The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-14 00:00:00

Na vat and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

An onci al inspection was yesterday made by the
authorities at Chatham dockyard, on the part of the
Admiralty , of the iron paddlewheel steamer Recruit,
6, 150 horse power, which was placed in No. 3 dock
on th e previous afternoon to enable a survey to be
made, to ascertain the results of the trials with the
invention by Capt. H. F. INl‘Killop for cleansing the
bottoms of iron ships afloat. These, by direction of
the Admirulty, were ordered to be tried on the Re-
cruit, which was placed in the hands of the inventor
for that purpose. During the time the Recruit was
in dock at Chatham, fitting for commission, her port
side -was paid over with the anti-corrosive composi-
Con by Mr. Hay, the Admiralty chymist, and on
her starboard side was applied a new anti-fouling
mixture, which had been submitted to the Admiralty
by the inventor, Mr. Crispin. Both compositions—
as, indeed, has been the case, more or less, with
every env ention of the kind hitherto brought under
the notice of the Admiralty—have turned out to be
cemnleete failures, as, on the water being pumped
cut of the dock in which the Recruit had been placed
every square inch of the surface of her hull below
the water-line was found thickly coated with weeds,
sea grass, barnacles, and various kinds of animal-
cu. x. The appearances of the two sides of the vese
eel were, however, very different. On. the starboard
side, to Which Mr. Crispin's invention had been ap-
plied, the entire surface was covered with grass,
about a foot in length, with which were mixed
thousands of sea worms and barnacles. A minute
examination led to the discovery that every portion
of the composition had been eaten away from the
iron plates, leaving nothing but the coating of red
lead applied by the dockyard workmen. On the
port side Mr. Hey's composition was found to be
still adhering to the iron plates, which were coated
over the length
of the vessel with a kind of
fibrous seaweed, from one to two or three inches in
length, :end
swarming with small shell fish. In
sem parts of this portion of the vessel's bottom the
weeds aeTere longer and more matted than on the
starbo and side, while the barnacles here were also
very large, the composition being completely pene-
tratiol, and the iron-plating exposed. Althogether
the bottom of the Recruit, which was only 12 weeks
out of dock, was more thickly covered with marine
formations than many iron vessels which had been
12 months afloat. Only a portion of the vessel's
hull was selected by Capt. M'Killop to be experi-
mented upon, extending about 121 t. on the aft side
of each of the sponsons. The plan adopted in re-
moving the fouling from iron ships is to sink a
kind of large tarpaulin, of about 20ft. •in width, and
of sufficient length to be passed completely under
the vessel's keel, and brought up on the opposite
Aide. The four sides or edges of the apparatus are
made air-tight, and on being filled with air acquire
a buoyancy -which makes it cling to the vessel with
great force. A mixture of creosote, lime, and some
other substances being spread over the centre of the
tarpaulin, the whole remains under water, and in
the course ,of some three or four hours the mixture
being act© d upon by the water destroys every por-
tion of thr, growth on the ship's bottom. Although
Capt. Kil.lop's invention had succeeded in removing
a considerable part of the incrustations on the sides
of the 7 tecruit, yet the cleansing process was only
partial., the kGel, especially, showing a vast mere-
mulati an of seaweed and barnacles altogether un-
touche d. The opinion pronounced by the dockyard
ufacite:la was unfavourable to the invention, but
prov;.ded the apparatus can be easily applied
ther a appears to be no reason why it
ShOT lid not, in a measure, answer in the
case of iron ships taking a long sea voy-
age, and, therefore, unable to be docked, except-
ing at distant intervals. On the other hand, it would
be necessary to ascertain whether the powerful com-
.position of creosote and lime has any, and, if so,
what effect upon the plates of iron ships. It should
be stated that Capt. INl‘Killop considers his invention
to be more suceessful in realising the object sought
when tried at sea than in harbour, as the passage
of the vessel through water would more effectually
wash off the accumulations removed than can be
effected in the case of a ship moored in a river or

