The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-25 00:00:00

.~

••*.
•
1/4 II/ ' 'V; •
•
•
" s
lose, ..„41 '
*t,
r .0
• .
0:01 r- to,
• ..,041111011114<4.
..*.f;
• „.•
,
, • ,t,".
AWN.
• `4, 4 1.6,- ' •do
• - DiE I , DRO • •ak
N"-
"•=1;.:.z..!;:" "itrAt.4

AUGUST 25, 1863.

on shore flew about his head in all directions, and
one passed through his speaking trumpet. Ensign
Goodwin and several others were in the magazine
when the explosion of the torpedo took place be-
neath the bows of the Commodore Barney. The ilia-
mediote effect of the accident was the starting up of
her guards 10 inches. The flames from the torpedo
penetrated, but when the vessel settled again the
water rushed in in a perfect torrent, and this was
all that saved her from total destruction. While
the Cohasset had the Barney in tow Capt. Cox, of
the former vessel, was in the pilot-house, directing
her movements under the fire of the enemy. While
thus engaged a solid shot struck him fair in the
back—of course killing him instantly. Paymaster
Jernigen, of the Commodore Barney, had his room
knocked into pieces by the rebel shells, and he him-
self was slightly injured by splinters.—Neto York,
Herald.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Snipe, 5, screw steam gunvessel, 431 tons,
80 horse power, Commander A. H. W. Battiscombe,
was taken from her moorings in Sheerness Harbour
to the measured mile off Maplin Sande, for the final
trial of her engines previous to the departure of the
vessel to the West Coast of Africa, to which station
she is appointed, but owing to a defect in the steam
generating qualities of the machinery, she was
steamed back to Sheerness, where she will undergo
some slight alterations which will detain her a few
days longer.
Adveritage has been taken at Chatham of the re:
cent fine weather to lay the main and upper deck
planking • of the Achilles, and by this evening the
entire surface of the upper, or weather, deck will be
planked and caulked on the ordinary iron deck
plates from end to end. The mechanics have been
employed overtime for about a 'fortnight past in
order that the entire deck might be completed be-
fore any change of weather sets in. The iron plating
of all the decks is s.l6ths of an inch in thickness,
with iron ties a thick. Above this is laid the ordi-
nary 4 in. oak planking on the main deck, and 4 in.
deal planking on the upper deck. Several hundred
mechanics are employed in completing the shot and
shell proof bulkheads which inclose the broadside
batteries of 26 guns. In this portion of the frigate
the 4f inch iron armour plating is carried from five
feet below the water line to above the main deck to
the bulwarks, by which arrangement the men work-
ing the guns will be entirely protected by 4* inch
armour plates. This plating, however, will not be
carried beyond the main deck in the other portions
of the vessel, the sides of which will be protected by
the ordinary inch iron plates. By this arrangement
there will be three distinct batteries on board the
Achilles, but from the manner in which the centre
battery wili be protected by the armour plating the
gunners will be enabled to keep up a steady fire
long after the guns in the other batteries may have
been silenced. The centre, or midships, battery is
now entirely completed and covered with the ar-
mour plating, the only remaining portions of the
exterior of the Achilles now waiting to receive the
armour plates being the stern and stern portions,
but in consequence of the difficulty experienced in
bending the plates the work proceeds but slowly.
Yesterday Mr. Lang, the master shipwright at
Chatham, left the establishment on a month's 'elm
of absence granted by the Admiralty, preparatory
to resigning his present appointment, and the
superintendence of the completion of the Achilles
devolves on Mr. Moore, the principal assist.-master
shipwright at Chatham dockyard.
Considerable difficulty has been experienced by
the Admiralty in procuring the number of ship-
wrights requisite to be employed in breaking up the
old sailing line-of-battle ship Duncan, 74, now in
dock at Chatham, and up to yesterday only about a
tenth of the number required had presented them-
selves at the dockyard. The dockyard authorities
have, therefore, been compelled to remove some
hands from the iron ship to the Duncan, in order
that no unnecessary time may be lost in taking her

to pieces now that the work has been fairly com-
menced. Considering the laborious nature of the
work in breaking up a vessel of war, it would be
manifestly advisable to employ some labourers in
that operation, as skilled mechanics are not disposed
to enter themselves for that employment. The Dun-
can was built rather more than half a century since,
and was launched at Blackwall.

