The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 19, 1863.

T 1 PERSONS SEEKING LANDED
ESTATES, TOWN AND COUNTRY RESIDENCES,
FREEHOLD AND LEASEHOLD INVESTMENTS, AND
PROPER VIES G ENERALLY—
TO BE HAD GRATIS, at the principal Railway Bookstalls
throughout the kingdom, or at the Auction and Estate Offices,
No. 67, Chancery-line, London, Messrs. E. and li. Lumley's
"FREE PROPERTY REGISTER," containing a varied selection
of landed and house properties now in the market, from
the nobleman's mansion, with its manorial domain, to the
cottage with its few acres.
OWNERS OF PROPERTIES wishing to Sell or Let can em-
brace the opportunity that the medium of this Reiser
affords, by sending the particu!ars of their properties to the
Estate Offices, e 7, Chancery-lane, London, as the Messrs.
Lumley can in most cases introduce immediate customers,
•where the property is of an. eligible <Mara ter, thereby avoid-
ing the disadvantages of delay and its attenuant incon-
veniences.
THERE IS NO CHARGE incurred, unless a tenant or pur-
chaser is introduced through Messrs. Lumley's Agency,
and then only the usual moderate commission.
Auction and Land Offices, 67, Chancery-lane, London.

pass around the precipitous face of this cliff, and between it
and the river, on their way west. Chattanooga is on a great
bend or horse-shoe in the river—not in the horse-shoe, but
at its front or toe ; the bend of the river being towards the
south and Chattanooga being on the southern bank. Mis-
sion Ridge, on and behind which Rosencrans was in-
trenched at last accounts, runs nearly parallel to Lookout
Mountain, leaving Chattanooga to the west about a couple
of miles. So far as we understand the situation of the two
armies, gosencranz is cut off from all movement this side of
the river in any direction. His railroad communication with
Nashville is lost. Nothing is left him but the road behind
him. This road crosses the Tennessee on a pontoon bridge,
and traversing the horseshoe made by the river, it climbs
Waldron's Ridge, which, at a short distance, flanks the
river there, and then desceiads into the valley which lies
beyond, and then leads away toward Kingston, on the
north-east, at the junction of the Tennessee and the Clinth.
We do not know what facilities we have for cutting off
Rosencranz's retreat across the river, and by the road
we have indicated. It would seem to be a des-
perate strait for him to have to move a large army
where he has no depots of supplies,and no communications.
Ho can now get supplies only by this road across the river;
and if Wheeler's cavalry are indeed over there, he will find
this resource valueless. He cannot possibly have in Nashville
the month's supplies of which the enemy's papers boast. His
movements have been too rapid,and he has held Chattanooga
too short a time to permit this. To us it seems that.Rosen-
cranz's situation is full of peril and difficulty ; and this apart
from all those ill-considered boastings of which some of our
people are not yet cured. The thing that most makes us
doubt this conclusion is, that Rosencranz seems to feel con-
fidence in his position. Whether it is a good judgment, or
obstinacy, or necessity that holds him to his post on Mission
Ridge is yet to be fully known. We will not venture to
pass an opinion."

Fatal Colliery Explosion in South Wales.

TAIBACH, GLAMORGANSIIIRE, Saturday.
On Saturday morning, at 10 30, an explosion took place
at the Morfa Colliery, three miles from the Port Talbot

Station, Glamorganshire, by which 35 persons have lost

their lives.

The pit in which this terrific explosion occurred is one of
the largest in South Wales. It is situated in the parish o,

Margam, Glamorganshire,and about eight miles from Neath.
It is the property of, or situate on the estate of Mr. C. R. M,

