The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAII, —A series of experiments with
Phillips's patent fire annihilator was again tried this evening
upon Rat Island, in this harbour. An immense quantity of
coal tar was emptied into a trench and ignited. 'lhe flames
were immediately put out with as much apparent facility as
a candle ; the experiment was equally successful on succes-
sive repetitions. A pile of tar barrels, filled with shavings,
was then ignited, and emitted an immense body of flames,
but which was subdued and extinguished immediately on
the annihilator being brought into play upon it. A wooden
building, 24 feet square, purposely constructed, was then set
on fire, and, on the flames having firm hold of the structure,
the annihilator was applied, when the entire body of tame
was put out in about three minutes. The experiments were
deemed successful.

The Termagant, 24, Captain Giffard, is now ready for sea.
She has bent sails, and will go to Spithead on Monday or
Tuesday.
The Electra, 14, Commander Morris, has received her
crew from her hulk, and bent sails. She will haul off to the
stream to adjust her compasses to-morrow, and will sail for
Australia in a few days.
The Wasp, 14, screw corvette, Commander Lord John
Hay, arrived:at Spithead from Woolwich this morning, and
came into harbour this afternoon, on her way to the Medi-
terranean.

Commander Be!grave, of the Hydra, steam...sloop, on the
Cape of (good Hope station, has come home in the Bosphorus
packet, having resigned the command.
The Serpent, la, Commander Luard, was at Singapore on
the 31st of August, on her way to Hong-Kong. Commander
Luard was invalided on the 29th of August. Lieutenant
Webber, of the Hastings, is appointed Acting Commander of
the Serpent, which goes to Australia from Hong-Kong, and
then to England.
The Hastings, 72, Rear• Admiral Austen, was at Trinco-
malee on the 26th of August, on the eve of sailing for the
Irrawaddy.
The Contest, 12, Commander the Hon. J. W. S. Spencer,
was at Labuan on the 3.st of August, where she would re-
main for another month.
The Winchester, 50, Captain Loch, C. 8., new flagship for
the Commander-in-Chief, arrived off Point de Galls from
Portsmouth, on the 30th of August, on her way to find the
Admiral.

PORTSMOUTH GARRISON.—Major-General Simpson leaves
tomorrow morning for London to sit on the Small-
arms Committee. Colonel Menzies, Commandant of
Royal Marines, is temporarily Lieutenant-Uovernor and
Commander-in-Chief of the south-western district.

SHEERNESS, Sylmar, 8 A.M. - Her Majesty's screw
steam-ship Agamemnon, 90, Captain Sir Thomas Maitland,
having been partially recoppered, was yesterday, at 1.30 p.m.,
removed from the dry dock into the fitting basin. The
armament of this floating national bulwark is to be as fol-
lows :