The transport Akbar, which was in collision off
Start Point with a Spanish bark, and has been since
repaired at airtmouth, passed down Channel at
noon yesterday, on her voyage to Kurrachcc, with
troops ; all well.

THE ARMY.
The following general order, dated Aug. 22, 1863
has been issued from the Horse Guotrds

His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-
Chief has received her Majesty's commands to express to
the army her grief at the lamented death of Field-Marshal
Lord Clyde. The great military services performed by
Lord Clyde in different parts of the world, the success
w th which, in most trying circumstances, he restored peace
to her Majesty's Indian Empire, and the personal regard
which her Majesty and her beloved Consort ent,2rtained for
his high and honourable character, make her Majesty deeply
deplore the loss which the Queen, in common with her Ma-
jesty's subjects, has sustained."
The rules and regulations laid down by the War
Department for the prevention of accidents by the
bursting of cast iron ordnance, have been attended
with such satisfactory results, that since their issue
from the War-office on the Ist of April, 1861, not a
single case has been reported at the Ordnance esta-
blishment, Chatham.

STAMPED ....sd.

proportioned to the weight which it is intended to
bear. All the forts will be circular in form, the
external "
diameter being 2051 t
and the founda-
tion will be faced with granite Ps to the number
of guns with which each is to As
armed, that
is made
in course depends upon the progress which amadein artillery science, but there can be no doubt that
they will be armed with guns of the heaviest calibre
which it is possible to make. In laying the foun-
dations of works of this kind, of course the great
object is to obtain a good bottom. So far as the
Horse shoal is concerned—and it is the only one
where any precise examination has bean completed
—nature has strongly favoured us in this respect..
It is there found that an artificial bottom will be
perfectly unnecessary. The depth over the shoal
is about lift. at low water, spring tide. The bor..
in g of the shoal to the depth of 55ft. shows that the
upper stratum consists of sft. of compact shingle
and sand; the second,stratum is composed of 18ft.
of sand, containing pieces of bark and branches of
trees, partly carbonised ; the third, of blue clay,
containing layers of vegetable matter, Bft. thick ;
the fourth, shingle and sand with shells, sft. thick ;
the fifth, blue silty clay, to the depth of 17 ft., and
then sand and shingle. The shoal is, therefore,
substantial enough to bear any weight, and the
boring has been carried so far, not for the purpose
or finding a more substantial foundation, but to ob-
tain fresh water. The method by which this result
is to be obtained is ingenious yet simple. A wrought
iron cylinder 6ft. in diameter, is sunk into the upper
stratum, and as the various strata are excavated by
divers inside and the cylinder sinks lower and
',lower, successive lengths of cast iron tubee.,,eci the,
same diameter are added to it. As we have already
intimated, this cylinder has been sunk to the depth
of 55ft. below the surface of the shoal, and 90ft.
below high-water mark, and the divers now expe-
rience considerable difficulty in pursuing their la-
bours, inasmuch as the pressure of atmosphere
pumped into the helmet is nearly three times the
pressure of the atmosphere on the surface of the earth.
The Sturbridge shoal differs from the Horse in the
fact that it consists of a bank or clay, and will pro-
bably require an artificial foundation, the depth of
water over it at' low spring tides being about 17ft.
The Noman, it is expected, will offer a foundation
equally substantial with that at the Horse. For the
construction of these works a circular staging will
be erected round each fort, and upon it will be con-
structed radiating steam travellers, so that the
stone and other material will be raised from the
vessels by steam power, and deposited on the exact
spot where it is required. The piles upon which the
superstructure of the staging will be supported will
be fitted with heavy cast iron screws, and will be
screwed into the ground by means of a capstan head
fixed upon each pile. The foundations will not be
laid by means of a coffer dam, as in ordinary cases,
but the ground will be levelled and each block of
stone laid by divers in helmets, The construction of
these extensive works will be under the superinten-
dence of Mr. Hawkshaw, the eminent engineer of
Great George-street, London, the resident engineer
being Mr. Harris, son of Sir William Snow Harris.
The contractor is Mr. Leather, who was also the
contractor for the construction of Portland Break-
water, one of the grandest examples of modern engi-
neering science. Mr. Leather has already begun the
establishment of extensive works in Stokes Bay for
the manufacture of concrete blocks and the prepa-
ration and reception of stone and other material used
in the foundations of the forts, and to facilitate
shipment he has constructed a pier with a steam
crane. From this brief description it will be seen
that the work has been begun in earnest, and the
House of Commons, with the approval of the coun-
try, is so far cmimitted to the plan that it is not
probable we shall hear any more talk about remov-
ing the dockyard and arsenal of Portsmouth to any
site which dreamy theorists or interested speculators
may urge to be more eligible.—Hampshire Tele.
graph.

