The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-18 00:00:00

Launch of the Arapiles.

The Arapiles, Spanish iron-clad frigate was launched
yesterday afternoon from the building yard of the Messrs.
Green, at Blackwall. Originally the ship was laid down
for a screw frigate, but the innovation of armour-plating
led to the removal of the upper deck and the bringing of the
stern into harmony with modern notions. t,uch, in brief, is
the story of the Arapiles—and if it is thought that the ship
ought to have been in the Pacific Ocean long ago, the
answer must be that the reputation of the Messrs. Green
was not acquired for rapid shipbuilding, but in the slow and
sure manner which the use of timber imperatively enjoined.
Hereafter the Messrs. Green, embarking in iron shipbuild-
ing, will be as active as other people, the use of iron imposing
no other restraint than that demanded by good workmanship
But the Arapiles, being a wood ship,has not been hastened.
Progress has been made with caution, and the result will
be the addition to the Srnni,h nosy ut a substantial, g)cd-
wearing, and long-enduring frigate.

Keeping in remembrance the fact that the Arapiles was
originally laid down as an ordinary wood screw frigate,
that perfection in form which all naval architects are
striving after is not to be looked for. The Arapiles as an
iron• clad is much the same thing as the Royal Sovereign is
as a cupola ship. The most has been made of the Arapiles,
and that most is exceedingly flattering to the builders of the
ship. The Arapiles is in proportions the nearest approach
to the famous French Solferino that has yet been launched
from an English shipyard. Bat the Arapiles is not a Sol-
ferino, and could not reasonably be supposed to be a Solfe-
rino. Whether the Messrs. Green can turn out a Solferino
remains as yet undetermined, The relative proportions of
the Solferino and the Arapiles are as follows :

Solferino—Length between perpendiculars.. 279 feet
Breadth extreme .. 65'3 „
Arapiles—Length between perpendiculars .. 279 ~
Breadth extreme .. 54 „
Thus there is a mere difference in breadth of 1 foot 3
inches, the Solferino being that broader than the Arapiles.
How then is the mass of both ships distributed ? The fore
frame of the Arapiles is very much cut away below, and
well shaped aloft. The bow is good, so good that the
Solferino would requite to be alongside before judgment
were passed between the two. The Arapiles has a fine
entrance, especially below. The after frame has butt
less skilfully fashioned, particularly above, where the heavi-
ness is unpardonably great. Below the after frame is shapely,
but it is wanting in length to correspond with the fore frame.
The Solferino has no such blemish, the stern frame being
the mere counterpart of the bow. Therefore, as the Solferino
sails well, steers well, and stands up well, there is reason to
doubt the same good qualities in the Arapiles, The middle
body of the Arapiles is well rounded and shapely, so that it
the ship is not fast and does not steer well, good stability
will at least be possessed. The upper stem tumbles home
slightly, and the junction with the lower stem is nicely
rounded. The junction is where the lowest row of armour
plates will be attached. The side is provided with two
armour shelves, one along the wales and the other along
the waist, the armour on the former being 44 inches and
on the latter 41 inches. The sides are pierced for 34 guns,
17 guns aside; and the ports are only large enough for guns
of the old calibre-68 pounders or 110 pounder Armstrongs.

Another Horrible Murder near Windsor,

A very barbarous murder has just been discovered of
Sunninghill Park, the seat of Mr P. H. Crutchley, near
Ascot. On Saturday afternoon a carrier, named Zentish,
called about half-past five o'clock at a lodge near the road
leading to Sunningdale, for the purpose of leaving soma
papers. This lodge was kept by an old woman named
Butler, who was about 70 years old. On Kentish opening
the door and entering the lodge, he was much surprised and
horrified to find the old woman sitting on the floor near the
entrance, with her head covered with wounds, and stream-
ing with blood. On the carrier asking her what was the/
matter, she was just able to utter a few exclamations of pain
and became insensible. Kentish hastened to the adjacent
farm for assistance, and Dr. Hewitt, of Winkfield, was im-
mediately sent for, but the poor old woman had expired from
the dreadful nature of the injuries she had received. Thera
were three frightful outs on the back and two on the top
of the hood. They had evidently been inflicted with soma
blunt instrument, as the cap which Mrs Butler wore had
not been cat through. Sergeant Mansell, on receiving no-
tice of the murder, sent for Inspector Reece and Superin-
tendent Irewonger, of the Bei ks constabulary, who imme-
diately proceeded to the scene of the murder, and minutely
searched the premises in the hope of finding some traces of
the old woman's murderer. By the side of the body of tha
victim was found a bunch of four keys and a seal engraved
with the letter G. The poor old woman, who was in the
receilt of parochial relief, had a lodger, a labouring man.
This man gave a satisfactory account of himself during
the day, he in fact being out at work at the time the
barbarous deed was perpetrated. As Mrs Butler was ill,
very poor circumstances it is thought the murder has heerE
oda) alighted upon
tigen a4*am
committed from motives of malice, and not of plunder.
Inspector Reece and Superintendent Iremonger remained
on the spot making inquiries during the whole of Satur-
daywas night, and suspicion has who
is said to have insulted several I)2rs,,n, day, anpd who
s who refused to
give him alms.

THE COLLIERS RETURNING TO WonK.—The
iistresolutionon,
on
n Saturday,p ropo ae
was d t the meeting of colliers at
B
morning, when largo
meetings of the men were held anywhere in the district.
numbers
sticularly returnedcarried
tot their
ei or u t yesterday
work.
N
o
The collieries in the more immediate neighbourhood of
\Volveihanpton are again getting into itill business, and
hundreds of poor fellows, after their long holiday, are glad
to be busy, even on Monday, a day on which colliers in
general usually play.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—llorning, 3h. 48.n.—Afternoon, 4'l. 10m.
EII-ito ow.-Morning, 4h. 28 al .—A ft o rno on, 4h. 48w.