Talbot, M.P., and Lord-Lieutenant of the county, but is
leased to and worked by the Messrs H. A. Vivian, M.P.,
and Co., Mr. Pendarvis Vivian being the resident partner.
Generally there are from 800 to 1,000 men employed in
the pit, or dependent on work connected with it. The un-
derground workings extended for miles, and there are about
600 tons of coal worked per day, which are shipped either
at Port Talbot, Briton Ferry, Neath, or Swansea. The coal
is bituminous, being part of what is known as the south
crop of the Vale of Neath coal basin, the northern crop
being the well known and highly prized steam coal of Aber-
dare. The pit is between 110 and 120 fathoms deep, some
of the levels being as much as 900 yards from the shaft.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
A notification has been received at Chatham
dockyard that the Admiralty have decided on con-
structing a squadron of iron gunboats, to take the
place of those wooden gunboats which have been
sent round from the Medway to Deptford dock-
yard for the purpose of being broken up,
The new gunboats are to be constructed on an en-
tirely new system, from plans proposed to the Ad-
miralty by Mr. Reed, the chief constructer of the
navy. They will be armour-plated, and will be
driven by double screw propellers, each boat being
adapted to carry two heavy Armstrong guns. The
design of the proposed gunboats is at present being
worked out at the Admiralty, and as soon as the
plans have been finally adopted by their lordships
the construction of the proposed squadron:will be at
once commenced.
The iron-built screw steamship Defence, 16,
Capt. Augustus Pillimore, one of the Channel
squadron, was placed on Thursday in No. 1 dock
in Reyham steam-yard. Her repairs are very un-
important, and will therefore be completed in a few
days. When at Portsmouth she received in April or
May last a coating of Peacock and Buchan's com-
position, which appears to have had the effect of
retarding, if not of preventing, the growth of
seaweed and the presence of shellfish on the ship's
bottom' As in most similar cases, light grass about
six inches long has appeared on the water line, but
it did not extend below the deep load line. All the
other parts are remarkably clean, excepting some
isolated tufts of grass about half an inch in length.
There is no appearance of corrosion anywhere. She
will now receive another coating of the same com-
position. During her recent cruise the Defence has
given great satisfaction. Her speed is; slower than
that of wooden ships, but above the average rate of
iron-plated ships. The utmost roiling extends to
15 deg-, which is very unusual; the average
ranges being from 15 deg. to 20 deg. The Defence
is supplied with two bilge pieces on each side of the
keel, which are intended to counteract any pro-
pensity to roll. Her bowsprit (standing) is of
iron, and there is a proposal to replace it by a
sliding bowsprit. The Hector, 34, has one of that
description. It seems absurd that a ship like the
Defence, built for a ram, should have ever been
fitted with a standing iron bowsprit, which
must be in the way if ever there should be an
effort made to use her for the purpose of running
down, besides which it might be convenient to
reduce the weight forward occasionally which
cannot be done with a fixed bowsprit. The for-
ward
weights in the Warrior have been greatly re-
duced since she was first fitted. The Defence is sup-
plied with two pairs of davits forward, by which the
anchors can be tatted further aft when necessary.
The comparative lightness of her armament con-
good qualities of the ship when
duces much to the
at sea. She has 16 68 and 100 pounders, two 32-
niers, and four small guns. Her engines are of
pou
power, and during the late trip, when
600 horse
only, as much as 10.8 knots per hour
under steam
was made. Under steam and canvas she has, during
a heavy squall, run for a few minutes at the rate of
15 knots.
She is Peculiarly rigged, having a stand-
ing lower topsail-yard Para! sled to the cap, above
which
is Cunningham's patent topsail. The Resist-
to be the only other ship in the navy
ance is said
similarly rigged. The mode is found very advanta-
geous in working the ship, being much lighter for
the cress-. Oa the deck of the Defence there are two
very heavy launches, either of which can carry a
fieldpiece, These launches, rowed by seamen, with
artillery-race forward, and marines aft, have been
frequently exercised during the cruise. The field
