The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-26 00:00:00

Mr. Philip Thornton, assist, master shipwright at Wool-
wich dockyard, was yesterday appointed by the Admiralty
acting master shipwright of Chatham yard, in the position
recently occupied by Mr. Oliver Lang, who is about to retire
from service on account of ill-health. In selecting Mr.
Thornton the fill the post their choimhaa fallen on one of
the most experienced- iron shipbuilders in the service. Ho
was selected about 20 years ago, and was employed in visiting
the principal iron shipbuilding yards in the kingdom with
a view to the information he could obtain becoming useful
to the Royal Navy. Mr. Thornton's appointment augurs
well for the service, as, in addition to his beingthe senior of
his grade, he is a member of council, of the Institution of
Naval Architects. His promotion has given general satis-
faction.

In accordance with instructions from the Admiralty, and
at the request of the Chief Constructor of the Navy, one of
the officials from the establishment of Messrs. Penn and
Sons, who have been selected to manufacture the engines
for the iron frigate Bellerophon, has been directed to pro-
ceed to Chatham dockyard for the purpose of making him-
self thoroughly acquainted with the new and simplified sys-
tem of construction intended to be employed in the hull of
that vessel. This arrangement has been cJnsidered neces-
sary in order that the massive iron bearers, &c., for the
boilers, engines, screw shaft, and other portions of the
machinery may be incorporated in the hull of the frigate,
instead of being placed in the ship independently, and with-
out reference to the frigate's frames, as is the case with the
Achilles and the iron frigates hitherto built. By this
arrangement, not only will the strength and rigidity of the
Bellerophon be very considerably increased, but the expen-
diture in alterations and fittings for the machinery will be
greatly reduced. It is calculated that the saving will be at
least 100 tons of iron, costing not less than £2,000, in addi-
tion to an equal sum for labour. The only surprise ap-
pears to be that a similar arrangement has not been adopted
in the iron vessels hitherto built.

The following appointmenis were made yesterday at the
Admiralty :—Lieut. H. T. Yeatman to the I;uke of Wel-
lington—Lieut. Spencer M. Wilson to the St. Vincent—
Lieut. Adolphus F. M. Meyer to the Impregnable—John
W. H. Harvey, master, to the Gibraltar—Edwin Fenn,
assist.surg.; to the Victory—Andrew J. De Vismes, Geo.
F. Clark, and Marshall Little, master's assistants, to the
Hector—Albert Giles, F. C. L. Neville, and George W.
Henderson, master's assistants, to the Prince Consort.
Three of the old cast-iron guns strengthened on the prin-
ciple of steel and iron tubes have been tested at the proof
butt in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, with much success.
The bore of the gun was enlarged so as to admit an inner
tube of 2iin thick throughout, constituting the increased
strength. The first gun tested contained a wrought-iron
tube, and withstood 100 rounds. The charge consisted of
281 b of powder and a cylinder, commencing. at 601 b weight
and increasing at each round. As it was intended to prove
the guns, to use the technical expression, " to destruction,"
the trial was ordered to be resumed and the charge in-
creased. The gun was destroyed on the second day at the
third round. The second gun contained a steel tube within
one of wrought-iron. This gun burst into fragments at the
first round. The third gun was strengthened with a
wrought-iron tube only, and discharged 80 rounds without
showing any indications of giving way. It burst at the 81st
round. The trials were witnessed with much interest, as
they tend to prove the great advantage of the principle by
which an enormous increase of strength is added to the old
cast-iron guns of which the Government have an immense
supply now lying useless.
A seven-inch cupola gun, rilid on Sir Wm. Armstrong's
shunt system, and manufactured upon an improved prin-
ciple proposed by Mr. Anderson, Assistant-Superinten-
dent of the Royal gun factories at Woolwich, has been
completed, ands ill be shortly transported to her Majesty's
gunnery ship Excellent to be tested against the 100.
pounder smooth-bore gun. The same species of shot—
namely, 100 pounds each—will be fired from both guns.
By the appointment of Major-Gen. It. Low, K.H., to the
colonelcy of the 98th Regiment, a pension for distinguished
or meritorious service is placed at the disposal of his Royal
Highness the Field Marshal Commanding .in-Chief.