The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-15 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Capt. Rodger, R.N., has been informed by noti-
fication from the Board of Admiralty that his
anchors are now to be adopted in general use
throughout the service. He was yesterday invited
by special request from their Lordships to be in at-
tendance at Woolwich to witness the testing of one
of the old Admiralty anchors, weighing 111
cwt., which was contrasted with one of his own
patent indented small-palmed anchors, weighing 74
cwt. 2 qrs. 181 b. His anchor was tested on the
18th Sept. The Admiralty proof, 55 tons 9-32, with
55 9-32, deflected half an inch each arm; with 82
59-64 deflected 1 ; permanent set, nil. The Admi-
ralty anchor tested yesterday was put to a similar
strain—viz., 711 tons deflected 1 3-16 ; 73, 1 5-16;
75 tons, 18; 77 tons, 11 ; 80 tons 41-64, 1 9-10;
82 tons 59-64 deflected 11 ; permanent set, of an
inch. Thus it will be seen that Capt. Rodger's patent
anchor, weighing 74 tons 2-18, with a strain of 82
59-61 tons, deflected 1 of an inch ; permanent set,
nil ; while the Admiralty established old anchor,
weighing 111 cwt., or exceeding by one-half the
weight of the Rodger anchor, deflected double the
amount, viz., 1 inch more, and the permanent set
was registered at a perceptible of an inch. Capt.
Rodger, according to an Admiralty order received at
Woolwich, has been directed to provide 12 of his
patent iron stocks to be applied to an equal number
of 62 cwt. anchors, to be delivered as follows—three
at Portsmouth, and nine at Devonport. One of the
number is to be deposited at Woolwich in advance,
to undergo Capt. Rodger's inspection as a sample,
preparatory to their being issued for service. They
are intended to supersede the old wooden stock so
well known in the service, and now about to be abo-
lished. The manufacturing contraztor is to supply the
whole of the stock, a part of the shank on which it
is to be fitted; also the stock-key and key guide,
anchor shackle, and bending shackle. One of Capt.
Rodger's anchors, on the principle of the patent in-
dented small palm, has been used on board her Ma-
jesty's steam storeship Fox, Com. Moriarty, now in
basin at Woolwich, during the last twelve months,
and having undergone the most severe test, as ordered
by the Admiralty, was yesterday reported to have
done the work of the old Admiralty anchor weighing
49 cwt., the Rodger 'anchor weighing only 30k cwt.
Her Majesty's ship Spiteful, commissioned at
Woolwich for the coast of Brazil, according to
rumour yesterday, may probably be despatched to
Jamaica, to assist in quelling the insurrection.
The screw frigate Arethusa, 35, 3,041 tons, 500-
horse power, Capt. R. J. J. G. Macdonald, lately
attached to the experimental steam squadron, has
been placed in dock, where she is undergoing a
thorough examination and overhaul at the hands of
the mechanics and engineers. The chief defects,
however, appear to be in her machinery and engines,
and as these are stated to be of such a character as
to require her detention in dock for some time, it is
announced at Chatham that her officers and crew
will in all probability be turned over to one of the
frigates now attached to the Steam Reserve, which
will be at once brought forward for commission.
The Arethusa was fitted out for her special service
with the experimental steam squadron, at very
great expense, only a few months ago, and, unless
the defects are found to be very serious, and such
as cannot be easily remedied, it would be very un-
desirable to dismantle and put her out of commis-
sion. The Arethusa was the last of the wooden
sailing frigates converted at Chatham Dockyard to
screw steamers, and the present is the first time
she has been commissioned since her alterations.

The Ariadne, 26, 3,214 tons, 800-horse power,
attached to the third division of the Steam Reserve,
has been brought up to Chatham Dockyard, for the
purpose of being placed in one of the available
docks and brought forward for commission. She
will require some extensive repairs, extending over
a period of some time. She is fitted with engines
of 800-horse power, manufactured by Maudslay,
Son, and Field.

'The screw frigate Bristol, 39, Captain Somerset,
flagship of Commodore G. T. P. Hornby, is ordered
to make a trial of her machinery and speed at the
measured mile in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth, to-
morrow, the recent trial off the Maplin Sands being
considered not altogether satisfactory. Should the
weather permit of the trial being made according to
these arrangements, and the trial itself prove satis-
factory, the-frigate will sail on the next or the fol-

lowing day for her station, the west coast of Africa.
The Malacca, screw corvette, 1,034 tons, 200
horse power, has been commissioned at Portsmouth

by Captain Oldfield, for service on the south-east
coast of America, and has received her full comple-
ment of officers and men. Her armament is but

light, and her measured mile speed will not exceed
nine knots. She will, however, doubtless prove a
useful vessel for general service on her appointed
station.

