The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-29 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

A steam boiler, which combines safety with
economy, and possesses extraordinary generating
powers, has been introduced by the Admiralty in
the steam fire-engines fitted on the principle of the
dockyards of Keyham and Portsmouth. In the
boilers of these engines a number of double tubes,
the inner tubes having trumpet-shaped tops and
being open at the bottom, hang downwards, from a
water and steam chamber, in the hottest part of the
fire, and the water is thus made to circulate with great
rapidity, the passage downwards of the currents of
water by the inner tubes being facilitated by their
trumpet-shaped mouths, unaffected by the steam
which is generated between the inner and outer
tubes, and carried off with great rapidity. By
the rapidity of the circulation the boiler possesses
self-cleansing properties, while the simplicity of
construction appears to render any examination
and repair easy of accomplishment. In the event
of any shortness of water occurring there canbe no
danger of explosion, and no part of the boiler can
well be injured except the tubes, which, under such
circumstances, would simply give way and extin-
guish the fires, and these tubes could readily be re-
newed at 'but small cost or trouble. It is also
claimed for the boiler that it has entire freedom
from leakage and unequal expansion, and occupies
but a small space, while the saving of fuel is calcu-
lated at 20 per cent. as compared with the ordinary
tubular boiler. The boiler has been brought to its
present improved state by Mr. E. Field, C.E., is
already largely adopted in private manufactories
and steam fire engines, and is now being introduced
into steamships. The fire engine supplied to Key-
ham dockyard; the Sutherland, is fitted, as we have
said, with one of these Field boilers, and weighs
only 2 tons 18 cwt. Its performance at the Crystal
Palace trial of engines induced the Admiralty to
purchase it for Keyham-yard, and to give an order
for a similar engine to be. built for Portsmouth.
When on trial at Sydenham the Sutherland raised
steam from cold water to a pressure of 1001 b. on
the square inch in ten minutes, and subsequently
threw a jet of water from a It, inch nozzle to a
height of 20ft., and maintaining it steadily to a
height of 180 ft. for 25 minutes, with power to con-
tinue it as long as desired. As an auxiliary boiler
on board her Majesty's ships, such as are now fitted
on board all our ironclads for fire-engine purposes,
washing decks, heaving up the anchor, hoisting out
ashes, &c., the Field boiler possesses valuable pro-
perties, which promise to bring it largely into use
in her Majesty's navy. The principle, under cer-
tain modifications, appears to be equally applicable
to the main as to the auxiliary engines of ships.
The iron floating battery 2Etna, 16, 200 horse
power, until recently attached to the third division of
the Chatham Steam Reserve, has had the whole of
her internal fittings, engines, machinery, &c., re-
moved, preparatory to being fitted up as a residence
for the married men attached to the metropolitan
police doing duty at the dockyard, who have hitherto
been accommodated on board the Nymph, 42,
frigate. The %Etna was inspected yesterday by Capt.
Hall, C. 8., Superintendent of the D ockyard, and she
now occupies the moorings intended for her in the
harbour. The Nymph is to be fitted up exclusively
as a floating church, for the officers and men of the
squadron belonging to the Roman Catholic commu-
nion. The Etna was built at Chatham during the
Russian war.

The Endymion, 22, 500-horse power, wooden
screw frigate, unarmoured, recently launched at
Deptford dockyard, has been removed round to the
Medway, in readiness for being docked during the
approaching springs, for the purpose of having her
launching fittings removed, and to be brought for-
ward for service. Her engines and machinery have
arrived at Sheeraess dockyard from the establish-
ment of Messrs. Napier and Sons, manufacturers.
The Orestes screw-corvette, of 1,715 tons and 400
horse power of engines, in the Steam Reserve at
Sheerness, is ordered round to Portsmouth to under-
go at that port the requisite repairs and refit to make
her ready for commission.
The officers, crew, and boys under training in the
Boscawen, Com. M'Leod B. Cockroft, have been
transferred to the, Bellerophon hulk in Portsmouth
harbour, preparatory to their ship being pla cod in
dock for repair and refit. The Boscawen arrived a
few days since at Portsmouth from her station in
Southampton water.

The Simoom screw troopship, Capt. Thomas B.
Lethbridge, is progressing very satisfactorily in the
steam basin at Portsmouth dockyard in her outfit
for commission. The appointment by the Admi-
ralty of captains of ships fitting for commission
to the flagship of the port to superintend their
vessel's outfit has been generally attended with the
most beneficial result in economy of time and ex-
penditure of material. In the instance of the
Simoom, considering the unremitting personal at-
tendance and supervision Capt. Lethbridge gives to
his ship, such results would be doubly exemplified.
The Magicienne, 16, from Gibraltar on Wednes-
day last, arrived in Plymouth Sound yester-
day afternoon, with 102 invalids and supernume-
raries. Off Lisbon, on Friday, she spoke the Penin-
sular and Oriental Company's steamship Delta, for
England.
The weather having moderated, her Majesty's
frigate Constance is appointed to sail to-day from
Plymouth for the West Indies ; the Arethusa, for
the Mediterranean ; and the Spanish frigate Gerona,
with the Duke and the Duchess do Montpensier,
for Ferrol or Cadiz.

The Cherub screw gunboat, at Portsmouth, is
ordered this morning, weather permitting, to make a
trial of Dr. Croft's patent rudder fittings, for im-
proving the steering of ships propelled by paddles
or single screws.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander George Poole, to be
Inspecting Commander in the Coastguard service,
vice Stone, whose period of service has expired ; Dr.
Edward Dann, Assiet.-Surg., to the Medusa ; and
Abraham Hogg, Assist.-Surg., to the Oberon.
Capt. and Brevet-Major E. L. Pym has been ap-
pointed Musketry Instructor of the Plymouth divi-
sion of Royal Marines, vice Richards, promoted.