The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-06 00:00:00

THB SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MINE 6, 1864.

their perfect so.tisfaction with the accommodation
and all the arrangements made on board the Nor-
man for the troops, and with the attention and
kindness shown by Capt. Johns and the ship's com-
pany generally.

On Saturday there was launched from Mr Chas.
Langley's Commercial Dock, Rotherhithe, an
Alabama-rigged patent combination ship, classed
A 1 at Lloyd's for fifteen years, belonging to Messrs
Smith, Heming, and Co., merchants End ship
owners, of 18, Leadenhallestrect. She is of 659 tons
burden, and is intended for the East India and China
trade. She was built from the design and under the
superintendence of Messrs S.H. Harrington and Co.
naval architects, of 27, Leadenhall-street, and in
consequence of the novel mode of construction has
excited much interest. She has been visited by Lord
Clarence Paget, Mr Reed, the chief constructor; and
Admiral Robinson, Comptroller of the Navy. Tho
result has been that the Admiralty have contracted
with Mr. Langley to build an ironclad vessel cf
war on the same principle. They are about to adopt
it in the construction of their new 4,000 tons troop
ehips, the estimates for which have already been
passed. The mode of construction is this:—The
frames of the vessels are, in the first place, con-
structed entirely of angle iron of the same weight as
that used in building iron ships of a similar tonnage.
Each frame is then riveted to a horizontal keel, stem
and stern plate broad enough to fasten the garboard
to. A middle line keel is then riveted between the
upper and lower horizontal keel plates, by means of
angle irons running longitudinally the whole length
of the ship, forming therewith a strong girder of a
similar construction to those used in railway bridges.
The half-floor plates are riveted to the middle line
keelson between doubling clips of angle iron, and
carried up in the usual way to the turn of the bilge,
and the reversed frames are rivited oa across the
floor heads and carried up to the stringer plates.
Ball iron beams are then fixed, which makes the
whole frame rigid and ready to receive the planking,
the first coating of which consists wholly of teak,
and is fastened to the frames by galvanising nut and
screw-bolts from keel to gunwale. The wood keel is
also brought on the iron horizontal keel plate. and
fastened! to it by means of iron screw-bolts from
inside. The garboards are then rebated in and
fastened through the iron keel-plate with galvanised
iron nut and screw bolts. This first skin is 21in.
thick, and the seams are fitted close, and double-
fastened to the frames throughout Diagonal steps
of iron by tin. are then let in, and on this
skin, crossed in squares of about 6ft., fastened
through frames when they cross, and carried from
keel to gunwale. A suitable composition of chunam
ie then used, and the outer skin of 28in. rock
elm brought on to the turn:of the bilge. Thence
upwards 2tin. teak is used. Each plank is fitted
to overlap the inner seams (rendering it impossible
for the vessel to leak), and then fastened with yel-
low metal clench bolts to the inner skin, all the
holes being carefully bored free of iron frames or
straps. By this means the planking of the vessels
is tied together vertically as well as longitudinally;
no copper bolts or metal sheathing are in contact
with iron, and the vessel is felted and sheathed
with copper in the ordinary way. The obvious ad-
vantage of this system is that there are no through
seams, no risk of galvanic action, great longitu-
dinal strength, increased buoyancy, and capacity
over vessels built wholly of iron. As vessels of
war, they will be able to go to any part of the
world, where there are no facilities for docking—
which is an absolute necessity to our Channel fleet
three or four times in the year. These vessels also
afford a greater security to life in the event of ship-
wreck, as they cannot break up so readily as iron
ships.

To-day and to-morrow the troops of the 18th
Hussars, at present stationed at Norwich, Ipswich,
and Northampton, will leave those towns en route
for India. The barracks of Ipswich will shortly be
occupied by two troops of the 16th Lancers, while
the remaining troops of that regiment, with the
headquarters, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel
Dickson, will be stationed in the new cavalry bar•
racks at Colchester. The old system of dividing a
cavalry regiment between Norwich, Ipswich, and
Northampton appears to be abandoned.

