The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—Tbe Queen, 116, Captain
Wise, will be ready to come out of dock on Friday, when
it is reported she proceeds immediately to Plymouth, to
be paid down.
The Philomel, 8, Commander Forbes, awaits orders at
Spithead.
WOOLWWH, MAY 17.—The Herald, 28, Captain
Henry M. Denham, is still at Greenhithe, with her
tender, the Torch steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Chimmo. The interest taken in the South Sea explor-
ing expedition has followed it to Grcenhithe, and among
the numerous visitors who have gone on board the ves-
sels since they loft Woolwich were Mr. Augustus Staf-
ford, M.P.,Secretary to the Admiralty, Mr. Adderley,
M.P., Mr. Robert Stephenson, M.P., and Mr. Ricardo,

M.P.
The cards of admission to the booths and standing ,1
room under and immediately adjoining the slip from
which the Agamemnon, 90, is to be launched on
Saturday next, the 22d inst., about three o'clock r.!.,
have been printed, and the west side of the slip
has been reserved for the Board of Admiralty,
Commodore Henry Eden, and their friends. The
booths and standing room on the east side have been
placed at the disposal of the heads of the various de-
partments of the dockyard, and it is calculated they will
distribute 800 cards, each to admit one person. The
whole of the arrangements for the launch of the Aga-
memnon appear to be of a better description than any
ever witnessed at this dockyard. The woodwork of the
booths is not carried higher than 5 feet, and all the seats
are under that height, so that thousands of the public
who will have standing-room on the parade-ground on
the west side and on the east side, and on the gently-
sloping pavement in front of her bows, may have an
excellent sight. The admission of parties having cards
to the booths and standing room under the slip will be
at the rear of the seats, which which will be a very
great improvement over the plan hitherto adopted of
passing to the seats betwixt the spectators and the vessel.
The Dockyard Battalions will commence their drills
this evening, the following having been issued for their
guidance:—

" BRIGADE ORDERS.
"Adjutant's-office, May 12.
"The drills for the season will commence on Monday
evening next, at half-past six o'clock, with the Artillery
and Ist company of the Boat Battalion.
" The Infantry and 23 company Boat Battalion on
Tuesday evening at the same hoar.
" The Artillery to havo their waist-belts without bay-
onets.

"The Boat Brigade vra;st-belts and swords.
-- - - - -

" The Infantry svith carabines.
" Dress—blue cloth with forage caps.
" By order of the Colonel-Commandant."
DEVONPORT, SUNDAY.—Rochester, lighter, Savage
master, sailed on Saturday, with stores for Plymouth.
Sprightly tender arrived to-day with supernumeraries
from Portsmouth and the Marine Artillery for the
Buzzard.

Sanspareil steamer will be taken out for the trial of
her engines on Tuesday or Wednesday next, manned
from the Impregnable and St. George, with some extra
riggers from the dockyard.
The Basilisk came into harbour on Sunday evening.

