The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1863.

written in a clear, forcible, and frank spirit, by a
gentleman apparently well-qua;ified to give an
opinion npon the matter, being himself a captain
is the Royal Navy. He illustrates his mode by
a diagram, or midship section of a vessel, with
the proportions requisite for all vessels up to 45
of beam. But we will not enter into the details,
I contenting ourselves rather with the merits of his
particular scheme. His object, he says, is to try
and establish "iron-framing for all sorts of vessels,
combined with wood ceiling and planking, so as
to give increase of strength, greater facility of
construction, and cheapness beyond all of the pre-
sent modes of shipbuilding." He goes on to assert
that those acquainted with the working of a heavy-
laden vessel, or man-of-war in a gale of 'Wind,
must believe that any method of construction
which will give to the frames or ribs of the vessel
a fixed and permanent stability which no rolling
motion
of timber affect, no loosening of bolts, nor rat-
tlingweaken, must be an improvement
shall
upon the present mode of building. He believes
that metal framing alone can Secure this effect;
and further, he says, that by his plan a water-
tight vessel is formed independent of the outer and
main planking. Thus he combines iron with wood,
each independent of the other, but yet coalescing
into one harmonious whole. This is a great
point achieved for the ship's safety, but it does
more—it is from 20 to 50 per cent. cheaper.
Strength is gained by the iron-framing, which
does away with crooked timber, the most expen-
sive article in the building of a ship. Besides
these, iron-frames could be prepared and kept in
store all ready to meet any sudden emergency,
such as our unfortunate predicament in the Russian
war for the want of gunboats, which were only
completed when the war was over, and all the
money thrown away, or its precious value suf-
fered to rot in our splendid dockyards. Cap-,
tain SKINNER thinks that the appearance of
many of our commercial shipping is about as un-
sightly as unseamanlike, and their construction
deficient in every good quality. Indeed, so much
so that from the wreck returns we lose about 1,100

vessels on an average every year, causing an annual
&bin upon our resources of one million and a half,
to say nothing of the loss of our gallant seamen.
Surely such fearful waste ought to startle the
powers that be to make provision to arrest so fear-
ful a loss of life, as well as to preserve the pro-
perty of the notion committed to their care. The
essential iecuisites to make a serviceable vessel for
the home-trade Capt. SKINNER conceives to be—
" Great capacity for cargo; stability under canvas;
fair sailing cualities ; light draught of water; form
and strength to allow of taking the ground with-
out injury." Nor is his plan confined to the inte-
rests of the trading community ; but the Captain
frankly adm:ts that the Admiralty (as usual) took
objection that his proposed mode of building would
not admit of sufficient strength for vessels of war !
and yet this precious Admiralty are now having a
dozen modes of building for ships of war, and each
mode dissimilar to the other. Why, no invention
ever gets a trial at the great Board based upon a
" system" that baffles all comprehension, and
stoutly forbids all inquiry into its mysterious
doings. But the objection is absurd, for the iron
frames can be made of any strength required, and
of any thickness necessary. But, as the Captain
justly observes, " mere thickness of side for resist-
ing heavy shot is no longer necessary, as the new
rifled guns will send their bolts through anything
that floats." In fact, th© leas resistance the larger
shot meet with the better, as there will be fewer
splinters. The only motions to be provided against
in shipbuilding are the rolling and pitching motions,
and these are bad enough singly, but when in a man-
ner combined, they strain and weaken the vessel in
opposite directions. Captain SKINNER'S plan
will obviate this by preventing the longitudinal
motion or pitching from all connection with the
rolling, and so save the vessel from straining by
disconnecting the ties, making each independent of
the other, and yet mutually binding, A vessel thus
constructed might roll heavily for months without
straining, for neither what is vertical, nor what is
longitudinal in shipbuilding should be fastened
together so as to injure each other either in rolling or
pitching. The vibration caused by the action of
the screw would also be done away with or greatly
modified, and hogging be entirely prevented. Now
if all these desirable requisites, or even a fair portion
of them, be attained we cannot but think that Cap-
tain SKINNER has done good service to his country,
and merits the esteem and gratitude of all seafaring
men.

