The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-06 00:00:00

An Alleged Confederate " Ironclad."

Some interest was created in Liverpool on Satur-
day by an allegation that a new " ironclad" steamer
had been trying her engines, and departed from the
Mersey in course of the forenoon's tide. From the
outcry which has recently been made in relation tc
war steamers having been supplied the Confederate
Government, the allegation referred to excited con-
siderable remark. Investigation, however, showed
that the "suspicious craft" was perfectly legitimate
in all respects. She proved to be the troopship
Orontes, recently built for our own Government by
Messrs. Laird Brothers, at Birkenhead, which was
I;eljanatfiroitgbattrLPB
I
launched in November last. This vessel, by dint of
great exertion, has been completed in her eAternal
fittings, and was wanted to proceed at once to
Devonport, Her engines, by Watt and Co., are of
500 horse power, and have been put on board, and
the vessel is in all respects ready for the reception
of troops, and for the conveyance of these she will
no doubt be immediately put in commission. She
has been inspected by Mr. Luke and several officers
of her Majesty's navy, and gentlemen interested in
such matters, and has been pronounced by them
first class, and no doubt will prove that ships built
by contract are not in any respect inferior to those
built in the Royal dockyards. The Orontes is the
first Government troopship and the largest vessel
ever built upon the Mersey. She is 300 ft. in length
between perpendiculars ; is 44ft. 7in. in extreme
breadth ; is 32ft. deep in the hold, and her register;
measurement is 2,811 tons. The lines of the vesse I
are exceedingly fine, and in general symmeter di
15r:el:a:I
pe c t shesh be e a
has
bears s a great r e
very
et
ry resemblancehen:a;joaas
handsome
Government
resno
screw troopship Himalaya, although
large_asfigure-head,
designed and executed by Messrs. Allan
already stated, 1
atroinopsthhiep,tit,ahnessuoer-t !I
worthy, of Liverpool.
satisfactorily. in vessels
thecest,
fOrontes
working
gs
ofbeen t h
ebuilt
than in casual transports.
service having convincenfl:otrbee
canbu i l t b
for
0 carried a rtrhi
ee d
purpose much
Under this conviction, besides. the Orontes, another
vessel of a similar class is now in course of being
built in London. The capacious ship Orontes, which
has been built under special Government superin-
tendence and inspection, will carry from 1,100 to
1,200 troops with the greatest comfort, besides her
own full complement of officers and crew. The
ventilation of the ship and also her lighting are in
all respects most perfect, as her 'tween decks are
lighted and ventilated by a series of large side ports
and skylights on deck. Her crew will have ample
accommodation in a large forecastle, which extends
aft to the foremast ; and the health and comfort of
all on board are secured by the great height between
decks, that being from Bft. to Oft. clear.

Mr. Frith (having been relieved from Mr. Gam-
bart's three great pictures of London Life) is now free to
proceed at once with her Majesty's commission. The price
to be paid by the Queen for this marriage picture is £3,000.
Mr. Flatou, proprietor of " The Railway Station," by the
same artist, has purchased the right to engrave the wed-
ing picture for the large sum of £5,000. Such prices are
quite sensational—are certainly without example in the
artistic world,