The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-06 00:00:00

21I1?1AV1.

Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham
Dockyard which direct a report to be made by
the officials of that establishment of the num-
ber and description of any models of modern
ships which can be forwarded to the Great
International Exhibition.

The iron armour plates for the Royal Oak, 51, are
to undergo the process of annealing at Chathim, on
their delivery by the contractors. In the construc-
tion of the upper deck of the vessel arrangements
are to be made for the distribution of the 110 poun-
I der Armstrong guns, which in this class of ship
will be placed on rear chock carriages, without
directing bars.
The iron screw steamship Warrior, Capt. the
Hon. A. A. Cochrane, C. 8., was towed on Wednes-
day morning from Plymouth Sound into Hamoaze,
where she will refit, and have defects made good. It
is expected that the Revenge and St. George, in
Plymouth Sound, will shortly be removed to
Hamoaze.
The Balaklava, screw transport, is discharging at
Portsmouth the guns and equipment complete for
;artil-
lery, ordered to he stationed at Hilsea.
the I and batteries of Armstrong field ;artil-
apt. It A.
The Defence, 18, screw iron frigate, C
Powell, C. 8., steamed out of Portsmouth haibour
shortly before high water yesterday, and anchored
in readiness for her second trial of speed
red mile, or her cruise in the Channel,
Admiralty may direct. The trial had been
arrangedaaasttS h
tthe e mh
Pitee
taos a d
take place on Tuesday last, but on rais-
ing the screw to examine it, in consequence of the
ship's getting on the ground in returning to the
harbour from her former trial, it was found to have
sustained such damage that it became necessary to
replace one of its blades, which had been damaged,
by another, before the ship was again put under
steam. This was accomplished on Tuesday, but too
late for the trial to take place, and it was in conse-
quence postponed until yesterday. A strong south
west gale, however, again postponed the trial, and
the ship, as already stated, brought np at spit-
head, pending further instructions from the Ad-
miralty. In leaving the harbour the Defence yes-
terday again manifested great want of readiness
in answering her helm. Her engines were reversell
on one part of her course to save her from getting
upon the beach. The Defence is fitted with a bent
iron tiller, similar to that of the Warrior, which
ought to have great power over her helm. The
barrel of her wheel, however, appears to be of too
great diameter. Whatever the cause may be, it
would appear to be remediable, if the fact of her
quickness of movement when once she gives sign of
obeying her helm is to be trusted to. The eight
men at her wheel seem to expend a great deal of
muscular force without producing an alteration in
the ship's course in the time usually allowed. This
certainly indicates a loss of power somewhere be-
tween the wheel and the rudder head. The fault,
however, will, without doubt, be discovered, and,
if possible, rectified before the ship again gets under
weigh.
The casing and extension of the rudder of the
Black Prince, iron frigate, is being carried out at
Portsmouth with wood as an experiment. The area
of the rudder will be increased from 20 feet draught
of water downwards. The ship's bulwarks and
main decks have within the last few days received
their first coat of paint since she has been at Ports-
mouth. Her hammock nettings and upper deck
portlids are now complete. Her new fish-heads,
u
however, are not yet out of the blacksmith's shop,
nor has the fitting of her hydraulic steering appa-
ratus been commenced by the contractor.
In consequence of the limited accommodation at
the Upnor Castle powder magazines, Chatham, for
storing shells, the Government has decided on en-
largingn
a uiv expenseely for
s of
storingabot £4,000, of which amount the sum of £2,000 has
already been voted. The Volage, 26, has been fitted
up as a temporary floating magazine at the port of
Chatham, and
the presisetnot
be used
adet
exclusively
shells to be supplied to the ships fitting . for sea at
that station and Sheerness.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Edward Denny, to
the Nile; James Robertson, master, to the Styx;
Sub-Lieut. A. L. Trevor, to the Edgar; John E.
Corbett has been nominated to a naval cadetship ;
the Rev. John J. Balleine, chaplain and naval in-
structor, to the Boscawen ; Dr. Henry Richardson,
surgeon to the Boscawen ; and Thomas S. Chanter,
assistant-paymaster in chargit..........t0 the Boscawen.