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

7HE ARMY.

An order has been received at the head-quarters
of the Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham,
from the Horse Guards directing Col. Harness, C. 8.,
director of the establishment, to select a number of
non-commissioned officers and men from the topo-
graphical and survey schools to proceed to Ports-
mouth, for the purpose of making a series of surveys
at Portsdown-hill in connection with the erection of
the fortifications in accordance with the Defence Act.

Major-General F. W. Hamilton, C. 8., late of the
Grenadier Guards, has been appointed Vice-Presi-
dent of the Council of Military Education in the
place of Lieut.-Gen. Knollys, appointed controller
of the household of the Prince of Wales. His ap-
pointmentery dates m +ha lat inst. Geu. namtiton
a ch
regiment
r throughout the war in the
served
his from
Crimea, and was present at the Alma and Inkerman.
At the last battle he was severely wounded.

711 E 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 atem 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 to the ship's side. The bolts carrying her
armour-plates are all of galvanised iron, the plates
being laid on a packing of felt. The machinery for
plaining, shaping, bending, and otherwise prepar-
ing the plates is now in full operation, the iron slabs
being turned out complete as fast, if not faster, than
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 2in, and at the stern
2in in thickness. In the adjoining sheds are
the Belvidere, 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
Royal Oak. The fine two-decker Bulwark, 90, 500
horse power, which was commenced three years
since, mid 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
removal of her upper deck, an addition of some 4101
feet to her length amidships and additional strength
being imparted to her to bear the increased
of her armour plates. It is not probable,
mvhowever,ngce
that the proposed alterations will be co7melip
is C 1
at
until the Royal Oak is out of band. will
present empty, but a vessel of large dfiiNmn:es.ntsions
and most
shortly be commenced on what is the finest
On No. 1
commodious slip in Chatham Dockyard'teniner Salamis, 4,
slip the padd;ewheel despatchn:
Within
construction.
250-horse power,
cf°additional hands have
is under
the last few days a number of
order to hasten her
been placed on the S Adjoining the
forward in readiness faoiralmaul nching.
dockyard lies the screw
for Pylades, 21, fitting
is reported for a cruise in the
for commission, it
Mediterranean.
Up to the present time little pro-
gress has been ma
de in the works connected with
the rop osed ex
Owing to tutension of Chatham doekyparrod:
p
ee need period of the year,
it is
bable that nothaciva
ing will be done till the conuence-
ment of the ensuing spring. In the meantime seve-
ral hundred convicts are daily employed in raanufac- I