com-
pany to be submitted at the general meeting on Wednesday
next :

" The accounts presented to the shareholders with this
report embrace a period of six months, terminating on the
31st of July last, whereas those submitted to the proprie-
tors in September, 1863, included a period of seven months
commencing on the Ist of January, and terminating on the
31st of July in that year. The usual comparison between
the two half-years cannot, therefore, be deduced from the
printed accounts, but the following analysis may be taken
as exhibiting a fair comparative statement of the receipts
and expenses during the six months ending the 31st of
July, 1863, and the six months ending the 31st of July,
1864:

REVENUE.
1863. 1864. Increase.
From passengers, mails, &c. £761,460 £808,291 £43,814
From merchandise, coal, &c. 705,526 780,521 74,925
From parcels, warehouse rent,
&c.

£[,52 ,921 £1,03,656 £121,735
ExpENDITuRE.

Maintenance of wry £152,192 £153,172 £9BO
Locomotive expenditure 186,435 195,753 9,318
Traffic expenditure
All otht r expenses

£731,326 £763,742 £29,416
After providing for all and fixed preference charges the
lance of revenue will admit of the payment of the follow-
ing dividends :—At the rate of 3 per cent. per annum on
Great Western Consolidated Stock; 21 per cent, on West
Midland (Oxford) Consolidated Stock ; 1,1 per cent on West
Midland (Newport) Consolidated Stock; 5 per cent. on
West Midland (Hereford) Stock ; and 3 per cent. on South
Wales Consolida ed Stock—leaving a balance of £3,904 5s 5d
to be carried forward to the credit of the current half-year,
It will be observed that a sum of £2,500 has been charged
to revenue in respect of accidents.' The directors propose
to continue to charge a similar sum half-yearly until
a fund not exceeding £20,000 has been created. Mr.
Gooch has resigned his office of locomotive engineer
to the company, after a service extending over a period of
28 years; and M: Gibson, who for a period of 18 years held
the appointment of head of the carriage and waggon depart-
ment, has also retired during the past half-year. Air Wilson
has reliuquished the superintendence of the locomotive and
carriage establishments and of the permanent way on the
West Midland section of the line, but he continues in the
service of the company as constructing engineer for works
in that district. Mr J. Armstrong, the chief of the com-
pany's locomotive works at Wolverhampton, has been ap-
pointed by the Board as superintendent of the locomotive
establishments of the whole line, and the carriage and
waggon stock has also been placed under his Oharge. The
permanent way of the West Midland district has been
apportioned between Mr Lane and Mr Owen. The atten-
tion of the Board has been occupied during the past session
in the consideration of the numerous bills before Parlia-
ment promoted by other parties, but affecting this com-
pany's interests. Several of these bills have been thrown
out or withdrawn ; and of those that have received the sanc-
tion of the Legislature many have been so recently sub-
mitted to the proprietors that it is unnecessary to refer to
them again in this report. Among the measures which
have passed through Parliament may be mentioned the
act obtained by the East Glocestershire Company for the
construction of a line from Cheltenham to Faringdon, with
a branch to Witney. The Board, believing that the line
was badly and expensively laid out, especially at the Chel-
tenham end, unnecessarily duplicating station accommo-
dation there, and subjecting the traffic to the inconveni-
ences and delays of a branch service, took such measures
as were within their power to defeat the bill. Notwith-
standing, however, the opposition of this company and of
other parties, the act for the construction of the line
has been obtained ; but provisions have been inserted in it
as to the construction of the works and the laying down of
the broad gauge, and for the user by this company of the
main portion of the line between Cheltenham and Faring-
don. The Bourton-on-the-Water Railway Company pro-
moted an extension of their railway into Cheltenham, and
the bill for this object was referred to the same committees
in Parliament as the East Gloucestershire scheme. This
bill received the support of the Great Western Railway
Company, and was sanctioned by Parliament for a line be-
tween Bourton and Andover sford, with running powers over
the East Glocestershire Railway into Cheltenham. It will
provide, when constructed, in connection with the Great
Western system, the shortest narrow gauge communication
between Cheltenham, Oxford, and London. The bill pro-
moted by this company has received the sanction of Parlia-
ment. Ihe directors propose at once to put in force the
powers contained in it,
by which they will be enabled to
widen the line between the Hammersmith Junction and
Paddington—and they will submit to the proprietors a re-
solution authorizing them to take such measures as may be
necessary to give effect to the provisions in reference to the
establishment of a superannuation fund contained in the
same act. During the half year the Hammersmith and
City Junction Railway has been opened for passenger traffic,
and it is now worked by this company with
a thorough ser-
vice of trains direct from Hammersmith and Kensington to
the Farringdon-street Terminus of the Metropolitan Rail-
way, under arrangements with the Metropolitan Company.
Contemporaneously with the opening of this line, a service
of trains has been established for the accommodation of the
Great Western district from Windsor eastwards to all the
stations on the Metropolitan Railway. The Faringdon and
Marlborough Branch Railways have also been opened
during the last half year, and are worked by this company
under traffic arrangements which have been approved by
the shareholders. The revenue of the Cornwall Railway
having hitherto been insufficient to meet the whole of the
interest upon debentures and pteference shares (for a por-
lion of which this company,
Bris-
tol and Exeter and South Devon Companies, is liable),
in conjunction with the
and it being now necessary that the amount of
appropriated to meet the deficiency in the revenue should
capital of the Cornwall Railway, which has hitherto been
be replaced, the directors of that company have made a
proposal to the three associated companies with ,the view
of enabling them to effect this object, and at the same time
to repay a loan of £90,000 by the associated companies (of
stock to the extent of £149,600 power, under the Act of
which £20,000 was advanced by the Great 'Western) on the
security of Cornwall 6 per cent. preference shares. The
Cornwallissue
ssue Railwaynew shares Companyny
or
have
for the redemption of the above 6 per cent, stock, and also
to issue debentures to the extent of £82,980, on both of
which sumslthe associated companies are empowered to gua-
rantee the the interest or dividend. To enable the neces •
sary arrangements to be carried out, it is proposed that the
lowerguar rate
of by
inte-
rest. associated companies should guarantee interest on the
£149,600 redemption shares, at a rate not exceeding 4} per
cent, per annum, and on the debenture capital of £82,980.
The directors of the Cornwall Company also believe that
they may be able to effect a saving of interest on £lOO,OOO
5 percaernets.,
similarly preference
guaranteed,
y an
associated companies, by issuing in lieu of them, redemp-
tion hee
shares, h
rest. These questions have received the careful conside-
ration of the directors of the associated companies.
course recommended has been adopted by
and
Exeter and South Devon companies
• and
, in the belief that,
under a" the circumstances, the arraneernent suggested
is
the most beneficial that can be made, ';he directors recom-
mend the proprietors to agree to its adoption, and with that
object a resolution will be submitted to the meeting. The
usual reports from the officers of the company in charge of
the locomotive, carriage, and permanent way departments,
are annexed,"

