The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-03 00:00:00

711 E NAVI'.

Instructions have been received at Chatham dock-
yard to forward from that establishment a number
of 41-inch wrought-iron plates, together with the
necessary frames and other fitments, to be used in
the construction of the target for the experiments
with the 120-pounder Whitworth gun. The plates
are to be of the same description as those used in
the construction of the W arrior, and will be selected
from the number not required for that vessel. A
selection of the armour-plates was made at Chatham
Dockyard yesterday, from which they will be
shipped during the present week and forwarded to
Shoeburyness, where the target wall be erected by
a number of the artisans despatched from Sheerness
Dockyard for that purpose.
Messrs. R. Napier and Sons, o Govan, on the
Clyde, have just contracted to bui a cupola war
vessel for the Danish Governmen Messrs. Na-
pier are now engaged in fittin the recently
launched war ram Hector with hor ontal engines
of 800-horse power. The Hector is 'lying for the
purpose at Lancefield Quay.
The resources of Portsmouth Dockyard are now
chiefly concentrated on the repairs and refit of the
Channel fleet, the outfit of the Sutlej, screw frigate,
commissioned by Capt. Connolly for service in the
Pacific, the fitting and repairs of the machinery of
vessels in the steam reserves, and the conversion of
the Royal Sovereign shield ship and the Royal
Alfred iron-plated frigate. The Royal Sovereign
has still about a score of men at work on her, who
manage to employ their time without making too
great progress, but irrespective of this unaccount-
able delay in the shipwrights' department the ship
is certainly ready to receive her side armour.
There is no possibility, however, of the armour
being ready for the ship for some time. Plates in
heaps are lying about the yard in nooks and corners,
but these have yet to be drilled, bent to the required
form, and annealed. The building to contain the
hydraulic presses and other machinery for pre-
paring the plates is not yet erected. Neither, of
course, is any part the machinery. The building is
in process of construction by the contractors, and
the frames for the travelling cranes to transport the
plates have been erected at the bows of the Royal
Alfred, but this is the extent of the preparations
for plating the two ships; meanwhile the Royal
Sovereign waits for her plates, and the Royal Alfred
will soon be in a like predicament. The last-named
ship has now 200 shipwrights employed upon her.
Her main and lower decks are down, hatchways on
both nearly completed, and fitting with gratings,
&c., and 22 out of the 52 iron beams (manufactured
at the Butterly Works), which support her upper
deck, are in position. Part of them are riveted in
their places. The completion of this deck is, how-
ever, much delayed by the non-delivery from the
Butterly Works of the shore beams and carlings.
Camp forges are in nse about the ship's main deck,
and shipwrights may be seen busily employed rivet-
ing, drilling, and at other smith's work. The ship,
when complete, notwithstanding her ugly exterior,
will show a fine battery of guns on her main deck,
and will also have an unusually roomy deck below
for the messing and berthing of her crew. Under-
neath her armour plates she is fastened with iron
bolts, but underneath her metal sheathing she is
fastened in the ordinary manlier with copper bolts.
The bolts which will carry her armour plates are
being galvanized in the steam factory, where bat-
teries and tanks have been erected for the purpose.
At present no arrangements have been made for the
ship's ventilation below, a fault common to all our
iron-cased and iron ships, the armour of which pre-
cludes the use of the ordinary side scuttle or port.
According to present appearances, the Royal Alfred
will not be afloat, as was intended, in the present
year 1862. In the three building sheds adjacent
stand the frames of the Dryad, 51-gun frigate, Har-
lequin, 17-gun corvette, screws, and the Helicon,
paddlewheel despatch vessel. The only persons
employed on them are shipwrights, who are at work
under the sheds cutting the iron beams to the moulds
for the Royal Alfred. In No. 1 dock the Powerful,
sailing 80-gun ship, once commanded by Sir Charles
Napier in his Syrian campaign, a fine old ship built
at Chatham after the French Canopus, and of 2,296
tons, is having her copper stripped off, to be Fre-
pared as a target ship, which seems to be a wilful
waste of what must represent a large money value.
In N 0.2 dock the Sharpshooter, iron screw gunvessel,
of 503 tons, built at Blackwall from designs by
Fincham, in 1847, is lying awaiting final orders as
to her fitment with Capt. Warren's bow rudder for
experimental trials. In No. 3is converting the
Royal Sovereign. No. 4 is being deepened to re-
ceive larger class vessels than it has done hitherto.
No. 5 contains the Esk, a wooden 20-gun corvette
of 1,153 tons, built at Millwall in 1854, half repaired
and still half rotten ; but work upon her at present
is all but suspended, owing to the pressure in other
quarters. In No. 7 dock the Simoom screw troop-
ship,-of 2,000 tons, built by Napier of Glasgow in
1849, is receiving her preservative composition, or
varnish,'on her bottom, and will then be consigned
to the not inexpensive Limbo of the third class re-
serve, despite her well known carrying powers and
sea-going qualities. In No. 7, the Enchantress, one
of the new paddle-wheel despatch vessels of the
Psyche class, is having her launching removed,
preparatory
ways
preparatory to receiving her copper. Her engines
are being fitted on board by Messrs. Penn and Son.
In No. 9 the Sirius, old target ship, is just com-
pleting breaking up, and in No. 10 dock the Re-
venge, screw line of battle ship, Capt. C. Fellowes,
the flagship of Rear-Admiral R. Smart, K.H., com-
mander-in-chief of the Channel fleet, is repairing
damage to her keel, caulking, and generally refitting
for sea. The Defence has been in dock, and is now
completing her outfit afloat. The Sutlej, screw
frigate, Capt. M. Connolly, is fitting out for the
Pacific alongside the dockyard, ordered to be ready
by the 14th inst. ; and the Falcon, 17, screw, Com-
mander Heneage, is also alongside, stripping and
clearing out to pay off. In the steam basin the
Rosamond paddle-steamer is fitting for a floating
steam factory ; two gunboats, the Earnest and the
Fervent, have been fitted with condensers, and are
rigged, armed, and ready for the pendant; and other
vessels waiting overhaul and repairs. At Spithead
the St. George, screw liner, Capt. the Hen. F.
Egerton, Resistance, 16, iron ram, Capt, Chamber-
lain ; Emerald, 36, screw,Capt. A. Cumming;
Galatea, 26, screw, Capt. R. Maguire ; and Chanti-
cleer, 17, screw, Commander Stirling, are employed
making ready for their next cruise, reported to be
for Lisbon.

The following appointments and promotions were
made yesterday at the Admiralty :—William Stan-
ton, master, additional, to the Fisgard ; Robert
Bacon, in the Asia, promoted to the rank of engi-
neer ; Herbert Pitt, in the Scout, promoted to the
rank of engineer; John Lanksbury, in the Mullet,
promoted to the rank of engineer; George Lucas,
in the St. George, promoted to the rank of engi-
neer ; Allred Wood, in the Pantaloon, promoted to
Wm. Blarney, in the Chan-
the rank of engineer ;
ticleer, promoted to the rank of engineer; Joseph
Dearden, in the Pheasant, promoted to the rank of
engineer; William Gibson, in the Icarus, promoted
to the rank of engineer ; Herbert Woolley, con-
firmed as engineer in the Indus ; Edward T. Peach,
promoted to acting-engineer in the Janus ; Charles
G. Warren, Gecrge F. M. Kent, and George D.
Daunt, assist.-clerks, to Lie Fisgard, for service at
Somerset-house; E. H. S. W. Card, assist.-clerk,
additional, to the Bacchante ; Berners E. H. Dray-
son and George Liedell) assist,-clerks, additional,