The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Captain W. Congreve having completed his five
years' service on the Staff of Major-Gen. Sir Robert
Walpole, K.C.8., at Chatham, as Brig
at at that garrison, will be succeeded by Brevet-Major
W. W. Lynch, 2d Battalion 2d Queen's Royals,
who has been appointed by the Duke of Cambridge,
and will commence his duties on the lat of January.
Major Lynch has acquired considerable experience
as a regimental officer, and has seen more service
than usually falls to the lot of officers of his stand-
ing. He was in Persia with the cavalry division in
1847, and for his services there was decorated with
the medal and clasp. According to Hart, he sub-
sequently joined Gen. Havelock's farce on its first
taking the field, being present in every action fought
by that column. He subsequently served as second
in command of the Volunteer Cavalry with the
Oude field force, and was present in all the actions
fought by it until the relief of Lucknow.
Capt. J. L. Seton, 102 d Royal Madras Fusileers,
has been ordered to embark for Madras, to join the
service companies of that regiment, Major P. A.
Brown taking the command of the depot companies
at Chatham garrison.
Lieut. E. G. St. John, 2d Battalion 2d Queen's
Royals, has left the depot of that corps at Chatham,
and embarked on board the Camden steamer, to
join the headquarters of his regiment.
In order to facilitate the construction of the new
ironclad turret and other ships which will shortly be
commenced at Chatham Dockyard, the Lords of
the Admiralty have given directions for some of the
most powerful machinery yet constructed to be
erected in the factory at the dockyard, to be used in
the preparation of the 9-inch and other armour-
plates with which it is intended that the new vessels
shall be protected. Among the new machines or-
dered are two large shaping and planing machines,
two punching and shearing machines, a plate-shear-
ing engine, and four of the most powerful kinds of
drilling machines. It is also intended to fit up an
additional 25-ton steam hammer, together with
steam travellers and cranes for lifting plates of 12
tons weight. The order further directs several new
machines to be erected in the ropery be used in the
preparation of the hemp for ropemaking. The total
cost of the additional machinery ordered to be
erected at Chatham Dockyard up to the present
time is between £9,000 and £lO,OOO, in addition to
which there will be the charges connected with sink-
ing the foundations and otherwise preparing the
buildings.
The routine duties of the garrison at Woolwich,
as well as the departments of the Royal Arsenal
and Dockyard, having been suspended for the
Christmas holidays, were yesterday resumed as
usual. In consequence of the admirable arrange-
ments of the commissariat and the successful result
of the new canteen system, the committee have been
enabled to deal out a gratuitous and bountiful supply
of good Christmas cheer to every man in the gar-
rison.

The Dart, 5, screw gun vessel, 80-horse power
Commander J. W. Richards, arrived at Spithead
yesterday afternoon, last from. Plymouth Sound.
The Malacca, 17, screw corvette, Capt. R. Old-
field, steamed out of Portsmouth harbour yester-
day morning on the completion of her outfit for
foreign service, and anchored at Spithead to take
in her powder and shell. To-morrow the ship will
make her trial of speed over the measured mile
course in Stokes Bay, and, if everything proves
satisfactory, will then be reported as ready to pro-
ceed to her destination—the Pacific.
The Minotaur screw iron frigate is ordered to
make a second trial of her speed under steam, over
the measured mile in Stokes Bay, on her return to
Portsmouth from her forthcoming cruise off Port-
land with the competitive gun carriages. The screw
of the Minotaur to be set at a finer pitch than on
the last occasion, and to effect this the ship must be
placed in dock.
The Simoom iron screw troopship, 400 horse
power (fitted with new engines by the steam factory
department of Portsmouth dockyard), Capt. T. B.
