The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-20 00:00:00

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Naval and Military Intelligence.
THE NAVY.
The Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, had a levee on Thursday at the Admiralty,
Whitehall, at which the following officers attended :
—Rear-Admiral G. G. Wellesley, C. 8., Capt. 3. E.
Kason, Capt. C. H. M. Buckle, C. 8., Capt. E.
Ifeatheote, Capt. H. Christian, Capt. E. D. Aplin,
Capt. W. J. C. Clifford, Capt. J. F. Birch, Capt.
N. E. B. Turnour, Command( r 0. M. C. Read, Caro
mender D. G. Davidson. Commander S. P. Brett,
Commander E C. Symons, Commander E. T. Not t,
Commander T. P. Warren, Commander A. H. W.
Battisct mbe, Commander A. Butler, Commander
W. H. Jones, Commander A. C. F. Henage, Lieut.
J. P Cheyne, Lieut. P. H. Colomb, Lieut. H. T.
Gammell, Lieut. H, A. Clevering, Capt. P. Har-
rington, R.M., and the Rev. L. Graham, chaplain.
On Saturday the Lords of the Admiralty paid an
official visit to Chatham dockyard for the purpose
of ascertaining the progress made in building and
fitting the iron and iron-casedvessels now under con-
struction or preparing for sea at that establishment.
The members of the Board present were Rear-Ad-
miral C. Eden, C. 8., Rear-Admiral C. Frederick,
Capt. the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C. 8.. Rear-Admi-
ral Spencer Robinson, Controller of the Navy, and
Capt. A. P. Ryder, private secretary to the First
Lord. The Duke of Somerset, the senior member
of the Board, together with Lord Clarence Paget,
the Secretary of the Admiralty, had also intended
being present, but were both detained at the Admi-
ralty by pressing business. Their Lordships
reached the dockyard shortly after 11, and were
received by Captain Fanshawe, superintendent
of the establishment; Commander Pope, master-
attendant ; Mr. Lang, master shipbuilder; Mr.
Laws, principal storekeeper; Mr. Churchward,
principal store receiver; Superintendent Richardson,
and the other heads of departments. Imme-
diately on their arrival the members of the
Board proceeded down the yard to the Queen's-
stairs, where they embarked on board the Admi-
ralty steam barge 'Wildfire, M. Brockman, master-
commander, and steamed down the harbour to Folly
Point for the purpose of making an inspection of
the Royal Oak, 34, 800 horse power, iron plated
frigate, which is now being rapidly brought for-
ward for her first cruise at sea. They spent nearly
fwo hours on board, during which they inspected
every part of the vessel, over which they were con-
ducted by Capt. F. A. Campbell, who has been ap-
pointed to this ship. There were 500 hands em-
ployed about the Royal Oak in preparing her for sea.
Should it become necessary this number will be in-
creased, in order that no delay may arise in sending
this vessel to join the other ships composing the
iron squadron, in order to test her sailing and
steaming capabilities. Capt. Campbell will hoist his
pendant on board on the 27th inst., immediately
after which her officers will be appointed, while her
crew, a fine body of picked men, have been for some
time waiting to be sent on board from the naval
barracks. Their lordships inspected every portion of
this fine frigate, including the engine rooms, cabins,
ward rooms, and men's berths, all of which are being
completed as rapidly as circumstances will permit.
From the energy with which the work is being per-
formed on board, there appears nothing to prevent
the Royal Oak being fully equipped and in all re-
spects ready for sea in about a month. Her stores
are on board, and she only awaits the shipment of
her 100-pounder and 40-pounder Armstrongs, as
well as her 68-pounder and 95cwt. smoothbore guns.
From the length of time she has been lying in har-
bour, it is probable that she will be decked either at
Chatham or Portsmouth, to clear off any accumula-
tions on her bottom before being despatched to sea.
