The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-17 00:00:00

continued working extra hours, the demands on the depart•
ment for the timber required in the construction of the
Lord Warden frigate and the other vessels in hand having
very considerably diminished.
The favourable report made to the Lords of the Admiralty
of the working of the steam traction engines employed by
Messrs Aveling and Porter, in conveying the heavy portions
of the iron work for the dockyard, from the factory at
Strood to Chatham, have induced their Lordships to give
directions for one of the traction engines to be provided by
the patentees, and used in Chatham dockyard for one month,
during which time it will be employed in the heaviest kind
of labour, in order to enable the officials of the establish-
ment to report to the authorities as to its capabilities, and
the advantage or otherwise which
,would result from the
general use of steam traction engines in the Govern-
ment dockyards. As an illustration of the enormous power
of these engines it may be mentioned that on Thursday
some of the officials of Chatham dockyard were invited
by Messrs Aveling and Porter to witness the working
of ono of the traction engines just completed by them
for shipment to Australia to be used in conveying metal ore
from the mines to the seaport. The engine in question
started away from the factory with a train of waggons at-
tached, containing a cylinder of several tons weight, just
cast for the dockyard extension works, and upwards of 30
tons of coals, the gross weight of the whole being close
upon 40 tons. With this weight attached the engine tra-
versed the streets of Rochester and Chatham without occa-
sioning the slightest inconvenience to the ordinary traffic,
and finally ascended Star-hill, which has an incline of 1 in
12, at a speed of between 3 and 4 miles per hour, the same
hill being subsequently descended later in the day by the
same train with the greatest ease and safety. During the
time the engines have been employed in conveying materials
from Rochester to Chatham dockyard—a period extending
over several months—they have performed their allotted
tasks most satisfactorily, and not the slightest accident has
occurred, notwithstanding that the public streets have been
traversed by theca at all hours of day and night.
As the result of the various successful experiments and
severe teats to which the new patent indented, small palmed
anchors, introduced by Capt. Rodger, R.N., have been re-
cently subjected at Woolwich, it was yesterday announced
that an Admiralty order had been received for the reception
and issue for service of a number of the anchors, weighing
respectively 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75cwt. One of
C;ipt. Rodger's anchors, weighing 30cwt 2qrs 151 b, was yes-
terday shipped and tatted on board her Majesty's troopship
Fox, Staff-Commander T. Pullen, :to be used as a light
working bower anchor to supersede the old anchor, weigh-
ing upwards of 44cwt. The new anchor was tested on
Wednesday under the hydraulic press, in the presence of
Mr George Turner, the master shipwright of the yard, and
other officials, and by Captain Rodger's desire the strain
was worked up to the test of an anchor of double its
weight, viz.,-61cwt lqr 41b, the proof commencing at
Mons, lewt 3qr 111 b, and gradually increasing to
the enormous drag of 49tons Ocwt 2qr 14lb. Both
arms were subjected to the extreme trial, and on examina-
tion and measurement no signs of yielding were perceptible,
nor the slightest degree of permanent set, the dimensions
being precisely as Wore the trial. On Thursday the anchor
underwent the usual fire test and smithery examination, and
was shipped and ordered on the following day for service
The metal was proved to be of undeniable quality. The
whole of Captain Rodger's anchors, according to the pre-
sent arrangement, are to be manufactured by the North
Field Iron and Steel Company, at Rotherham, in York-
shire, who are under a heavy bond to confine themselves
exclusively to that species of anchor, to avoid competition
or detriment to Captain Rodger's patent.
The War Department cutter Helena, Mr Moors, com-
mander, sailed yesterday from Woolwich, laden with war
stores for Portsmouth, among which are a carriage and slide
on a new principle, and a 7 inch gun for experiments on
board the Excellent.

The iron screw ship Defence, 16, Captain A. Phillimore,
left Plymouth Sound yesterday, to join the Channel
Squadron in Portland Roads.
The sloop Squirrel, 8, left Portsmouth yesterday for a
^rinse in the Channel.
The hired transport Copenhagen, Capt. Cowie, which left
the Thames to embark troops at Dublin for the Cape of
Good HOpe and Calcutta, put into Plymouth Sound on
Thursday evening through stress of weather. Wind south-
west, blowing strong.
The iron screw steamship Warrior, 40, Capt, the Hon. A.
A. Cochrane, from Gibraltar with invalids for the flagship
and the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth, arrived in the
Sound yesterday, and took up her station inside the camber
of the breakwater. When cropping her anchor a man fell
overboard. The lifeboats were lowered forthwith, and seve-
ral of tht crew jumped off the ship to rescue their comrade,
who, however, sank immediately, and did not rise again.
The United States screw corvette Iroquois, Commander

C. R. P. R,dgers, anchored in St Helen's roads, off Ports-
mouth, from a cruise in the Channel, and driven in by the
strong prevailing S.W. winds. A large number of foreign

bound merchantmen have also anchored in St. Helen's for
shelter from the weather.

Major-Gen. \Varde, C. 8., yesterday resumed bis half-
yearly visitation of Woolwich garrison, and inspected the
Coaatguard drawn out in the west square of the Royal
Horse Artillery. The general afterwards visited the bar-
rack-rooms, &C.

We are requested to state that the Hon. B. Napier, who
passed his examination for a naval cadetship of the first class
at the Royal Naval College September examination, was a
pupil from North Grove House, Southsea, Hants.