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

on snore fi about his head in all directions, and
one pass2d through his one :Nina trumpet. Ensign
Goodwin and several others were in the mttgazine
when the explosion of the torpedo look place be-
neath the bows of the Commodore Barney. The im-
mediae 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 bad 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.—New 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 Sands, 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.
Advantage 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 5-16ths of an inch in thickness,
with iron ties fi thick. Above this is laid the ordi-
nary 4 in. oak planking on the main deck, and 4 in.
deal planking on the upper duck. 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 4,1- 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 42 inch
armour plates. This plating, however, will not be
carried beyond the main deck in the other portions
of the vessel, the sides of wbich 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 will 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 stem 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 leav
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 Dan-
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 Dartmouth, passed down Channel at
noon yesterday, on her voyage to Kurrachee, with
troops; all well.