The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-18 00:00:00

Admiralty, however, are generally understood to
have a peculiar knack in issuing orders which are
opposed in their spirit to public opinion fond com-
mon sense. If that is the case in the pi esent in-
stance the sooner such order is overridden by another
of an opposite character the better it will be for
the public service.

Daring the past three weeks Capt. Bolton, of the
12th Regiment, has been engaged at Portsmouth in
carrying out a series of experiments with his sys-
tem of telegraphy by a lime light with an apparatus
of his own invention, and has had under his instruc-
tion during that time several non-commissioned
officers and men of the Royal Engineers, Royal Ar-
tillery, and line regiments stationed in the garrison.
Establishing his head-quarters in the tower of the
Baltic-wharf, at Portsmouth, Capt. Bolton selected
for his experimental out stations Fort Widley on
Portsdown-hill, Southsea Castle, and the new fort
now being 'constructed on the top of Bembridge-
down, ,%t the east end of the Isle of Wight, the dis-
tance between Forts Widley and Bembridge being
13 miles. Oa Monday evening Maj.-Gen. Lord Wm,
Paulet, C. 8., commanding the garrison and south-
west district, accompanied by Col. E. Somerset, C. 8,,
Deputy- Quartermr.-Gen. Col. Thack well, Deputy-
Assist.-Aajt.-Gen. ; Capt. Milligan, Aide-de-Camp;
and a number of other officers, military and naval,
attended at the tower of the Baltic-wharf to
Witness a series of experimental signals oarried out
by the men, under Capt. Bolton's supervision, illus-
trating his system of night telegraphy as applied to
military purposes. At 5 p.m. signalling commenced
between Portsmouth and the several outstations,
messages being flashed from station to station in
words, code, numbers, and secret cipher, as would
be done in time of actual warfare or in the event of
an invasion, with astonishing rapidity and correct-
ness, notwithstanding that the night was some-
what hazy, and that a considerable smoke cloud
hung over Portsmouth, midway between the two
extreme signalling points, Forts Bembridge and
Widley. The extraordinary size, distinctness, and
brilliancy of the light, as seen from these two points,
were very remarkable. The messages were trans-
mitted at the rate of 11 words per minute, but with
men who had been under a longer period of train-
ing, and who therefore were more perfectly
acquainted with the system, 18 words per minute
have been signalled. From the certainty and ease
with which the messages were signalled, and the
general success of the experiments, it was evident
to all present that Capt. Bolton's system of night
telegraphy was vastly superior to any other known
form for military purposes, and is likely to be of
the utmost value and importance in any future war-
fare in which this country may be engaged. The
size and weight of any telegraphic apparatus are no
mean consideration when using it in the field. This
great difficulty is, however, so fully met by Capt.
Bolton's apparatus that the soldier operator carries
it in his knapsack on his back. With the light in
front he becomes a moving telegraph—a constant
attendant upon the commanding officer and his staff.
It is thus free from the danger of interruption by
an enemy attending the use of other systems of
telegraphy in the field. It is also equally adapted
for signalling by sea as by land, and, in the event
of hostilities with a powerful maritime Power, the
means of certain and rapid communication it would
afford between the headlands of our coast line and
our fleets in the Channel would be invaluable. The
Admiralty are fully aware of the importance any
certain means of night communication with our
ships in the Channel would have in the event of a
maritime war, and a series of experiments are
ordered to be made with Captain Bolton's light for
their lordship's information on this point. To carry
out these experiments, a naval officer has been asso-
ciated with Capt. Bolton by direction of the Admi-
ralty.

In consequeLce of the death of Mr. T. E. Owen,
Mayor of Portsmouth, the office of Surveyor to the
War Department for the South-West District has
become vacant. It is understood that the appoint-
ment will be conferred on Mr. C. W. E. Pineo, C.E.