Portsmouth Dockyard now presents, with two
exceptions, but little of general public interest
worthy of remark. The two exceptions alluded to
are the Royal Alfred iron-cased ship converting in
No. 3 dock, and the Simoom screw troopship fitting
out for service in the steam basin. In the docks,

the Warrior iron frigate in No. 11 is refitting for
commission, her greatest delay being at the hands of
the dilatory shipwrights' department. In No. 9 the
Bacchante wooden frigate is lying, having been
brought down from harbour moorings to examine
and repair the copper on her bottom. In No. 5
dock is the Rinaldo, wooden corvette, screw, stripped
of her planking, &c., above the water line, and in
fact being about to have her hull rebuilt. Her ma-
chinery is in the hands of the steam factory depart-
ment. In No. 3 dock is, as stated, the iron-cased
frigate Royal Alfred. The interest attached to this
vessel is due to the peculiar arrangement of the ship's
armour and the weight of her armament, to which
we shall refer on a future occasion, and to the great
pains taken with the work by all engaged upon it,
from the supervising assistant master shipwrights
downwards. This latter, indeed, is astonishing.
No ship in the world was ever yet turned out in such
style as the Royal Alfred will be. No piece of
marble was ever yet tooled and polished more care-
fully by a sculptor. The cost of all this need not
be considered, for the shipwright department of the
yard has had but little else to do since the last
amount was voted to it in the Naval Estimates for
1864-5. There have been no ships building and
but very few under repairs, and so advantage of the
opportunity has been taken to teach the worker in
• wood equal proficiency in the working of iron. The
time at present fixed for floating the Royal Alfred
out of dock, on the completion of her armour-plat-
ing, is the 19th proximo. In the steam basin lies'
the Simoom screw frigate, one of the two vessels
referred to, on board of which an unusual degree of
activity is shown by the mechanics, under the vigi-
lant supervision of her future captain. She has now
approached that period in her outfit when, with a
little extra pressure by the master shipwright, she
might be ready for service in a month, and her ser-
vices are just now urgently required by the Admiralty
and Horse Guards. Astern of the Simoom are
berthed the wooden frigate Mersey, with her 1,000
horse
Power (nominal) engines, her rigging com-
plete, and the ship otherwise well forward in her
equipment for re-commission, but with the final
completion of the work being done in the custo-
mary style. The Enchantress, Admiralty yacht,
refitting, and the Nimrod, screw gun-vessel landing
her machinery, and
t of
intended for breaking up in
us
her hull, complete thevesselsh in the steam
basin. Alongside the jettiesof
Geyser, paddle sloop,
bi en) broken
Malacca,
Condemned ttoe yard lie the
and now landing her machinery ; t
commissioned by Capt. Oldfield; the Minotaur
frigate,taking in monster guns for experimentaln
ro
trials ; the Helicon, paddle despatch boat, refitting
and awaiting orders as to her future movements ; the
Tamar, screw troopship, refitting and ordered to be
docked on the 17th inst. ; and the famous turret ships,
or rather sloops, %Vivern and Scorpion, the officers
and crew of which are engaged in preparing gene_

In the old ship basin of
rally for Admiralty orders.
the yard there is nothing beyond a tiny gunboat, the
Biter, a coal hulk, and a washing hulk for the use of
the crews of ships alongside the dockyard. Off in
the stream lies the paddle despatch vessel Salamis,
like her rival the Helicon, generally refitting And
awaiting Admiralty orders, and the royal yachts, with
the stationary flag, guard, and training ships of the

• port in commission. There only remain the five
large building slips to notice, and these have been
purposely reserved to the last, owing to the fact that
with the exception of the partly set up frame of the
Dame, a vessel of only 1,000 tons, this magnificent
row of workshops, erected at great cost, and since
enlarged and fitted with machinery, regardless of ex-
pense, are now lying utterly unoccupied, and there-
fore unproductive, in return for the large sums of
money laid out upon them. Surely, with the splendid
steam factory, smithery, and foundries of Portsmouth
Dockyard, iron vessels of moderate tonnage might
be as readily built there as elsewhere, and its vacant
ships thus turned to some useful account.

Lieut.-Col. E. Wray, Royal Artillery, has been
appointed a member of the Ordnance_Seleet Com-
mittee.

