The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-22 00:00:00

On Tuesday last the Board of Admiralty and the
ironplate Committee attended at Shoeburyness to
witness experiments against an iron target proposed
by Messrs. Sameda as a model for the construction
of armour-plated ships. The peculiarities of this
target are,—first, that the wooden lining, which in
the Warrior is interposed between the armour and
the iron skin and framework of the ship, is dis-
pensed with; and, secondly, that the armour-plates
are so attached to the body of the ship as to contri-
bute to its strength instead of merely hanging upon
it. The armour plates in this case are five inches
thick, and they are incorporated with an iron back-
ing of plates and ribs which are equivalent to an
additional layer of two inches thick, making alto-
gether seven inches of iron. The target was sub-
jected to the usual number of rounds of shot and
shell from 100-pounder and 68-pounder guns, and
the effects were much the same as were produced on
similar targets proposed by Mr. Fairbairn, and
lately tried at Shoeburyness. One round was then
fired at it from the 300-pounder Armstrong gun,
501 b. of powder. The shot struck an uninjured part
of the target, and passed completely through, carry-
ing with it large pieces of the iron, which were
driven deep into the bank behind the target. The
same gun was then fired once more against the old
Warrior target, which in this instance in some de-
gree reasserted its former supremacy. The shot
passed through the armour, but only bulged and
cracked the inner skin and framework. No frag-
ment of the shot got through the entire target. The
extraordinary efficacy of wood thus applied as
stratum between the armour and the body of the
ship is now rendered more apparent than ever.
The armour plate breaks the shot as it passes
through, and the wood arrests the fragments. It
remains to be ascertained what will be the effect
when a wrought iron shot, which will cut 7JIG4k is
striking, is substituted for the present cast,-iron
shot.

A letter from Malta, dated Valetta May 16,
says :—" Mr. Gibson, Government inspector of
telegraphs, and Mr. Preece, engineer of Messrs.
Glass, Elliot, and Co., took their departure yester-
day from this island for Tripoli and Bengali, in
Her Majesty's gunboat Growler (3), Lieutenant J.
D. Curtis. The object of these gentlemen is to in-
pect the telegraph stations at those places. They
were to have proceeded in the Procris, but it was
afterwards found that the repairs needed by this
vessel would cause considerable delay if they waited
until she was ready, and Admiral Codrington placed
the Growler at their disposal instead. They are
expected back in a few weeks, when Mr. Gibson
will proceed to Alexandria, Corfu, and Otranto, to
inspect the stations there. The electrio communi-
cation between Alexandria and England, via Malta,
Italy, and France, continues to be very satisfactory,
and messages are sent to and from Jubal in a few
hours.
" Her Majesty's gunboat Surprise, 4, Commander
W. H. Whyte, which arrived from Corfu on Wed-
nesday, bringing as passengers Lieut.-Col. Bell,
23d Royal Fusiliers, and Major Middleton, A.D.C.,
left on return the frlllowing day with a mail for
Vice-Admiral atr W. F. Martin, K.C.B. Her Ma-
jesty's 6nrew steam sloop Malacca, 17, Capt. G. J.
P.:Pier, came in early yesterday morning from
Beyrout, which place she left on the 27th ult. Her
Majesty's screw line of-battle-ship London, 86,
Capt. H. Chads, arrived the same day from Gibral-
tar, where she had been stationed for some time.
On entering port she saluted Rear-Admiral Cod-
rington's new flag. Her Majesty's screw frigate
Amphion (36), Capt. Gordon, is in the Dockyard-
creek, having a new mainmast fitted, the old one
having been found to be rotten.
" Mr. George H. Mowbray, R.N., recently
appointed Agent Victualler in Malta, arrived here
last week, and assumed the duties of his office.
"Her Majesty's ships now in port are—the
Hibernia, receiving ship, bearing the flag (red) of
Rear-Admiral H. J. Codrington, C. 8.; London, 86;
Amphion, 36; Malacca, 17; Gannet, 11; Medina,
4; Procris, 2; Boxer, 2; and Hearty, tug."
