The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-03 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Admiral Sir M. Seymour,G.C.B., naval Comman-
der-inrChief at Portsmouth, accompanied by Admi.
rals Sir W. Martin and Gambier, yesterday em-
barked on board the Sprightly steam tender, Com-
mander G. Allen, and proceeded out to Spithead to
the iron merchant ship Dragon to inspect the re-
cently patented invention of Mr Cunningham for
bracing round ships' yards when working under
sail, with which the Dragon is fitted. Great inte.
rest was exhibited by the officers of the Drrgon in
the application of the principle on board their ship,
and this interest was owing in part;perhaps, to the
fact that the Dragon is one of the very few ships
that managed to get so far down channel from the
Downs as Spithead during the height of the late
westerly gales, owing to her superior sailing qua,.
lities. The trial, therefore, that has so far been
given to the new principle has been most severe.
Two hands were found sufficient to brace round the
foreyard when the ship was " in stays" in the
heaviest part of the gale, when eight or nine mon
would be required if tho yards had been fitted on
the ordinary principle, and the saving in rape
amounts to 100 fathoms of 3,2,- in. of white manilla.
It was stated that during the voyage down from the
Thames the passengers on board the ship worked
the foreyard in tacking ship for their own amuse.
went. Admiral Sir M. Seymour and Admirals Sir
W. Mortin and Gambier at the close of their visit
to the Dragon expressed their gratification at the
easy manner in which the yards of the ship had
been worked, to exhibit to them the application of
the invention, and also on the thoroughly (fficient
character of invention. The Dragon is a new iron
ship of 700 tons register, bound from London for
Calcutta. She belongs to Liston, Young and Co. of
London, And is commanded by Capt. Gharles
The official testing of armour plating for her Ma.
jesty's ship was resumed at Portsmouth yester-
terday, with the trial of 44in. plate, measuring loft.
by 3ft. 9-1-in. from the well.known firm of John
Brown and Company, Atlas Works, Sheffield.

The plate represented the armour for the twin-
screw gunboat Viper, iron-built, of 737 tons and
160 horse power, constructing for the Admiralty lay
Messrs J. and W. Dudgeon at their Cubitt•towrr
shipbuilding and engineering works. The firing was
conducted under the superintendence of Capt. A. C.,
Key, C. 8., of the Excellent, and was from 95 cwt.
68-pounder solid shot gun, at 200 yards distance,
with the full service charge of 161 b. of powder, the
armour•plate being bolted on the sides of the Ame-
rica target frigate. Mr J. C. Bayley, the London
representative of J. Brown and Co., and Mr Ellis,
one of the managing directors at Sheffield, repre-e
sented the makers of the plate, Twelve shots in all
—ll of iron and one of steel—were fired at the plate,
the details of which it is unnecessary to enter into,
owing to the superior quality of the plate both in
material and manufacture. The steel shot fired at
the plate, which was also from the works of Jobe►
Brown and Co,, had been before fired at a plate with-
out suffering any damage. Yesterday it struck the
Viper's 4}i❑ plate on the indent made by au iron
shot previously fired, but, such was the Excellent
quality of the plate, the steel shot was foiled and
nearly buried itself in metal lin and 2-10tha beyond
the plate's outer surface. Backing of the plate was
very inferior, the ship being in fact worn out fur
target purposes, notwithstanding vv„ rich the plate
went through its trial in a manner far beyond the
plate went through its trial in a manner fa:beyond
the general successful average of plates of the. same
thickness of metal. The Viper has been designed by
Mr E. J. Reed, Chief Constructor, and, with a sistev
vessel building in another private yard, will inaus
gurate the introduction into her Majesty's navy of
the twin screw principle, driven with independent
engines. The building of the Viper has been con-
signed to the Messrs Dudgeon by the Admiralty as
some acknowledgment of the services rendered by
them during the past three or four years in practi•
tally demonstrating with numerous vessels they
have built the peculiar powers and properties of the
twin screw. Among the most successful and DOW
best known of these vessels may be mentioned the,
Flora,the Edith, and the Tallahassee, all new ffying-
the flag and pennant of the Southern Confederated
American States, they appear to leave or return to
Wilmington at their own pleasure, in spite of the,
numerous blockading Northern squadron which has
been for some time vainly endeavouring to cut off
the Confederate States from direct water communi*
cation with Europe.

The Alfred, target-ship, has been raised from her
sunken position on the shallows of Portsmouth
harbour, and placed alongside the dockyard, where
she will undergo temporary repairs by the ship•
wright department. When these are completed she
will again be placed at the disposal of the Arms
strong Whitworth Committee to complete their pro-
gramme by firing at the ship under water, and also
to enable them to repeat a certain portion of the
shell firing previously carried out with the Whit•
worth and the Armstrong (shunt rifled) 70• pounder
naval guns. This latter arrangement is rendered
necessary, owing to the inexplicable mistake with
fuses for the Whitworth shells referred in no Suit
of the 22d ult.

