The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-11 00:00:00

WE NAVY.

The Curacoa steam sloop was brought down the
harbour and placed in the steam basin at Ports-
mouth yesterday, for the purpose of being surveyed
preparatory to her being brought forward for com-
mission.
The Enchantress, paddlewheel despatch vessel,
in No. 7 Dock at Portsmouth, is ordered to have
her copper completed with all despatch, so as to be
taken out of dock by the 13th.
The Himalaya steam troopship, Capt. Lacy, is
ordered from Woolwich to Portsmouth. On her
arrival at the latter port she will be taken into No.
10 dock for examination, and to have her repairs
completed.
The Egmont, recently converted into a storeship
by Messrs. White, of Cowes,. has been removed to
Portsmouth and taken into the steam.basin for the
purpose of being masted and fitted out for foreign
service.

With the exception of a body of shipwrights
employed on the paddlewheel despatch steamer
Salamis, 4, 250-horse power, the efforts of the
mechanics and artisans at Chatham dockyard are
devoted almost exclusively to the iron and iron-
plated ships under construction. The'greatest share
of attention is directed to the iron frigate Achilles,
50, 1,250-horse power, which has as many as 500
hands employed on her, a considerable number of
whom are shipwrights who have been there since
the turnout of the hired mechanics, which occurred
some few months since. The work is now steadily
proceeding. Some unforeseen delays have occurred
during her progress, consequent on the Admiralty
having deviated from the plans according to which
it was originally intended she should be built; but
as the alterations are the result of the practical trials
with the Warrior and Black Pi ince, the experience
thus gained will be turned to proper account
during the progress of the Achilles. The altera-
tions have been finally approved by the Board of
Admiralty, and no further delay from this cause is
again likely to arise. The Achilles, unlike the
Warrior or Black Prince, will be completely en-
cased in armour-plates, rendering her invulnerable
from stem to stern. In this respect she will be
superior in her means of defence to both the vessels
named, which are only covered with armour plates
for about 200 feet, on their broadsides, leaving the
distance to their stem and stern entirely unprotected,
with the exception of a thin coating of iron. It is
also intended to carry the armour-plates to a height
of seven feet above the main deck all round. By
this means additional protection will be given at
the part of the vessel where it is most required. In
No. 3 dock, adjoining that in which the Achilles is
building, lies the Royal Oak, 50, armour-plated
frigate. The number of hands employed about her
is between 300 and 400, their efforts being chiefly
concentrated on placing her armour-plates. At the
time of her launch a few weeks since, her third tier
of plates on her broadsides had been commenced.
Since she has been in dock, however, another tier
has been added, and these have nearly all been
bolted
nin tg armour-platestshh onea ps a
shaping,
packingi
gpesal bending,
ie
oi galvanised
agl felt. The
bolts carrying her
ofside. The
ds eirdh
otherwisee miron,
a ht hi
machinery
prepar-
ing pr
yl a
ft
oe r
p ais
being laid
the plates is now in full operation, the iron slabs
being turned out complete as fast, if not faster, than
alah

the mechanics can fix them to the ship's side. The
Royal Oak has already shipped her huge iron lower
masts and bowsprit, and from the energy which is
being shown in completing her there is every pro-
bability that she will be ready to proceed to sea
early in 1863. In order to facilitate the operation
of plating the Royal Oak tramways have been laid
down on both sides of the dock, on which are laid
two of Taylor's large travelling steam cranes, each
capable of lifting armour-plates of the heaviest kind.
. .

To within 40ft of her stem and stern the armour-

plates of the Royal Oak will be of the uniform
thickness of 41in ; they will then commence taper-
ing off to 3in in thickness, excepting under the
buttock, where they will be 23-in, and at the stern

2in in thickness. In the adjoining sheds are
the Belvidera, 51, 500-horse power; the Menai,
22, 400-horse power ; the Reindeer, 17, 250-
horse power ; and the Myrmidon, 4, 250-horse
power, which have not a single hand employed on
them, the sheds being used as workshops principally
for preparing the plates for the Achilles and the