CAMBRIAN,
Yesterday a special meeting of this company was held at
Bridge-street, Westminster— Captain J. W. Johns in the
chair.
The C ir A IRMA X explained that the first business was ,to

carry out the powers of their Act, so far as it related to the
number of directors. He therefore moved that the number
of directors be reduced to six, which number had already
been elected at the half-yearly meeting. This was carried
unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed that the powers of the
Oswestry and Newton Railway Act, 1864, bo put into ope-
ration for the purpose of creating new preference shares or
stock of the company, to which no ♦oting powers were at-
tached, and it was adopted. A resolution relating to the
powers of the Oswestry, Ellesmere, and Whitchurch Rail-
way Act, 1864, was adopted ; and it was resolved that the
shares of the Newtown and blachynlleth be consolidated
into stock.

The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

Railway Traffic Returns for the Week,

Miles Opened. Receipts.

Railways. „,.---...-,..-_-_,
1864. 1863. 1864. 1863.
£ 4
Belfast and N. Counties 136 136 2,452 2.376
Belfast and County Down.... 49 49 759 678
Blyth and Tyne 2B 28 2,392 1,609
Bristol and Exeter l2ll 1211 7,669 7,288
Caledonian
Cambrian
Cockermouth & Workington Bl 81 301 393
Cork and Bandon 2O 20 403 346
Cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6l 61 527 251
Cork and Youghal . 321 321 544 522
Cornwall 654 531 2,257 1,831
Deeside l7 17 491 421
Dublin & Belfast Junction 63 63 1,693 1.52 i
Dublin and Drogheda 75 75 1,784 1,814
Dublin and Meath
Dub. & Wicklow and Wextd 9ll 5i 3,189 2,772
Furness, &c 5O 59 3,333 3,01,1
Glasgow & South-Western
Gt. Eastern,Nrik.,&E.Union
Great Northern 387 351 33,966 31,891
Great North of Scotland 6B 68 1,729 2.200
Gt. Northn. & Westn. (Irel.) 7ll 711 518 4,7
r3rt.Southn. & Westn.(lrind.) 3874 3541 9,533 9,752
Great Western 10561 10561 69,389 65,185
Hull and lturnsea l3 - - -
Inverness & Aberdeen June lO6l 1061 1,941 1,816
Inverness & Perth Junction 1191 - 2,922 -
Irish North-Western 145 145 1,818 1,747
Kent Coast 27 10 3,830 135
Lancashire & Yorkshire 403 3951 45,247 39,036
Limerick and Ennis... 241 241 191 153
Limerick and Foynes
Llanelly 461 461 811 838
London & North-Western
London and Blackwall 1,5 51 2,029 2,061
London & South-Western
Lond. Brighton, .1: S. Coast 267 2501 23,732 21,600
London, Chatham, ‘t Dover 72 721 8,001 6,843
Do. Metropolitan Extension 111 101 2,540 1,410
nan.,Sheffteld, & Lincolnsh
Manch. S.Jun.& Altrincham 9l 91 1,473 1,343
Maryport and Carlisle
Metropolitan
Midland (incl. N.-Western) 641 641 50,444 46,553
Midland Gt.Westn. of 'rind 262 2591 4,702 4,338
Monkland 7ll 711 1,699 1.642

Monmouthsh. Rail. & Canal.. 44 44 2,852 2,731
North British, ?;din., Perth
and Dundee
.6081 5831 24,758 23.395
_ _

N-Eastern and Stock. & Darl 1095 1095 67,370 60,675
North London 9 9 3,294 3, 65
North Staffordshire 254 252 8,744 8,339
Rhymney 194 194 1,084 1,007
Scottish Central

Scottish North-Eastern l3B 132} 6,450 6,124
Somerset and Dorset 66 ni 935 406
South Devon

South-Eastern 306 308 28,376 27,500
Taff Vale 57 57 578 l 5,638

Ulster

1051 109 2;08 2.237