The plate-bending machinery for bending the
largest description of armour-plates for the Belle-
rophon, ironclad frigate, having been brought into
working order in the factory at Chatham Dockyard,
a number of the largest slabs of iron have been euc•
usefully bent to the form of that portion of the
frigate's sides they are intended to encase, and re-
moved to the machinery shed to undergo the drill«
ing, slotting, and planing process. The plates
already operated upon are of the largest proper•
tions hitherto sent into Chatham Dockyard, each
being 6in in thickness, by 16ft in length and 4ft
3in in breadth. They were manufactured of rolled
iron by the Alillwall Iron Company. The opera-
tion of bending was performed by means of one of
Westwood and Baillie's most powerful hydraulic
presses, the plates having been previously heated
to a "cherry" red. The Bellerophon will be BOR•
ciently advanced to receive her broadside plates in
about a fortnight.
The screw corvette Cadmus, 21, 1,466 tons, 400
horse power', which has been some months in hand
fitting for the first division of the Chatham Steam
• ,
Reserve, in readiness for commission, has completed
the repairs rendered necessary by the recent altera-
tion in her screw, and will be undocked at Chatham
to-day. This fine corvette is, with the eaaeption
of
the shipment of sea stores, complete in every depart-
ment, and in all respects ready for the pennant.

The paddlewheel steam sloop Geyser, 6, Cotn4
mender Arthur T. Thrupp, from Portsmouth with
men paid off from the Matlborough, arrived at Plyii
mouth yesterday morning, and will probably leave
that port to-day with men paid off from the Jason
for conveyance to Portsmouth. _

The Royal Marine Light Infantry paid-off from
the Marlborough, 121, arrived at headquarters,
Chatham, late on Friday night, in charge of First
Lieutenants E. M. Messiter and J. A. Sweney, hav-
ing been from an early hour in the morning on,their
way from Portsmouth to Chatham. The delay ie
said to have arisen from the faulty arrangements
made for their transit by the railway company.
This, however, would appear only a small matter In.
comparison with the condition in which a majority
of the non-commissioned officers and men reached.
headquarters. The whole.of them were without
their arms, knapsacks, &c., which were left behind.
at one of the stations, while several were in a disc
graceful state of intoxication. Indeed, the whole of
the men, both non-commissioned officers and prig
vates, appeared to have been drinking. Immedi-
ately on the detachment marching into barracks.,
and the condition of the men being reported to Col.
Lemon, C. 8., that officer placed several of thera
under arrest, and an order was yesterday given
for their trial by court martial. An investigation
was at the same time ordered into the whole
of the circumstances connected with the transit
of the detachment from Portsmouth to head*
quarters. On the part of the men it should be
stated that the delays en the line were attributed.
solely to the railway company, twe hours having
been consumed in a detention at one station, and
it was while waiting they were supplied wall
rum by some of the railway servants. Had they not
left their arms, &0., behind they would have been
kept at the station the whole night.
The examination of candidates for the Royal.
Artillery and Royal Engineers for admission to the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst, under the regut
lations, dated Horse Guards, Jan. 1, 1864, come
menced at Chelsea Hospital on Thursday, before
Major Gen. F. W, Hamilton, C. 8., Vice-PreOideutt
and the members of the Council of Education.

Major Gen. Stransham, Inspector General of the
Royal Marines, yesterday resumed and closed big
annual examination, at Woolwich, of the First
Lieutenants of various branches of the force who
had met there for the purpose of being examined is
order to ascertain their qualifications for the post of
Adjutants of Division. The following officers passed
a favourable examination : —Lieuts William Repton,
Friend Hopkins, and John Ignatius Morris, of the
Woolwich division—Lieuts. William Henry Valleck
Torn and Edward Willoughby Grenville Byam, of
the Chatham division—and Lieuts. Henry Eyre
Russell and Montague Philip Hall Gray, of the
Plymouth division—being two officers from each of
the three divisions in attendance. The examinations
were stated to be extremely satisfactory.

`rho following circular memorandum was yebters
day promulgated at Woolwich :—" Her Majesty hag
been graciously pleased to appoint Lieut.-Colonel,
George Lambrick,of the Plymouit division of Royal
Marines, as one of her Majesty aides.de.camP, in.
succession to Colonel Hopkins, C. 8."

INCLOSURE OF WIMBLEDON COMMON. -A.
meeting of the vestry of Putney was betel on Thursday
evening, the incumbent (the Ron. and Rev. H. Henley,
M.A,) in the chair, when the proposed inclosuro of Wim-
bledon Common was specially brought under consideration.
A correspondence between the churchwardens of Putney
and the solicitors of Earl Spencer was real,in which the
latter expressed their regret that the parish officers of
Putney had not been invited to attend the meeting recently
convened by Lord Spencer in the lecture-hall at Wimbledon,
After setae discussion, in which it was stated that the
homage jury of the manor of Putney had given in their
unanimous approval of the proposed scheme, the vestry
resolved to appoint a committee to obtain plans and other
information respecting it, the incumbent acting as perma-
nent chairman of the committee.