harbour.
'Che Tamar, 3, iron screw troopship, 2,812 tons,

500 horse power, was commissioned Ft Sheerness on

Saturday last, the pennant being hoisted by Capt.
F. H. who has been in charge of the ves-
sel during the time she has belonged to the Sheer-
ness Steam Reserve. The Tamar has received
thweough examination, and been completely fitted
by the artisans of Sheerness dockyard, and when
recently surveyed by Capt. Mends, C. 8., Director
of Transports, and other officials, was pronounced
to be in a very satisfactory condition. Her preli-
minary trial will take place shortly.
The screw steam gunboat Hind, 2, Lieut.-Com.
Sce"J, from Falmouth, arrived at Plymouth on Mon-
day evening to ship stores for the coastguard ship
Russe 11, Coca. Sidney Grenfell, at Falmouth.
It is expected at Devonport that the long dock in
the dockyard will be ready to-day for the reception
of t'ae iron-plated frigate Black Prince.
1 ler Majesty's ship Speedwell, Com. Cottam, yes-
ter day went down to the Arsenal buoy at Wool-
wich, and shipped her powder, in preparation for her
departure for the West Coast of Africa, and the Fox
laden with machinery and gear for the ironcased
ship Research, at Pembroke, yesterday went along-
side the coal hulk at Woolwich to make ready for sea.
The Monkey, steamstug, tender to the flagship
risgard at Woolwich, under repairs during the last
12 months, is nearly ready for service. The whole
of her decks and top sides are now completely new,
and but a nominal portion of her old keel and
ancient timbers has been retained. The Monkey is
probably the only vessel of her age in active use,
she having been in use during the reigns of the four
successive Sovereigns. At the coronation of George
IV. the Monkey (then the Royal Sovereign) was
employed in carrying the Holyhead mails, and she
was subsequently used as the Royal yacht when
required by the Court. She has been attached for
some years past as tender to the flagship at Wool-
wich, and constantly at work for labour purposes.
She is again fitted with a new set of boilers, has had
her engines thoroughly overhauled and adapted
with a disconnecting shaft to enable her to turn
quickly and in a confined circle in the river, and is
now pronounced to be one of the most useful and
efficient vessels of her class.
The ironcased ship Caledonia, 35 guns, now in
the Victoria Dock, has received the whole of her
boilers, eight in number. The machinery is along_
side, and will soon be put on board. It is expected
that she will be removed to Sheerness on the next
tides
spring in about a fortnight.
The armour-plated ship Valiant, 34 guns, will be
launched this day
at two o'clock, from the Admi-
ralty-yard, Poplar.
assembled y
board her Majesty's ship esterday morning on
A court-martial
Formidable, 84, flagship of
Vice-Admiral Sir G. K..C.8 , t
Of Erasmus
Comman-
der-in-Chief at Sheerness, for trial
C. Roberts, additional second
master belonging to
the Formidable, but serving on board the Lizard,
3, Paddlewheel tender to the Formidable. Captain
John, Telford, of the Formidable, Presided over
the Court,v. and the case was conducted by Mr. G.
(of the firm of Messrs. Essen, Knight,
and Arnold,
Admiralty solicitors, Rochester), De-
puty Judge-Advocate. The court was held under
a warrant from the Lords Commiseioncrs of
the Admiralty, and on the complaint of Lieut.
Henry
Joseph Challis, commanding the Lizard. The
charge preferred against the prisoner was that he,
being in actual service and on full pay as additional
second master of the Lizard, was, on Sept. 26 last,
drunk on board the vessel and unfit to perform his
duties. The prisoner pleaded guilty
-, and threw him-
Pelf en the mercy of the court. He
was
ad j
edged
to
forfeit two years seniority and to be dismissed the
'
ship.
All masters on the Reserved List of 1-
seniority will be removed to a separate `) years'
list as staff
conernanders on the Reserved List.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty—Fred. Lucas, paymaster, to the
Tamar • and C. R. Watson. clerk, to the Tamar.
,

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