The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-01 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

A War-office circular, signed by Lieut.-Gen. Sir
E. Lugard, K.C.8., Under-Secretary of State for
War, has been received at Chatham, promulgating
new and amended regulations for the government
and employment of prisoners confined in military
prisons. The order directs that " hard labour" in
all military prisons shall consist of drill, gun, or
shot exercise, carrying, piling, and cleaning shot,
breaking stones, cleaning the prison, picking oakum,
and such other modes of employment as may from
time to time be introduced under the sanction of
the Secretary of State for War.

The autumnal inspections of the infantry and
other troops at Chatham garrison having been
brought to a termination by Major-Gen. Sir
Robert Walpole, K.C.8., a large number of officers
belonging to the various corps have been granted
leave of absence for more or less lengthened periods,
under the provisions of the general order recently
issued from the Horse Guards on the subject.
The military sanitary committee appointed at
Chatham garrison by Major-Gen. Sir Robert
Walpole, commanding the forces, of which Colonel
J. W. S. Smith, C. 8., commanding the Ist Bat. of
Infantry, is the president, have called upon the
Local Board of Health for the plans, reports, and
other official documents in the possession of that
body relating to the drainage of the town,
which is, generally, in an unsatisfactory condi-
tion. The whole of the required documents have
been placed at the disposal of the military sani-
tary committee by the Local Board, who have also
appointed a committee of their body to co-operate
for the improvement of the town with the military
commission, one of the leading members at the
recent meeting of the Board having intimated that
unless something wPre ;weedily cles,,e to improve the
defective drainage and sanitary condition of Chat-
ham, the interference of Government would un-
doubtedly be invoked. Only a short time since the
Local Board of Health rejected a scheme for the
general drainage of the town on the score of the
expense it would entail on the ratepayers.

The contract for the construction of the formid-
able ironclad frigate of war for the Turkish Govern-
ment, to which allusion was made in The Sun a few
days since, has been taken by the Thames Iron Ship-
building Company. According to the announce-
ment made at Chatham yesterday, the building of
the vessel will be forthwith commenced, the order
for her construction stipulating that she shall be
built with the least possible delay. As already stated,
the new Turkish war ship is intended to surpass in
offensive and defensive powers, as well as in speed,
all other ironclad ships, not only including those
also which, like the Hercules, are little more, at pre-
sent, than mere names. The new Turkish frigate,
which is to be named the Turkistan, will not differ
materially in size from several of the ironclads
already existing in this country., her proposed dimen-
sions being 365 ft. long, 60ft. in breadth, mean
draught of water 26ift., and 1,150 nominal and
6,000 indicated horse power. It is, however, in the
character and arrangement of her armour and arma-
ment that she will be widely different from every-
thing else afloat, rendering her, in this respect, the
most formidable vessel of war the world has yet seen.
At the express request of the Sultan, she has
been designed by our Chief Constructor of the
Navy, and consequently she will embody in a strik-
ing degree all the improvements suggested during
the construction of the latest of the iron frigates
composing our ironclad squadron. The Turkistan
will be protected from stem to stern at the water-
line, and over a battery containing 16 of the largest
guns in each broadside, the armour-plates every-
where being Bin. in thickness, in addition to which
the " skin" of the ship will be double throughout,
as is the case with the Bellerophon. Two of the
protected 300-pounder or other larger broadside
guns will, at the same time, be placed at a height.
of about 20ft. above the water, and will thus have
a range of fire all round the bow and stern, so that
guns of the most powerful kind may be brought to
bear upon the enemy in all directions and in all
weathers. The engines of the frigate are to work
up to a great power, in order to produce a speed in
excess of that of the fastest ironclad ships. It is
understood that the Sultan himself transmitted to
the Turkish Ambassador the outlines of the kind of
vessel he wished to be constructed.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty:—Commander W. H. Cuming and
Commander H. A. Clavering to be Inspecting Com-
manders in the Coastguard ; Lieut. Christopher
Hassell to the Pembroke, for service in the Coast-
guard ; Sub-Lieut. W. F. E. Freeland, Sub-Lieut.
George H. R. Willis, Sub-Lieut. James A. T. Bruce,
and Sub-Lieut. Grosvenor Stopford to the Bristol;
Reginald Custance, midshipman, to the Achilles,;
W. G. Eden, midshipman, to the Narcissus ; J. G.
Bremer, nominated to a naval cadetship; Dr. Horace
W. Smith, surgeon (additional), to the Saturn ; Dr.
A. Duckett, surgeon, to the Niger ; A. C. Jeffreys,
assistant paymaster, supernumerary, to the Victory;
Charles F. A. Broadway, clerk, supernumerary, to
the Fisgard ; and Edward Mathews, promoted to
the rank of engineer of her Majesty's fleet.

