The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-07 00:00:00

.Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Duke of Somerset, First Lord of the Admi
ratty, and Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir F. W. Grey
K.C.8., Senior Naval Lord, accompanied by Beer
Admiral S. Robineon, Controller of the Navy, All
W. G. Romaine, C. 8., Under-Secretary of the Ad
miralty, and Captain R. Hall, Private Secretary tl
the First Lord, went down to Chatham dockyart
yesterday, in order to inspect the vessels unde
construction and repair, as well as the works 11
progress at that establishment. Their lordshiP,
reached the dockyard at 11 a.m., and were receives
at the entrance by Capt. Fanshawe, the supe,inten.
dent, Mr. Lang, master-shipwright, and the othe.r
heads of departments. The chief object of their visil
was to inspect the screw frigate Orlando, 46, 1,030
horse power, Capt. Randolph, which has been sent
home from the West Indies to undergo heavy re"
pairs. It now appears that the defeats are mere
serious than were at first conjectured, and her re-
pairs will require her detention in dock for some
time. Most of the injuries she has sustained are
towards her stern, which, from the heavy strain this
portion of the vessel is called upon to sustain froW
the enormous power of her engines, will require tO
be very considerably strengthened by the addition
°f iron knees to those parts which give signs
weakness. The whole of her copper sheathing is to
be stripped off, when her planking below her water
line will be inspected, in order that those portio)
which give tokens of unsoundness may be renewed'
After completing their inspection of the Orland°
the Board proceeded to the adjoining dock, i 0
which the iron frigate Achillee, 50, 1,000 horse'
power is under construction. Since the former visit
of their Lordships the progress made in this ship is
something marvellous, and from a mere skeleton of
huge iron ribs, nearly every portion from her stein
to stern is covered with the inner skin of iron, erl
which has been laid the 18-inch backing of teek,iat
readiness for the reception of the armourplatiop
'About one-third of the armour-plating i. already
completed, the number of slabs of iron fixed up i°
yesterday being 97, the total number required to
encase every portion of her surface above the water
and to oft, below the water line being rather over
300. The number of workmen already employed
exclusively on the vessel exceeds 1,300. Atter'
spending some time in the inspection of the Achille.,
their Lordships went down the harbour in the Ad'
miralty steam yacht Wildfire, Mr. Brockman eeel:
mender, to the iron-cased frigate Royal Oak, 3'
800 horse power, Capt. Campbell, lying at Folly Points
preparing for sea. They spent some time in their
spection of this ship, which has comparativel
little remaining to be done on board before she
will be ready to take her departure for her
experimental cruise. After re-embarking in the
Wildfire, and before returning to the dockYs7
they inspected the works at St. Mary's Isis'.
for the extension of the dockyard by the forma ls°
of additional docks and basins. On relanding et
the dockyard they were occupied a short time in the
transaction of official business with Captain-Ser
rintendent Fanshawe, and afterwards lett the el°
tablishment for the Admiralty.
-The screw corvette Cadmus, 21, 400 horse-power'
Capt. J. F. Ross, having been dismantled,
put out of commission and her crew paid off in De;
ham harbour yesterday. The Cadmus has been Nu;
years in commission, and has been employed ciVelli
on the North American and West India statione•
The following appointments were made yester:
day at the Admiralty :—Henry A. Henri, engioeB4
to the Indus for the Tilbury; George ThoroPs°°,;
engineer, to the Indus for the Nightingale; en
James W. M. Ashley, paymaster, to be secretary'
'-
Admiral Sir H. Stewart.