The brigade field-days on Chatham Lines having
terminated for the season, the troops belonging to
that garrison have commenced their daily march out
into the open country during the winter months,
when the weather will permit. By direction of the
Duke of Cambridge these marches are to be utilised
as much as possible to both soldiers and officers,
the former of whom will occasionally be halted
to perform such movements as can be effected,
while the officers will be required to frame reports of
the particular districts traversed by the troops, and
the advantages or disadvantages they present for
carrying on military operations.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Capt. R. B. Oldfield, to the
Malacca, commissioned ; Percy V. James, master,
to the Malacca ; Thos. Webster, master, additional,
to the Asia for the Cruiser; Sub-Lieut. Robt. H.
Eyre, to the Bristol ; Sub-Lieut. Sam. A. Johnson
and Sub-Lieut. Geo. A. G. Grey, to the Spiteful ;
Remy A. Dyke, midshipman, to the Spiteful ; Richd.
J. Lucas, nominated to a naval cadetship ; Wm. H.
Cruice, surg., to the Malacca ; Josh. May, assist.-
surg., to the Spiteful ; Dr. G: B. Beale, assist.-surg.,
to the Excellent ; Fredrick Lima, paymaster, to the
Malacca ; G. J. Sparks, assist.-paymaster, to tho
Malacca ; Geo. M. Jackson, clerk, to the Malacca
Gilbert T. Carter, assist.-clerk, to the Malacca.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MADRAS.

The report of the directors states that the progress
of the works and traffic had continued satisfactory.
On the Ist of September the section of the North-
west line between Reddipally and Cuddapa, 40 miles
in length, was opened for traffic, completing the
communication from Madras to that important
station. The company had, therefore, 611 miles
of railway open, of which the South-West line and
Bangalore branch formed 492 miles, and the
North-West line 119 miles. A further section of
the latter beyond Cuddapa was expected to be
ready for opening in July next. The aggregate
mileage worked over during the half-year was 571
miles, against 448 in the corresponding half of last
year. The aggregate number of passengers carried
was 861,467, against 707,884, and the goods 131,487
tons against 112,298 tonsin the same half of last
The traffic receipts had been £179,893 against
£142,932, and the net earnings £87,952 against
£72,690 for the corresponding six months of 1864. The
permanent way and rolling stock had been well
maintained and the traffic had been carried on as
heretofore, without the occurrence of any injury to
passengers. The works and surveys of the remain-
ing portions of the North-West line and Bellary
branch were in active progress, and the necessary
steps had been taken to provide for the completion
of the line to Raichore, the point of junction with
the Bombay line, simultaneously with its comple-
tion by the Great Indian Peninsula Company from
their side. The permanent way materials for the

line as far as Gooty had been provided, and nearly
all sent opt. With regard to the South-West line
and Bangalore branch, the way and works were in
good order, and had been maintained with economy,
but the cast of the main line was still kept up by
the progressive replacement of wooden by iron
sleepers. The cost per mile of the Bangalore branch;
which was entirely laid with iron sleepers, was at
the rate of £9B Bs. per annum only. The passenger
traffic amounted for the year half-year to £62,463,
against £46,468 ending the 30th June, 1861, show-
ing an, in crease of £15,995. The total number of
passengers conveyed was 745,198, of which 688,297
were third class, and the receipts £50,105, against
£38,556 for the corresponding half of last year,
showing an increase of £11,519. The goods traffic
amounted to £83,657 against £70,144, showing an
increase of £13,513. The total receipts for the half
year ending the 30th of June last amounted to
£165,005, and the expenses to £85,334, or 51.72
per cent., showing an increase of £79,671. The
receipts per train mile amounted to ss. -Lid. against
ss. 91d., and the expenses to 2s. 11d. per train mile
against 2s. 10d. The gross receipts had exceeded
those of the same period last year by £29,238, or
nearly 22 per cent., and the net earnings by
£10,675, or 151 per cent. The present mileage open
of the North-West line was 119 miles, but of those
only 79 were worked over during the past half-
year. It was entirely laid with iron sleepers,
and the cost of maintaining it was only at the rate
of £63 6s. Bd. per mile per annum for the past half
year. The result of the six months' working on
the North-West line showed that £14,888 had
been received against £7,166 in the corresponding
half of 1864, and the working expenses amounted
to £5,217, against £2,595. The net receipts
amounted to £8,281, against £3,694, shoviing an
increase of £4,587. The receipts per train mile
were ss. 31d., against ss. 1:1d., and the expenses
2s. 41d., against 2s. 6d. per train mile. The number
of paksengers carried was 116,269, against 88,073
in the corresponding half of last year. The mileage
open was 79 miles, against 41 miles of last year,
being equal to nearly 93 per cent. increase ; the
gross earnings were nearly 108 per cent., and the
net earnings 124 per cent. increase. The directors
intended to call up the remaining portion of the
fifth extended capital, of which the deposit only of
£2 per share had been paid by the holders.