THE SITAKSPERE COMMITTEE.—The Lord Chief
Baron of the Exchequer has accepted office as a
Vice President of the National Shakspere Committee,
Among the additions to Om general body of the committee
are—Erneste de Bunsen, Esq, (Councillor of Legation) and
Antonio Panizzi, Esq. (Chief Librarian of the British Mu-
seum), who have accepted office as Foreign Secretaries to
the committee, The other new members include Sir Robert
Phillimore, the Queen's Advocate, J. Winter Jones, Esq.,
Edmund Yates, Esq., George C. Leighton, Esq., and Hugh
W. Diamond, M.D.—A thenreuni.

UP THE NILE ! is in fact taking the place of the
old cry "Up the Rhine !" The Duk© of Rutland,
the Earl and Countess Scarborough, and Lady Herbert of
Lea have already set out to pass the winter in that health-
le
tLoascl
hope,
a Gifford
secondare about
taste
ot of
restoring climate, and Lord
us, and
follow the example—to give
the Hon. Impulsia Gushington's experiences.
COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—At a meetin of theg
council of this corporation, on the 12th inst., the diploma
of licentiate was granted to Mr E. E. Pinches, 8.A., and
to Mr F. J. Weightman, A.C.P. The following ladies and
gentlemen were elected members of the college :—Mr T. W.
Bowman, Grainford Academy, near Darlington; Miss
Frances Copley, Margaret-street, Wilmington-square; M.
A. Havet, Newton-terrace, Glasgow; Mrs T. G. Kelly,
Milton-terrace, Yauxball-bridge• road; Mr Phillip Norris,
Plas Nant-y-Glyn School, Mold; Mr R. E. Pugh, Trede-
gar ; Mr W. Read, St. Mary, Newington; Mr M, A, Rees,
High Wycombe.
The accident which Lady Adine Cowper, second
daughter of the Countess Cowper, met with a few days
since at Florence, by being thrown from her horse, has
not resulted in the serious injuries reported. We have
reason to believe that, beyond some painful contusions,
nothing serious has occurred. Tho countess and daughter,
together with the Earl Cowper, were on the eve of leaving
Florence for Rome when the accident took place.
IMPORTANT LIFEBOAT SERVICES. LYTHAM,
NEAR PRESTON, Dec. 11.—About nine o'clock last
night, while it was blowing a fresh gale from the west, the
master and crew of the schooner Caledonia, of this port,
landed here in their own boat, and requested the assistance
ofathe lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution to save
their vessel, if possible, which had grounded and struck
heavily while entering Lytham, and which they had aban-
doned. The lifeboat was at once manned and launched.
The vessel was perceived driving along with the flood tide,
Ibut the lifeboat succeeded in putting the crew again on board.
She was making much water, but is now aground in com-
parative safety. The next tide a number of men went on
board, and were ultimately successful in getting her off
the bank, and in taking her into Preston. As the life-
boat was returning another vessel was discovered through
the darkness to be ashore on the Bay Bank. The boat was
at once pulled to her, when she proved to be the brigan-
tiine Faroe, of Maryport, bound front Dublin to that port,
iu ballast. It appeared the compasses had led them astray
from their course, for the captain was totally ignorant of
his position, supposing himself to be within a short dis-
tance of his destination. When apprised of his error by
the lifeboatmen he gladly accepted their services, and with
their assistance his vessel was safely brought into port the
,next day.
LORD WESTMORELAND'S attack of illness was so
serious, that the Parisian doctors who were called in
ordered 46 leeches to be applied, and administered two drops
of croton oil to the invalid.

*DIE ADDRESS OF THANKS TO THE EMPEROR
from musical composers, on the abolition of the exclusive
theatrical privileges in Paris, has been signed by Auber,
Meyerbeer, David, Gounod, Rossini, and some 80 more,
DR. CHARLES MACKAY, the limes' Nov York
correspondent, before returning to his post, will commit to
the press a new volume of his poems, entitled Studies
from the Antique, and Sketches from Nature,"