Ocean Yacht Race,

Oa SatardaY the great yachting event of the
Thames seas in--the ocean race for schooners,
Cutters, and yaw.lel from the Lower Hope be-
low Gravesend to 5 trwieh Harbour—came off
with the utmost success. The first prize, for
schooners, was £80; ant the second, for
cutters, £3O; but these rowedgt as may be
guessed, were the least part of the inducements
which drew together such a beautilu..l fleet of
yachts—all in the finest condition as to tte.,7l and
equipment, and all anxious, and more or le."
confident of their ability, to carry off the Great
Thames prize, the highest honour which can fall to
the lot of the Thames Club bolts. No less than 27
yachts entered to compete for this race-13 cutters,
11 schooners, and 3 yawls, and a finer or more
numerous fleet never assembled on the Thames for
match.sailing. The yachts were the Glance, cutter,
36 tons, G. W. Choriwood—Vindex, cutter, 45, A.
Duncan—Surge, cutter, 52, W. VV. F. Hay—Zigan,
cutter, 54, J. T. Pow e:l—Volante, cutter, 60, H. C.
Meudslay—Marina cutter, 65, J, C. Morice, Astarte
cutter, 75, T. Seddon—lleeperus, schooner, 33, T.
Marriott-Dedington—Amberwitch, yawl, 51, Cept.
H. Bacon—Aquiline, schooner, 55, H. Chemier—
Clytie, schooner, 64, Capt. F. S. Clarkson—Mad-
cap, schooner, 71, J. S. Abbott-Dunbar—Medea,
schooner, 70, W. J. Rideout —Whirlwind, yawl, 77,
A. Fox—Fleur de Lys, schooner, 77, H. W. Birch
—lolanthe, schooner, 81, H. Bridson—Water Lily,
yawl, 105, Commodore Lord A. Peget, M.P.—Al-
batross, schooner, 110, J. R. Tetley—nraide,
schooner, 155, W. J. Paxson— Albertine, schooner,
155, Lord Londesbcrough—Zue, schooner, 162, Sir
Bruce Chichester. Of these vessels ail with the ex-
ception of the Amberwitch and Zurakie, were yachts
of the Thames Club, the Amberwitch belonging to
the Yorkshire Club, and the &nide, to the Royal
Squadron. In addition to these a large number of
other yachts not entered for the race or belonging
to different clubs were at the Lower Hope as well,
so that the waters of this usually desoiate-looking
part of the river were crowded with craft, gliding
in all directions, or waiting, like the competitors,
with everything ready to let go when the signal
came which was to start them out to sea. The
weather from the visitors' point of view was all
that could be wished-'-but the competitors and
yachtsmen generally would have been well con-
tent to have exchanged their share of the bright
sunshine for rain itself, so that it brought
wind with it. It is, perhaps, one of the drawbacks
on these yacht races that the weather that suits the
yachts for racing is seldom agreeable to the visitors
who come to see them from the steamers. Cloudy
weather, with a keen and eager wind, and now and
then a squall of rain to soak the sails, is what the
yachts want, while the visitors' taste not unnatu-
turally inclines to warm sunshine and mild balmy
airs, which as often as Rot reduce the contest for
speed between the yachts into a mere drifting match
with the tide. One of the most exciting races that
was ever sailed on the Thames was about five years
ago, when the match was through a succession of
fierce squalls with torrents of blinding rain, and
when the winner, and most of the losers, too, came
In with nearly all their standing rigging carried
away,
wpirtehmsealiyls split
and spars sprung. That was
a most exciting contest, and fur the spectators a
m
miserable one. On Saturday there
awlma sovstertyhrloitutgleho:the
excitement.raceand ' It was visitors'
when neartors'weather
Southend, and for a very short time, there was never
a sufficiency of wind to develops the best sAi!ing
qualities of the competitors, especially of such large
vessels as the Albertine and Zoe, or even of the
Water Lily, the yawl of the commodore of the club,
Lord Alfred Paget. In order to get so large a fleet
into proper starting order, it was decided that they
should start in tiers of three each, each class of ves-
sels being separated, the smaller ones, of course,
taking the front rank. As well as the depth of
water would permit, this arrangement was adhered
to, the buoys which marked the stations extending
along the Essex shore from 0 wer's buoy to the light
on the Mucking sand. All the schooners had availed
themselves of the permission granted to hoist their