On the upper deck 22 guns, each 8 feet 6 inches long, and
weighing 45 cwt. to throw solid shot of 32 pounds and one
10 feet gun, weighing 95 cwt., to throw 68 pounds of solid
shot.
Ou the main deck 34 32 pounders, each 9 feet 6 inches in
length, and of the weight of 56 cwt.
On the lower deck 34 8 inch -guns, each 65 cwt.
For the service of her
ebroats she will have two 24-pounder
howitzers, two 12-ouLoni:dlitto, and one 6-pounder ditto.
Her Majesty's ship d Captainwinter
moorings.G „ . lund
Shey,
has been removed to the etoanblirhe
is short some 60 hands of her present complement of 444.
The men she has entered, sinceoi3 ordered to increase the num-
ber of her crew, have been obtained chiefly from the guard-
ship at Chatham, the ships in ordinary at this port, together
with a few from the Crocodileoff the Tower.
irons Portsmouth, where one of receiving-shipti. elieutenants has been
employed for the past three weeks in raising men, not more
than a dozen have been procured. It is reported that her
crew will be ordered to assist in fitting out the Agamemnon,
and thereby expedite that vessel's equipment.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Miranda, 14, is ordered to be
taken into the dry dock to have her copper examined. The
crew of the Horatio steam guardship. are to be employed in
rigging her, and in assisting to equip her as one of the ad-
vanced steam quadron of reserve.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Barracou t Mr. S. W.
Freeman Master-in-charge, has been towe.
d tohermooling%
off the west shore of the harbour.
Her Majesty's steam-vessel Myrtle, tender to the Monarch,
Mr. Bourchier, Master-Commanding, has been taken
the discharging basin to have her internal fittings repaired,nto
and otherwise to undergo a thorough refit_
Her Majesty's steam tug-vessel African, Second-Master
Gill, has been taken into the north dock to have her copper
examined and necessary repairs effected.
The Swift cutter was dispatched to Chatham yesterday
at 9 o'clock a.m. on dockyard service.
Her Majesty's screw steam sloop Wasp, 14, Commander
Lord John Hay, passed the Nore on the 14th inst., at 5.30
p.m., en route for Spithead.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Vivid, 1, Mr
Luke Smithett, Master-Commanding, passed yesterday at.
4 p.m., on her way to Dover, to resume the duties of mail
packet at that port.
Her Majesty's brig Nerbudda, 12, having been put into an
efficient state of repair and fitted for sea, was taken out of
dock, at Chatham, on the 14th dust.
Her Majesty's sloop Star, 8, was taken into dock, at
Chatham, on Friday, to have her defects made good, and to
be fitted for foreign service.
Her Majesty's brig Kangaroo, 12, recently launched at
Chatham, has been taken into dock, to have the copper
placed on her bottom.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Tartarus, Lieu-
tenant-Commanding It H. Risk, has gone to Chatham to
have the damages received in her paddle-boxes and rudder
repaired.
The crews of the ships in commission were mustered on
Friday by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, of the Agamemnon,
the Hon. Montagu Stopford, Flag-Captain to the Commander-
in•chief, being absent on duty at Woolwich.
Captain W. W. Lillicrap, commanding the detachment of
Marines on board the London, 90, has had his leave of
absence extended to the end of the present month.
Orders have been received at the dockyard for the con..
struction of an anchor to weigh 41 cwt., on the principle
invented by Mr. J. Aylen, Master-Attendant.

WOOLWICH, Oar. 16.
A PPOINTIIISTS.

Surgeon.—William ers, M.D. (1845), to be Surgeon
Superintendent of the Edward convict-ship.
Assistant-Surgeon—James J. Martin (1842), from the
Naval Hospital at Malta, to the Agamemnon, 90, screw
steam-ship, at Sheerness.,
Clerk's Assistant—G. l'. Bellow, to the Queen, 116, at
Devonport.
Foremen of Smiths— Richard Forbes, to Woolwich Dock-
yard ; Thomas Bailey, to Sheerness Dockyard.
The Dee, steam-vesael, Lieutenant-Commander George T.
C. Smith, left Woolwich to-day for Greenhithe, to have her
compasses adjusted, and after taking her powder on board
from Purffeet will leave for the Cape of Good Hope station.
The Vivid, Dover mail steam-packet, Captain Smithett,
came round to IA, oolwich, on Thursday, to have a small piece
of her copper which had been rubbed off replaced, which
having been effected she was undocked to-day, and at once
returned to Dover to resume her duties on that station.
The Cruiser, screw steam-sloop, recently launched at Dept-
ford, and taken to Woolwich to be fitted with her engines, of
60-horse power, has had her copper put on her bottom, and
was taken out of the west dock to-day. to make
room for the
Garland, Dover mail steam-packet, being taken
A convict named James Turner, alias Bishop, escaped from
his gang while at work in the dockyard about half-past four
o'clock p.m. on Friday afternoon. At seven o'clock he was
found by Police-sergeant Sartin concealed in one of the horse-
boxes kept in the yard for conveying horses on board the
steamers when required.