The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-29 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The authorities of the Admiralty have anticipated the
recommendations made by Mr. Bessemer, in a letter which
recenttly appearel in The 'Sun, for the employment of
steel in our vessels of war. It appears that on the new iron
frigate Bellerophon being commenced at Chatham it was
decided by the Chief Constructor of the Navy to introduce
steel stringer plates, and steel in other forms in various
parts of that vessel. From the vast superiority of steel over
iron as a material for ships of war, there is little doubt that
it will form a principal material in all our vessels hereafter
to be constructed.

The Irresistible, 68, 2,652 tons, 400 horse power, fitting
forrcommission, is being rigged by a party of 100 seamen,
who have been sent to her for that purpose from the C orn-
wallis, 62, 200 horse power, Capt. J. N. Strange. The
masts, yards, and gear for the Irresistible have been sent to
the Nore from Chatham dockyard.
The repairs to the Cadmus, 22, 400 horse power, at
Chatham, are likely to retain that vessel in dock some two
months longer, the alterations and repairs she is under-
going being very extensive. Extra cabins are ordered to
be fitted on board for an additional lieutenant, and she is
also being fitted with a topgallant forecastle for the protec-
tion of her crew in inclement weather.

Considerable progress has been made with the Lord War-
den target, now under construction at Chatham Dockyard,
and it will shortly be ready for shipment to Shoeburyness,
where it is to be tested. The Lord Warden target will differ
in several important particulars from those hitherto con-
structed, in order to develope, to the greatest possible ex-
tent, its shot-resisting powers. Unlike the Warrior and the
Bellerophon targets, recently experimented upon and par-
tially destroyed at Shoeburyness, which consisted of a back-
ing of teak timber exactly resembling the sides of an ordi-
nary vessel of war, and covered by the several kinds of
armour plates to be tested against the guns, the Lord
Warden target will be furnished with one inch and a
, half thickness of iron on the outside of the wooden backing,
and it is exactly this extra thickness of iron which it is
thought will render the target as nearly as possible invul-
nerable to the ordinary kinds of guns which may be brought
against it.• The experiments to be made with the target now
in progress are looked forward to with much interest, and
should the results at all come up to the anticipations al-
ready formed, the broadsides of the Lord Warden, the Lord
Clyde, and the other wooden iron plated frigates designed
by Mr. Reed will be constructed exactly on the same prin-
ciple.
The hands employed on the two decker wooden line-of-
battle screw steamer Bombay, 2,782 tons, 400 horse power,
fitting in dry dock at Chatham, are using every exertion to
complete that vessel and have her out of hand, the dock
being required for one of the iron ships intended to be sent
to Chatham. There is still a month's work to be done on
board, chiefly in the way of erecting additional cabins and
offices for a flag officer's retinue and in the general fitment
and alterations required to be performed in a vessel about to
be despatched to a distant nation. There is little remaining
to be done aloft, the standing and other rigging being all in
its place, and with ordinary exertions the Bombay ought to
be completed by the time required by the Admiralty.
In consequence of the large number of boys and lads who
have recently been draughted from the training ship Wel-
lesley, 72, at Chatham, to various ships of war at the seve-
ral ports, there are now vacancies for boys and lads desirous
of entering the royal navy, on board the Wellesley. Under
the recent Admiralty regulations the age required for second
class boys entering the royal navy is 11 years to 16 years.
insteai of from 14 years to 15 years, as hitherto. They are
also, under the same regulations, to be rated in the first
class, if found qualified, at 16 instead of 17, and sent to sea
immediately afterwards. All applications for entry on board
the Wellesley are to be addressed to the officer in command
of that vessel, the qualifications required of candidates being

Yesterday some important experiments were carried out
at the Royal Victoria Victualling-yard, Deptford, by direc-
tion of the Admiralty, in the presence of the Controller of
the Navy, the Captain Superintendent of Deptford Deck-
yard, and other officers, for the purpose of testing a now
method, proposei by Dr. Morgan, for curing meat. Three
oxen wore selected and killed in the usual manner, and im-
mediately afterwards the chest was cut open from the throat,
when Dr. Morgan infused a liquid into the heart. It ap-
peared to have passed through ;he entire system, fur on
pieces of meat being cut off a few minutes afterwards they
were found to have been impregnated ry the liquid. Whether
meat cured by this sys'em will keep as long and remain as
good as that cured by the old process remains to be tested.
It is understood Vaat a satisfactory report upon the experi-
ments thus made will bo forwarded to the Admiralty.

The appointment of commanding Royal Engineer of the
Chatham district, vacant by the promotion of Col. J. Twivs
to the rank of Major-Gen,, has been conferred en Col. R.
Clement Moody, who is now in command of the exploring
party of Royal Engineers on service in British Columbia, in
which colony he is the Chief Commissioner of Lands and
Woods. The duties connected with the appo:ntment of
commanding Royal Engineer are being carried out at Chat-
ham by Lieut,-Col. G. F. Mann, C. 8., who holds the tem-
porary rank until the arrival of Col. Moody from British
Columbia.