pieeee • consist of a 25-pounder and 12-pounder Arm-
strong, and a 24-pounder end 6-pounder brass gun.
Counting her GO mcrines,
she has on board nearly
200 men capable of using small arms in military
order. The Defence is a vessel of 3,720 tons, and has
15 vertical water-tight compartments. She was built
by Messrs. Palmer Brothers, of Yarrow.
His Russian Majesty's screw steam frigate Oleg,
51 Capt. Andreef, left Plymouth Sound on Thurs-
day, afternoon for Toulon.
The screw steam corvette Scylla, 21, which left
Plymonth on the 6th inst. for China, put back to the
Sound on Friday night. She had experienced a con-
tinuance of very heavy weather. On the Bth,during
a heavy swell, she sprung her fore and main topmasts.
At midnight on the 9th it blew so hard from W. and
S.W. that she was placed under close-reefed topsails.
On the 10th her wizen topmast cross trees were car-
ried away; it Naas found that thejibboom had sprung,
and it was therefore woolded. On the 12th inst., at
N., long. 8 30 W., it was
5 50 s.na, in lat. 46 9
blowing hard from the south-west, when she shipped
a heavy sea, which extended from her port cathead
to the wizen rigging, and increased the water in the
hold to a depth of seven inches ; the ship then gave
which filled her starboard cutter
a lurch, to leeward,
and jolly boat, and carried them off. In the after-
moderated, with a heavy swell from
noon the wind
the westward. On the 13th, during a fresh gale
from the south-west, Charles O'Niele, first-class boy,
fell from t he wizen chaina, overboard. Lieut. Pringle,
4th, and a boat's crew of eight men rescued him.
On the 14th, at 6 P.M., lat. 47 50 N. ; long. 9 34
W., wind eouth-west, a sail was observed on the star-
board bow right ahead ; at 6 50 a red light was seen
close to the starboard bow. The Scylla, which was
on the port tack, having broken off two points, kept
the ship close to wind. The stranger, which
proved to be the Duke of Wellington, then crossed
the Scylla's bows, and when about two points on
the port bow showed both her lights; the Scylla
put her helm bard sport, and came up in the wind.
The ship, which was on the starboard tack, struck
port bow and fell off. While tack-
the Scylla on the
ing the Scyllagathered sternway, the Duke of
wellington, having headway, struck the Scylla
main rigging, and forged ahead,
again, abaft the
carrying away her own bowsprit, foremast, and
mainmast, and knocking holes in her bows, and
grin
ding along the Scylla's port side, carrying away
her
head sails, waist, and forecastle nettings, break-
ing her main chains, and shoving her port sheet
anchor inboard; one gun was so depressed that it
left the dispast sticking in the upper portion of the
porthole. The shit'then separated, and nothing more
was seen of her, but ch2e of her crew was left on board
r doublereefed topsails and
the Scylla. She was untie"
courses, jib, foretopmaet staysail, and staysail.
Charles Deboo, 20, a native tet Ostend, the man saved
from the Duke of Wellington, states that she be-
longed to Liverpool, and registered '7:21 tons. Con
mended by Capt. B. Brown, she was bouladeend
to
railway iron, oil, and cutlery, and was
Colombo. She left London on the 3d of SET' -close.
At the time of the collision she was
uilde"r topsail,
reefed maintopsail, double-reefed nein.On
close-reefed foresail, foretopsail, and spank!';
the first contact Deboo jumped from tho sh
tiphatj
on
boom to the Scylla's forecastle.
He
statetshat a col-
board the Duke of Wellington they
ds-at Nbvetter to run
lision was inevitable, and considereinto
by the ship.
into the corvette, than to be run
oeze on Saturday,
The Scylla was towed into
3where she will
and placed alongside the jetty,
unbent,
nbent, and her
dis-
charge her powder ; her sails w were
defects will be made geed forthwith.
An official report has been mede to the Lords of
the Admiralty of the result of the recent expe-
riments made at Chatham by Capt. AFF:illop,R
with his canvas machine for cleansing ehip'a bot-
toms afloat. The result quite justifies the morn.
mendations. The simplicity and portability of the
machine, as well as the moderato cost, are further
recommendations in its favour.
The following appointments and promotions were
made on Saturday at the Admiralty :—Lieu'. J. N,
Croke, to command the Investigator, vice Lieut.
Bothell, drowned; Lieut. H. Packe, to the Ajax ;
George -Williams, master, to the Indus, for the Gla-
diator ; Robert R. Jones, nominated to a naval cadet-
ship; William F. nelinton (surgeon), additional,