sdednittwtime
little Royalpro-
gress Oak. The fine two-decker
pcoerrrvi
toi3aciof the Bulwark,
ye
ar,i t9ios 9io, 500
horse power, which was commenced three years
since, and is about half completed, has had the whole
of the hands withdrawn from her for some time, the
Admiralty being undecided whether to complete
her according to her present plan or to convert her
into an iron-plated frigate. She has recently been
surveyed by Admiral Robinson, Surveyor of the
Navy, and it is now intended to alter her to a 50-
gun armour-plated frigate according to a plan sub-
mitted to the Admiralty by Mr. Lang, the master-
shipbuilder at Chatham. This will necessitate the
odfonCohPtaiYtlllaatdmilehmmence.
removal of her upper deck, an addition of some 40
feet to her length amidships, and additional strength
weight
being imparted to her to bear the increased
of her armour plates. It is not probable, however,ced
that the proposed alterations will be commenced
until the Royal Oak is out of hand.
shortly be commenced on what is the finest 1
On No• 1
commodious slip in Chatham Dockyard•
Salamis' 4'
slip the paddlewheel despatch stea
Within
present empty, but a vessel of large dimensionso
.7 n diPenis will
mosta t
250-horse power, is under construction.
..
Dal hands have
been placed on the Salamis in
c_
jug. Adjoining the
forward in readiness for la b
linette
the last few days a number opfres
for a cruise in the
for commission, it is reported
21, fitting
Mediterranean.
dockyard lies the.,exsteenrceewd
Up to
the works connected with
gress has been made
sWiliionbe
the proposed
Owing to the au"'
bable that nothing
In the meantime seve-
ralensuing spring.
commence-
ment of the jets are daily employed in manufac-
hundred cowl order to hasten her

It is gratifying to be able to report that the crisis
is over, the arrangements which have been made
yesterday and to-day having ended in the most com-
plete success. The Marshland flood, of which so
much has been said and written during the last few
days, and so many exaggerated reports circulated,
is now virtually at an end. For the first time since
Saturday last, when the sluice " blew," the tide bas
to-night been up and gone down again and not one
drop of water has gone over. The tide to-night was
as high as it has been yet, and, for all that, the banks
were high enough and strong enough to keep the
tidal waters within a circle.

The flood is now virtually at an end. The ar-
rangements made during the last two days to afford
a barrier strong enough to enclose the water, and
prevent it from flowing into the land, have been
carried out with the greatest possible energy and
perseverance. Yesterday a most substantial earth
dam was constructed by about 740 men and 150
tumbrils, and to-day about 50 carts and nearly the
same number of men as on the previous day have
made two large banks, each from 250 to 300 feet
long and about 30 feet wide at the base. They
were made of extraordinary strength, and are pro-
bably able to stand against almost any tide.

There are about 2,700 acres of fen land inundated ;
in short, Broad and Marshland Fen. In addition to
this there are about 1,200 acres of high land which
has been inundated, but there is not more than half
this quantity flooded at the present time. The whole
extent of inundated land is something less than
4,000 acres, and of that 500 or 600 acres are already
drained by means of the Marshland drain. The
whole of the water will soon be carried away. The
sight at the earth dam to-night by moonlight was
a most imposing one. Above a hundred men were
kept at work till after the tide had fallen some feet.

The Marshland sluice, which is under the care of
Mr. A. Saunders, C.E., is being regularly watched,
and this is necessary in consequence of the heavy
strain there will be on it for some time to come.

The greatest praise ought to be bestowed upon all
parties concerned in the work during the last two
days. The work, which has been successfully
accomplished, was truly great, but the men worked
with extraordinary energy.

FRIDAY.

The latest endeavours to exclude the sea water
from the Marshland Fen drain by raising the
banks from the ruined sluice to the earth dam,
400 yards above, have been so successful that yes-
terday evening's and this morning's tides made no
impression upon the obstacle. As the tides are
now decidedly: lessening, the country is relieved
from its anxiety for the present moment, and has
breathing time to consider what is best to be
done for preventing a renewal of the calamity by
works of a permanent character. The inundated
district, however, especially in Marshland Fen,
still presents a most. desolate appearance, and in
passing along the Wisbeach Railway one sees the
water extending on both sides as far as the eye
can reach. This will, of course, continue to be
the case until time and means are at command to
run off the water from the surface of about 4,000
acres of flooded land. Mr. Harding, C.E., who in
the crisis just past has been the engineer acting
for the Marshland, Smeeth, and Fen Commis-
sioners, and to whom their success is greatly due,
has a confident expectation of devising an outlet
for the drainage which shall have all the efficiency
of sluices, in cases where navigation is not con-
cerned, with none of the danger and expense that
constantly attend those structures.