The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-16 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Rear-Admiral R. S. Robinson, Controller of the Navy,
visited Portsmouth Dockyard on Saturday, and, accom-
panied by Rear-Admiral G. Elliott and other officials, went
on board the Royal Sovereign, cupola ship, in No. 10 dock,
for the purpose of inquiry as to damage on her recent trial,
and also to inspect the state of the vitreous sheathing on the
ship's bottom, already referred to in The Sun of the 13th.
Port Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle, K,C.8,, was con-
veyed on Saturday by the gunboat Tilbury from Devonport
into the Sound, where he inspected the crew of the ironcased
screw steam vessel Research, 4, Capt. Wilmshurst.
The screw steamship Defence, 18, Capt. A. Phillimore,
went on Saturday morning from Plymouth Sound into
Hamoaze, and was placed alongside the jetty at Devonport
Dockyard, preparatory to going to-day into No. 1 dock to
be examined, and to have her valves overhauled. For this
purpose the paddlewheel steamsloop Geyser was removed
from No. 1 dock on Saturday. When the tide rose the
Warrior, 40, Capt. the Hon. Arthur A. Cochrane, followed
the Defence, and was placed at moorings in Hamoaze, pre-
paratory to being put today into the Princess dock, in the
dockyard, from which the gunboats Partridge, Gleaner, and
Ferret were removed on Friday evening. Yesterday at noon
the iron screw steamship Black Prince, 41, Capt. J. J. B.
Wainwright, second in command of the Channel squadron,
was navigated from Plymouth Sound into Hamoaze for the
purpose of being docked. Five stearotugs were in attendance.
In order to expedite the operation in Woolwich Dock-
yard for the preparation of armour-plates for Mr. Reed's
iron-cased ships, th© Favourite and Pallas, the plate-bend-
ing shed has been considerably enlarged and the machinery
increased by the addition of new machines for planing the
edges of twisted, tapered, or curved plates. The machinery
has been supplied by the firm of Messrs. Smith, Beacock,
and Tannett, of Leeds, with modifications by Mr. Trickett,
chief engineer and inspector of steam machinery at the
dockyard, as also machines for boring slotting, &o. One of
the machines is on a powerful and magnificent scale, and
was put into operation on Saturday to test its efficiency with
three tools working at the same time. The result was highly
satisfactory. The whole of the machines worked equally
well. By the introduction of these improvements great
progress is expected to be made.

An untoward accident has happened on board the paddle-
wheel steamer Salamis, 4, 250-horse power, Commander F,
G. Suttic, fitting as a look-out ship to be attached to the
Channel Fleet. The Salamis had just returned from her
trial trip at the Maplin Sands, with Capt. Hall, C,B„ and
the other officials on board, and was steaming to her moor-
ings in the Medway, when, from some cause which at pre-
sent does not seem capable of explanation, the bottom of one
of her cylinders was blown out. This accident will detain
the Salamis for several weeks, as nearly the whole her ma-
chinery will require to be taken out. It is the more to be
regretted as she was to have sailed on Saturday to join the
Channel squadron, to which she was to act as " whipper-in,"
The following appointments and promotions have been
made at the Admiralty :—Commander Deuglas Walker to
be an Inspecting Commander of the Coastguard, vice Com-
mander Smithett, whose period of service has expired ;
Lieut. W. G. Annesley, to the Wolverene ; J. Neil, chief
engineer, to the Indus, for the St. Jean d'Acre ; Dover
Farrant, master, to the Cossack , Dr. W. Smith, surgeon-
superintendent, to the "Merchantman convict ship; W. A.
Kingscote, naval cadet, to the Wolverene ; W. G. Carrow,
naval cadet, to the Duncan; W. G. Atkinson, W. H. Adlam,
G. Christie, Alfred Gibbons, J. S. Caveneagh, Francis C.
Corbet (acting), T. M`G. Bridge, Samuel M. Spry, and
Selwyn S. Lugnen, promoted to the rank of masters; J. P.
APE wen, second master to the Investigator; J. Riches and
Arthur C. Dowdell, second masters, to the Dasher; James
Fisher, second master, to the Sparrow ; W. T. Tregidgo,
second master, to the Caradoc ; Alfred S. Bradley, second
master, to the Steady; and Percy C. Smith, acting second
master, to the Triton.