After completing their inspection of the Royal Oak,
the Lords of the Admiralty re-embarked in the Wil-
dfire, and returned to the dockyard. After luncheon
at the official residence of Capt. Fanshawe, in the
dockyard, the members of the Board, accompanied b -
all the leading officials of the establishment, pro-
ceeded to the Achilles. The number of bands em-
ployed on her is 1,2C0 of all trades, and the progress
made in her construction is daily perceptible. The
20 inch teak planking, on which the armour plates
will be placed, has been carried some 200 ft. on both
of her broadsides. About 70 plates have been already
bolted to her sides. Their lordships directed that no
exertions are to be spared to have this vessel com-
pleted by the earliest possible day. In order to give
full effect to these instructions, the whole of the
hands employed on the Achilles will to-day com-
mence entering the yard at a few minutes before 6
in the morning and continue working till dark, with
only a brief interval for meals, which arrangement
will be continued during the whole of the summer.
After leaving the Achilles the Lords of the Admi-
ralty proceeded to No. 1 shed, under which the pad-
dlewheel steamer Salamis, 4, 250 horse power, is
building. This, it may be remarked, is the only
wooden vessel in hand at Chatham Dockyard. After
May 19, when she is to be launched, every hand
connected with the dockyard will be employed either
in the building, fitting, or repair of iron ships. Their
lordships next visited the dock in which the iron
paddlewheel steamer Recruit, 6, has been some time
under repair. Their lordships concluded their tour
of inspection by visiting the shed under which the
fine 51 gun wooden frigate Belvidera is in frame.
This vessel was commenced about four years since,
but for the past three years not a single hand has
been employed on her. The Lords of the Admiralty
have, however, now decided on converting her into
an armour-clad frigate of the Royal Oak class, ac-
cording to a plan submitted to them by Mr. Lang,
master shipwright at Chatham. She will accord-
ingly be taken in hand immediately the workmen
now employed on the Royal Oak have been released
from that vessel. Owing to the slip on which the
Belvidera is now lying being not sufficiently capa-
cious, and not furnished with the requisite machinery
for building an iron-plated ship, it is intended to
take that vessel to pieces and reconstruct her on
No. 7 slip, the same as that on which the Royal
Oak was built. This, however, will necessitate little
additional expense or delay, as to adapt her for an
armour-clad ship it will be necessary to cut the
Belvidera asunder amidships and haul up the fore
part some 40 or 50 feet, in order to
_make that ad-
dition to her length—an operation which will beo
avoided during the process of reconstructing
breadth
the required addition to her length andt b
Their
of beam will be made without d I
lordships having transacted dockyard
the Captain-Superintendent It
o ffi. cti theea
nye. s s with
before four o'clock, a few
for the Admiralty shortly
er left the establishment.
minutes before the workm
vr steam line-of-battle ship
Her Majesty's
Conqueror (late tons, 500
Narscartee.r 100 ), 86,
John 2 ,845
C. Solfleet,
horse power, from her moorings in
Master la Charge
was on Friday taken
off Maplin
Sheer-
ness lifirbour to the measured mile
Sande for trial of her machinery, after being
brought forward and placed in the first division
of the steam reserve some months ago. The vessel
was in charge of Capt. T. P. Thompson, of the
steam reserve—Messrs. W. Rumble, inspector of
machinery afloat, and G. Blaxland, chief engineer
of her Majesty's dockyard at Sheerness, having
charge of and superintending the working of the
machinery. The
True results of the trial are as follovi :
mean speed at full boiler power, 9 935
knots ; half boiler power, 8'126 knots per
hour ; revolutions, maximum 63, mean 61 3 per
minute; vacuum, fore 241, aft. 23; draught of
water, fore 23ft., aft 24ft. 9in. ; temperature en
deck 58 deg., engine-room 74, stokehole, maximum,
104, mmitnunt 94. The circle was made at full
boiler power, with helm port 17 deg., in 6 min. 30
sec.; revolutions, 54 per minute; the diameter of
circle being 600 yards at half boiler power, with
helm starboard 20 deg., in 6 min. 47 sec,, revolu-
tions 50 per min., diameter 400 yards. The half
circle was turned at full speed in 4 min. 29 sec., and
lat half speed in 3 min. 40 sec. She is fitted with
Griffith's propeller, pitch 20ft., but variable from