FIRE IN PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.--About eight o'clock this
morning a fire broke out in one of the departments of
this dockyard, which, but for its Wifely discovery and
theimmense exertions promptly made to extinguish it,
might have resulted in the destruction of an incalcu-
lable amount of national property, and crippled for a
long time the efficiency of Portsmouth as a naval depot.
From information we have gathered on the spot on per-
sonal inspection, it appears that while the process of
boiling the tar for tarring ropeyarns was going on in the
tarring-house (which is one section of a large building
forming the white-yarn and tarred-yard store in the
centre of the dockyard), the bottom of ono of the two
copper tar boilers gave way, and the contents ran into
the fire, giving out an immense volume of flame. Four
ropemakers, a boy, and one stoker were in the tarring-
house at the time; these instantly rushed out and
gave an alarm; the fire bell was rung, the police
were called, the engines manned and run up to the
scene of the disaster; and such is the system and
order under which these matters are managed in this
dockyard, thet within three minutes after the alarm was
given one of the ropemakers' four engines (which were
the first at the fire) was got into play. About 40 en-
gines, altogether, were soon at work, and there being a
good supply of water and thousands of hands, within
the hour (from eight to nine) the flames were extin-
guished and the damage ascertained. Nothing could
exceed the praiseworthy exertions of all the parties en-
gaged in this work; it was suprising, as well as in the
highest degree admirable—every officer and man was at
his post, and plied the means at his command with a
vigour perfectly indescribable. The result was the
saving of,a most important section, if not the greater por-
tion, of the dockyard. The building containing the
offices before enumerated is about 40 feet high, as many
in width, the partitions being of brick, with iron-bars to
the windows. In this building at the time of the fire
were about 1,500 tons of tarred yarn, 14 or 15 cwt. of
yarn in the tarring house (the seat of the fire), which
was destroyed, and in an adjoining store of the same edifice
were several tar barrels, and three full ones, besides the
stock in use at the time of the accident. Had this im-
mense inflammable mass ignited, there is no doubt but
that the Dockyard would have been ono wide-spread
scene of devestating flame, on one side of the tarring-
house being a long range of roperies, extending nearly
the entire depth of the yard, with low wooden i
sheds
within a dozen feet of the tarring-house, timber in m-
mense loads strewn about and stacked around, and on
the other a long range of offices, police store, armoury,
&c. How such a building as one in which tar. seemsh
to be constantly boiling could have been. allowed. such
a central position seems perfectly unintelligibleh.. Th
boilers in which the tar is heated are of copper, otldiensgee
about five buckets each, and it was the ofirw.est. wh.ch
vessels which burst. The part of the building ihn The
they were is gutted, and the roof burnt throng
. The
preservation of the other sections. of the building.- seems
truly providential. Admiral Sir Thomas Bhriggs Cora-
mander-in-Chief, was among
.the
givingfirst on! e spot, and
most prompt and energetic.who was
Rear-Admiral Superintendent Pre.sccoi.
tht is commands.
confined to his bedroom be! disposition,
cahuases
ordered a court of inquiry
.to investiat LB
of the disaster. The Court will report the Admiral
r the
of p
thee r -
Superintendent the result of their exhlamination which
we believe will fully exonerate far::
Aamneumalbel
sons employed in. the tarring-house.
seamen of the ships in dock. under refit
uiene nth)
were a rd
most
pecially those of her Mdajesty's ship
under their respective
promptly on the spot, an they'.mortant service by their
officers, rendered. eminently
of
the burnin adjoining
agility in scaling the roofs, 9) cdiments oaths free flood
buildings, breaking
assistance. The police
of water, and rendering similar
force, too, under their. director,
tLhieouoteecnaesniotnHaTll,hße .fN01..,
performed essential service on
blished •
lowing " orders" have been
e Victory, in Portsmouth u Harbour, May 17,1852.
" General Memo—The best thanks of myself and
Rear-Admiral Superintendent Prescott, C. 8., are here-
with tendered to the officers and men of her Majesty's
*p and vessels at this port who were present assisting
Bahtithaextinguishment ot the. fire in the. dockyard this
morning for their energetic efforts, which were happily
crowned with success.

" THOUS BRIGGS,
"Admiral and Commandor•in-Chief.'

" To the respective Captains and Commanders, &c."
"Portsmouth Dockyard, May 17.
if Memo,--The Admiral Superintendent has received
with the greatest satisfaction reports of the energetic
and excellent conduct of all classes—officers, subordinate
officers, police, artificers, and labourers belonging to the
dockyard on the occarion of the fire this morning.
Their exertions were happily crowned with prompt
mow, (ind the fire, which first threatened serious 0911-

1862.

sequences, was extinguished without doing material
injury.
" The Admiral Superintendent will not fail to make
known to the L girds Commissioners of the Admiralty his
sense of the praiseworthy behaviour of those under his
command, _ _ _

" PRESCOTT, Admiral Superintendent."
We are happy to say no accident of moment occurred
at this fire. A man named Tyler fell whilst at work
aloft upon the building, but we believe is not seriously
injured. Such a building as the one gutted, if permitted
in futuro in so thickly surrounded a snot, should be of
iron or otherwise fireproof.