Lethbridge, fitting for service in the steam basin
of Portsmouth yard, has tested preliminarily the
working of her now machinery under steam. She
now only awaits a little further advancement in
the shipwrights' work to be taken out of the har-
bour, and put through her light-draught trial of
speed over the measured mile. We have referred on
a previous occasion to the excellency of the general
arrangements on board this vessel for the accom-
modation and comfort of the troops during the pe-
riod of her forthcoming commission under the com-
mand of'Capt. Lethbridge; the nearer these arrange-
ments approach completion the more perfect they
appear. On the upper deck of the ship are the usual
poop and forecastle, both, however, somewhat larger
than usual, and connected by decks, about seven
feet in width each, on the starboard and port sides.
The poop cabin contains the common mess table, 40
feet long, for the captain and officers of the ship and
for the officers accompanying the troops. On each
side are the ship's officers' cabins. Going now to
the other end of the ship we reach the forecastle,
and hero are messed and sleep the petty officers and
seamen forming the ship's crew. There are also six
cabins for the warrant officers, with cooking galleys
for the troops and seamen, air shafts, &c. Under-
neath the two gangway decks which connect the
poop and forecastlefore and aft the ship, and which
form a capital parade space for the troops, are built
up hammock houses—no hammocks being stowed in
the ship's nettings—lamp rooms, butchers' shops,
ice store rooms for meats, &c., and all other conve-
niences required in a troop-carrying steamship, to-
gether with padded stalls for six horses. The pre-
vailing idea in the arrangement of these stores and
other rooms under these two gangway decks has
been to place those on the starboard side solely at
the service of those messed and berthed only on the
same side of the ship, and the same with the port
side. On the main deck, originally constructed as
the gun deck of the ship, when she was intended for
an iron frigate, and still retaining the gunports in
their full size, are, abaft all and under the poop
mess-cabin, cabins for military officers and their fa-
milies, including an admirable ladies' bath-room, ad-
joining a roomy "nursery." Amidships on the same
deck are mess and sleeping berths for 500 soldiers,
with quarters for staff-sergeants and non-commis-
sioned officers, while, forward of all, and entirely
separated from all others, are the quarters forwomen
and children, excellently fitted with baths, lavatories,
and other conveniences, and having in one portion a
room fitted for the accouchernent of the soldiers'
-wives. In the seven available compartments of the
ship, below the main deck, the arrangements are:-
1, Military storerooms ; 2, berths for 100 soldiers ;
3, ditto ;4, baggage-room ;5, coal bunkers ;6,
engine-room ;7, engineers' and warrant officers'
sleeping berths, baths, waslihouses, &c., wine store-
room, slop-room, provisions, &c. Everything, in-
deed, is rendered as perfect on board, both above
and below, as can well be imagined or desired.
General Sir Edward Charles Whinyates, K.C.8.,
and K.H., Colonel Commandant of B brigade Royal
Horse Artillery, died at his residence, Dorset Villa,
Cheltenham, on Monday, the 25th of December,
1865, in his 84th year. He was the third son of
Major Thomas Whinyates, of Abbotsleigh, Devon
(formerly of the 2d Dragoon Guards), by Catherine,
sixth daughter of Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland,
fifth baronet, of Thirkleby-park, Yorkshire. Ile
was born on May 6, 1782 ; married in 1827 Eliza-
beth, the only daughter of Mr. Samuel Crompton,
of Woodend, Yorkshire ; entered the army on
March 1, 1798, as second-lieut. in the Royal Artil-
lery ; was present at the landing at the Helder,
under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, in 1799, and in the
campaign in North llolland, under the Duke of York,
in the same year; served in the West Indies from
1800 to 1805, including the expedition to Madeira,
under Sir William Clinton, in 1801; at the siege and
capture of Copenhagen, under Lord Cathcart, in
1807 ; in the Peninsula, from February, 1810, to
July, 1813, including the battles of Busaco andl
Albuera ; the brilliant affair at Usagre, May, 1811,
and defeat of Latour Maubourg's division ; and at
Aldea de Ponte, September, 1811, and San Munoz,
at the ford of Geltes, 1812 ; attack and defeat of
General Lallemand's cavalry at Ribera (mentioned
in the public despatches), and many other affairs,
being always on the advance and rear guards. He
received the Peninsular medal with two clasps. He