, Henley's Indian Telegraph.

The shipment of the Indian telegraph cable from
Mr. Henley's factory at North Woolwich is now in
active operation. The Marian Moore, carrying 170
miles of the cable, left the Downs a few days ago for
Bombay, and is expected to arrive at her destination
towards the end of November. The sailing ships
Assaye and Kirkham, moored alongside the works,
are now receiving their cargoes of the wire, which
is being rapidly coiled in the holds of both ships
simultaneously by machinery constantly at work.
The former vessel will carry about 360 miles, and
the latter about 200 miles. The Assaye is well
known at Woolwich, where she arrived last year in
company with the sister ship the Punjab, at that
time both paddle wheel steamers. They were re-
moved from Woolwich to the Victoria Docks, and
were sold to a Liverpool firm, since which time they
have been ship-rigged and converted into sailing
vessels. Both are exceedingly fast sailers and what
is termed "clipper ships." Although fitted with
powerful engines they performed the voyage under
sail, at the rate (it is stated) of upwards of 16 knots
per hour, and made the voyage home in 75 days.
They are both constructed throughout of teakwood.
The Kirkham is an iron vessel painted white. Both
vessels are well adapted for the purpose, and have
been fitted so as to prevent the possibility of any
shifting of the cargo during the voyage. The cable
is coiled in large watertight tanks, three on board
each ship, which will be kept fall of water through.
out the voyage to Bombay. They are expected to
sail from Woolwich the second week is September,
sad will be fully equipped with all appliances for
paying out the cable at sea. The Tweed (late the
Punjab) and the Cospatrick will follow the two ves-
sels, now alongside, and will take in 350 miles and
200 miles respectively. The latter named ships are
being fitted at Poplar by Mtssrs. Wigram for the
reception of the cable, under the superintendence of
Capt. Dicey. The Charente, a screw steamer of
about 600 tons, is being fitted by the above named
firm for permanent employment on the line, and
will be supplied with all requisites for repairing
the cable, should any accident arise hereafter from
ships, anchors, or any casualties to which the wire
must be subjected by exposure. The Charente will
take out a small quantity of cable in addition to
her coals. Sho will bo commanded by Lieutenant
Stiffe, an experienced officer of the Indian Navy,
who has recently surveyed the Persian Gulf speci-
ally with regard to this important undertaking.
The total length of cable taken out for this line will
amount to 1,250 miles, and will weigh upwards of
5,000 tons, being an excess of 2,000 tons over that
of the Red Sea, Malta, and Alexandria, or the At-
lantic. The wire alone of the present cable weighs
1,000 tons. The operations, which are under the
direction of Lieut.-Colonel Stewart, Royal Engi-
neers, are expected to be completed by the month
of February next, when it is hoped that London and
Calcutta will be in telegraphic communication, by
which a corrcEpondence may be conveyed from one
hemisphere to the other in the course of a very few
hours. Sir Charles Bright and Mr. Latimer Clark,
the consulting engineers superintending the manu-
facture of the cable, are attended by a competent
and effective staff of electricians at -Woolwich, who
supervise and test the whole of the work as it pro-
gresses. The Gammelholm, a Danish store ship,
arrived and moored off Mr. Henley's works at
Woolwich on Saturday morning, preparatory to
taking in a telegraphic cable for the Danish Go-
vernment, which will weigh upwards of 15 tens
per mile. Twenty-five miles of the electric wire
have also been recently despatched from the same
factory to Christians for the Norwegian Govern-
ment.

Magnetic toys were, until lately, the only application of
the magnet to anything like a useful purpose, now we hav
Herring's mm,gnetic brushes, &c. Dr. Hassan states,
"I regard them as the most perfect brushes hitherto
made, as respEcts their mechanical construction and their
magnetical action." They are the remedy for grey hair,
neuralgia, rheumatism, 4:c. N. B.—Counterfeits are being
4tacle, Dabinghall-Areet, London.

k