Yesterday the first of the iron armour-plates with
which the iron-plated frigate Royal Oak, 50,
building et Chatham, in Lu Le eutatsea Wad UUC-
cesfully fixed in its place. The plate forms the first
of the lower tier, which will be carried five feet
below the water line, so as to 'prevent any shot
touching the vulnerable parts below the water. Pre-
viously to the plates being fixed yesterday they
underwent the process of annealing in the factory,
as they are all of hammered iron, being too hard and
tough to allow of their being worked in their origi-
nal state. They were then submitted to the hydrau-
lic plate-bending machine which has been erected
at the dockyard by Messrs. Westwood, Baillie,
Campbell, and Co., and, while cold, bent to the exact
shape of the portion of the ship's side they were de-
stined to cover. As this is the first machine of the
kind erected for the Admiralty, considerable interest
was taken in the process of bending the plates, most
of the leading officials connected with Chatham
dockyard being present on the occasion. Notwith-
standing the massive size of the plates, each of which
is 13ft in length, Olin in thickness, and weighs up-
wards of 80cwt, the powerful hydraulic engine
twisted and bent them with ease ; the slabs operated
upon, all of which aro from the Thames Ironworks,
not exhibiting the least flaw, which, had such ex-
isted, would havebeen instantly detected. The work
of plating the Royal Oak will now be carried on as
rapidly as circumstances will allow, and, in order to
expedite this important portion of the work, an ex-
tensive workship is being erected immediately ad-
joining the slip on which the Royal Oak is building
in which another large hydraulic engine is to be
placed, together with various powerful machines
required for plating the frigate. The Lords of the
Admiralty have applied to the dockyard officials to
ascertain the earliest time by which the Royal Oak
can be launched, and an answer has been returned
that everything may be completed by the end of
July, but no further directions have been received
from the Admiralty on the subject. It is probable
the vessel will be partially covered with her armour-
plates before leaving the stocks, in which case she
will not be afloat until the end of August or begin-
ning of Septmember. In anticipation of the Lords of
the Admiralty deciding on having her launched by an
earlier date, workmen are now busily employed in
laying down her launching-ways, so that no unne-
cessary delay may take place. Yesterday afternoon
her large rudder, weighing between 7 and 8 tons,
was fixed in its place. With the exception of being
covered with her armour-plates, the frigate may ne
said to be nearly completed. Most of her internal
fittings have been finished, and her main and lower
decks completed. Workmen are now engaged in
fixing her upper deck, which will be rendered shot
and shell proof by being covered with sheet-iron,
the beams on which the planking is placed being
also of iron. As soon as the hands now employed
on the Royal Oak can be released from that vessel
they will be transferred to the Bulwark, 91, the
next vessel at Chatham Dockyard which is to un-
dergo the process of alteration to an iron-cased
steam frigate.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel despatch vessel Ban-
shee, Commander Madden, from the Mediterranean,
arrived at *Woolwich yesterday morning, and com-
menced preparations for paying off.
Rear-Admiral Austin, Col. St. George, Royal
Artillery, President of the Select Committee of
Wool wichArsen al ; Capt. Sir Wm. Wiseman, Royal
Navy, Vice-President, and other members of the
committee, accompanied by Commodore Sir Fred.
Nicolson, and Mr. Turner, master shipwright of
Woolwich Dockyard, yesterday inspected the steam
floating battery Trusty, in basin at Woolwich, fitted
with Capt. Coles' experimental cupola, and waiting
orders
to proceed to Shoebnryness to test the effect
of the 1501 b. shot. They afterwards visited the 90
gun ship Caledonia, under constriction as an ar-
mour-clad ship, and rapidly
completion. The fiat progressing towards
allotment of plates from the
Tinneefield Works will'
be forwarded in a few days.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty .1)
Itclethut. Walter A. B. Craven,
Marlborough ; J.
additional, to the. Ai
surg., to the Racehorse • E. Fawcett,
surg., W.
Rumble, inspector of machinery,'it Evans,
Cumber-
land ; Hugh R. Gail., entnee to the
the Cormo-
rant ; W. Hardie, engineer, to the lacehorse ;
W. Skeen, acting engineer, to the c'
ASIEt., for ;the A