Brilliant Career of a Lady-Gambler.
--4.- -------

During the past four or five days quite an excitement
has existed among a portion of the sporting fraternity of
this city, on account of the appearance among them of a
fair-looking and fashionably attired young woman, who
apparently had any quantity of money, which she seemed
desirous of expending as rapidly and as foolishly as
possible.
It appears that this woman, whose name is Nellie Otis,
alias Nellie Curtis, arrived in this city last Saturday even-
ing, and took lodgings at a house frequented by sporting
men, with some of whom she very soon made acquaintance,
and ordered wine for the whole party. During the even-
ing wine was ordered several times, for all, for which the
strange female paid the cash, and at one time she exhibited
some $3,000, which had the effect of creating considerable
rivalry among her newly"-made male acquaintances as to
which should do her the most honour or greatest favour.
The result of Saturday evening's debauch was that she re-
tired in a very intoxicated condition.
On Sunday she was the companion of one of the men
who was in her company the previous evening, and who
passed the day with her in driving about the suburbs with
the best span he could procure, stopping at various hotels,
eating and drinking—she paying all the bills.
On Monday she attended the races, where she won and
lost several wagers, ordered and paid for wine for all claim-
ing her acquaintance, or that of those in whose immediate
company she was, besides making liberal donations of the
best cigars by the box and dozens to several of the male
sex. While at the races and during the day she paid for
thirty-two bottles of wine, besides other liquors.
A similar course was pursued by her on Tuesday, dur-
ing which day she placed $3,200 in the hands of a young
man to keep for her, and to whom she applied on Wednes-
daymorning for its return, but as she then was in company
with another young man, the one to whom she entrusted
the money denied receiving any such amount as $3,200, or
anything like that sum, but rather than have any fuss
made about it he consented to give her $5OO. Finding
that she could not get her money back, she repaired to the
office of the Chief of Police, where she related the sub-
stance of the foregoing, and stated that she had been keep-
, ing house in New Orleans, but had given that up and had
1 come North to visit friends and " have a gay and festive
time generally."
After-listening to her story, detectives Heath and Hunt
were detailed to work up the matter, and if possible re-
, cover the missing $2,700 and arrest the party having it.
The detectives were absent from the office but a short
time, when they returned with a man in custody, whom
the woman identified as the one wanted, and from whom
they obtained $2,500, apparently greatly to the relief of
the loser.
The scene now changes. Wednesday a gentleman from
New York arrived in town, and at once reported to the,
Chief's office that last Friday night a female named "Nel-
lie" robbed him of $6,400 in money and U. S. Bonds, and
that he had reason to believe she had come to this city.
The finalo of the whole matter is, that Nellie Otis alias
Curtis was arrested and committed to the Tombs. Con-
siderably less than one-half of the money she stole from
the New York gentleman has been recovered, but he re-
fuses to prosecute her, and only desires that the sporting
men who have partaken of " Nellie's" hospitality at his
expense may be honorable enough, if they have any bonds
or money belonging to him, to return the
same forthwith
to the Chief of Police.—Boston Journal.

from ( 1 0
the
Unitedl•TF W S
StatesOß. JACK
Treasury TAR. - —A report comes
that over two
million dollars have accumulated
sayingeclitit naval fund since
1798. This sum is made up of unclaimed balances duo
persons who have been employed in the naval service, and
from fines for desertion, &c. It is proposed to fund this
accumulated sum, and recommend the sage of an act
establishing a home for those who have-)bseen-injured for
life while engaged in the naval service, the institution to
be supported upon the interest of the naval fund.
INTERCEDING FOR THEIR OLD MASTER.—One day
last week two colored women and a colored man were in
attendance at the White House, seeking an interview with
the President to ask pardon fur their former master, a
man named Williams. 'Williams is, or was at the break-
ing out of the war, a wealthy citizen of Virginia, and at
one time owned a number of slaves. It appears from the
statement of these colored people that Williams made ap-
plication for pardon some time ago, and as the application
has not been acted upon as yet they are in Washington to
intercede in behalf of their old master.