The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-29 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Achilles, 20 gun iron frigate, 1,250 horse
power, Capt. E. Vansittart, yesterday attempted a
second trial of her epeed with full boiler power over
the measured mile in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth,
but broke down in the midst of her last run from
an accident to her propeller. Every care had been
taken to steam the ship over the trial ground on
terms equally favourable with those under which
Warrior made her trial, 40 tons of hand-picked
Nixon's Aberdare coals having been sent off to the
ship from the dockyard, and stokers from the
steam factory to take special charge of her fires,
the trim of the ship being also altered some four
irrehea less by the stern than on the previous trial.
Under these favourable circumstances the speed of
the ship in the first six runs nearly approached that
attained by the Warrior on her trial, the mean of
the six runs yesterday having given the Achilles
14.240 knots. This result is a very considerable
gain over the 13.419 knots of her former trial; it
also exceeds the trial speed of the Black Prince, but
still it did not quite reach the 14.354 knots of the
Warrior. To give the ship a chance of doing this,
however, the usual six runs over the mile were yes-
terday extended to eight, and it was while the ship
was doing her eighth run that an extraordinary
noise under her stern, with a rush of water in the
screw alley, an accelerated speed of the engines,
and a decreased speed of the ship, gave the cus-
tomary warnings that something was seriously the
matter with the propeller. The engines were im-
mediately eased, and the ship was taken slowly
back to Spithead, where she was anchored and a
diver sent off to examine her propeller and aster'
fain the exact nature of the damage. It is believed
that one, if not two, out of the four blades of her
propeller aro broken off, and that very psAbly her
stern tubing is danylgtd. The most serious part of
the matter is that Portsmouth, owing to the altera-
tions now being made in the steam basin and docks
of the yard, has no dock in which the Achilles cin
be placed to remove her screw or repair any damage
that may have been caused by the accident.
The Admiralty have decided upon the disposition
of the Royal Alfred's armour and armament, and,
as usual, this decision is a compromise between their
original plans for the ship with the weak 4in. plat-
ing and the formidable turret tower, and belt plan
laid before their Lordships by Rear Admiral Elliot,
the Superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard.
The Royal Alfred is now to carry a square
armoured tower or box amidships, which is
to be coated with Gin, armour plates, The
original 41in. plates are now being taken off
the ship amidships to make room for the 6in.
plates of this tower; but theft- inch plating forward
and aft of this central tower will be retained on the
ship and round the bows and stern, below and to
some distance above the water-line. A portion of
the original upper line of the 4k-inch plating will
be kept off the ship to ease her weights at the ex-
treme ends, but the weight of these plates will be
absorbed in the extra thickness of the plating given
to the square tower. As regards the ship's armee
ment, that is to consist of ten of those wonderful
300-pounder guns of which the public have heard so
much and seen so little, to be worked as broadside
guns in the tower.
We understand that Capt. Astley C. Key, C. 8.,
commanding the Excellent gunnery ship at Forts 4
mouth, and Governor of the Royal Naval College,
will, on entering upon his duties as the head
of the new Naval Ordnance Department, be suc-
ceeded in the command of the Excellent and in
the Naval College by Capt. Preedy, C. 8., now in.
command of the iron frigate Hector. We trust
the appointment of Capt. Key to his newly created
and important office will lead to a more uniform and
efficient armament of her Majesty's navy.
Her Majesty's ship Salamis, Commander Francis
G. Suttie, was yesterday removed from the fitting
basin at Woolwich to the ordinary, having under'
gone a complete overhaul. She is again perfectly
ready for sea. Her destination is stated to be Con.
stantinople, to serve as a despatch vessel to the
British Ambassador to the Porte.

The Admiralty yacht Black Eagle, Staff. Co-
mmender Whillier, yesterday steamed down the river
from Woolwich on trial, after repairs and re-adjust 4
ment of her paddlewheels. She returned to Wools
wieh at 3 o'clock, trial being reported as satisfactory.
The old 80 gun ship Superb, lent by the Lords of
the Admiralty to the Turkish authorities for the use
of the crews of the two frigates during their stay
at B:ackwall, was yesterday returned and towed
down to Sheerness, in command of Mr S. Libby,
master of the yacht Black Eagle.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander James B. Grove to
the St. George, for the Coastguard; Commander
H. Pawkes to be an Inspecting Commander in the
Coastguard ; Henry D. Barry, midshipman, to the
Duncan; ArthurF. T. James, naval cadet, to the
Duncan ; W. C. C. Forsyth, naval cadet, to the
Princess Royal; and Frank J. Grassie, naval cadet,
to the Valorous.

THE IMPROVEMENTS IN SoUTIIWARK.—The itn4
portant improvements in St. Thomas-street, Eist,
the expenses of
which have been defrayed by the London
and Brighton Railway Company, in consideration of acquit,•
in; an extensive site for the enlargement of the London-
bridge station and the construction of the South-London
line, is fast approaching completion. The railway arches
on. the north side of the street have been converted into
handsome shops, and the south front of the viaduct is faced
with white bricks, picked out with red and white stone
dressings; the buildings ou the south side of the street era
being erected in a similar style of architecture. The en.
largement of the Borough-market is also being proceeded
with rapidly, and will be completed is the spring. A hand-
some brick building has been erected in King-street, South-
wark, for the schools founded and endowed by the late Mrs
Neweomen.

fIEATRE-ROYAL DRURY-LANE•
Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, and during the week, A YOUNG
I..AD FROM THE COUNTRY.
Alter which, the Grand Christmas Pantomime, HOP O'3lY
TiTUMB AND HIS ELEVEN BROTHERS; or, Harlequin
anx the Ogre of the Seven-League Boots : Messrs. G. Bel-
more, Tom Matthews, G. Weston, Master Percy Roselle, ,t c.
Misses Lydia Thompson. R. Lcclercq, ac.; Messrs. Boleno,
C. Lauri, W. A. Barnes, T. Morris, CormaAr, Savil:e ; Mdme.
Boleno, the Misses Gunnis, and Signor Tescano.

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY- LANE.—
Special Morning Performances.—ln answer to numer-
ous applications from parties residing in the environs, and
in order to allow the country visitors to London during the
holiday week an opportunity of witnessing the grand Drury-
lane annual Christmas Pantomime, entitled HOP 0' MY
!THUMB AND HIS EL EVEN BROTHERS; or, Harlequin
Ale' the Ogre of the Seven-league Boots, Messrs. Falconer
stud Chatterton have dec•ded on giving THREE MORN-
ING PERFORMANCES, THIS DAY, THURSDAY,
December 29, Friday, to, and Saturday, 31, and on the
morning of every Wednesday and Saturday during the
holiday season. Children and schools at reduced prices to
the following parts of the theatre First elide, dress circle,
and rtalls, for morning performances only.

11111-IEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.-
Lessee. Mr. Buckstone.
;HIS EVENING, Dec. 28 DAVID GARRICK. Messrs.
Chtivendale, Sothern, Buckstone, Rogers, Clark, Coe, Wea-
thers by, .lc. ; Mesdames Moore, Snowdon, Fitzwilliam,
After which, LORD DUNDREARY MARRIED AND
PONE FOR. Messrs. Sothern, Buckstone, Braid, Gordon,
Clark, White, Coe, Weathersby, ; Mesdames Snowdon,
gill, &c.
With PRINCESS SPRINGTIME. Mr. Compton, Miss L.
Keeley.
And MRS. WHITE.