The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-07 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

A new invention for working ships' pumps by the
capstan in case of fire, for which a patent has been
registered by Mr. Matthew Blank, engineer, was
tried yesterday on board her Majesty's ship Irresis-
tible, in Southampton-water. Admiral Sir Michael
Seymour, G.C.8., Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres,
Capt. Caldwell, C.B. (for the Superintendent of
Portsmouth dockyard), and Mr. Braine, one of the
master shipwrights at Portsmouth dockyard, ar-
rived in the steam yacht Fire Queen to witness the
trial, and were received on their arrival by a salute
of 19 guns from the Irresistible. Sixty revolutions
were obtained with one man to each bar of the cap-
stan, and 73 with two men to each bar; while 100
men would, as we are informed, be required
under ordinary circumstances to get 70 revolutions.
The trial was successful, and the invention was pro-
nounced very valuable. Extra hands were put to
the capstan to force a column of water to the upper
deck. This pressure was hardly fair to the inventer,
but, notwithstanding the immense force applied,
nothing gave way. The distinguished visitors from
Portsmouth lunched with Capt. Dickson at Netley
after the trial, and left ill the. Fire Queen at 3 p.m.,
on their return, under another salute from the Irre-
sistible.

The Scout, 21, screw steam corvette, 1,462 tons,
400-horse power, Master in change Augustus J.
Burniston, now lying in SheerneSs harbour, was
swung for the adjustment of her compasses, izepara-
tory to commission, on Friday last. During the opera-
tion an accident occurred, which caused the death of
the boatswain of the ship, Mr. Mathew Delaney, aged
48. It appears from the evidence given at
the inquest before Mr. Marsh, deputy coroner for
the city of Rochester, on board the Cumberland
guardship of Steam Reserve at Sheerness, that the
deceased was attending to his duties while the ves-
sel was being swung, when the lashing of a leading
snatchblock was reported to be stranded. Staff -Com-
mander Charles J. Polkinghorne, the commanding
officer at the time, immediately ordered to " cease
heaving," when the deceased, from some reason
which did not transpire, jumped between the lash-
ing-block and the ship's side. Almost immediately
after the remaining portions of the lashing parted,
the hawser and block flew against the ship's side,
and struck the deceased below the knees, throwing
him violently on the deck. On being picked up it
was found that he was frightfully injured, and died
in two hours without regaining consciousness. The

jury returned a verdict that the deceased was acci-
dentally killed.
The Phaeton, 39, screw frigate, Capt. Geo. Le G.
Bowyer, anchored at Spithead at 6 30 p.m. yesterday,
on her return to England from service on the coasts
of North America and the West Indies, and awaits
orders as to which home port she will enter to dis-
mantle and pay out of commission.
Between the sth of November, 1864, and the 9th
of February, 1865, 18 sailing ships, possessing an
aggregate registered tonnage of upwards of 21,000,
ae
nm barked
d Madras, troopsfo:o in
ntvheeypoa
nrcts
to of
ECI
ta:lcaunt
dt a
u,
nßdoemb r
con-
tract ny
tract with the Hon. Council of India. The whole
of this large transport fleet are expected to arrive at
Spithead. The majority of the ships are bringing
home invalids and time-expired men. The remainder
of the ships have relieved troops on board. The Nile
and Alumbagh embarked the 52d Regiment at Cal-
cutta, for Portsmouth, on the 16th and 19th of
December, 1854, and the arrival of the regiment
may therefore be almost daily expected. The 17th
Lancers embarked on board the Agamemnon at
Bombay on the 21st of January.
The Turkish squadron, commanded by Admiral
Edlem-Pasha, consisting of the screw steam flag-
ship Kossova, 88, Capt. Osman Bey ; the screw
steam frigate Estrogal, 60, Capt. Assam Bey, and
the screw steam frigate Khudavendiguar, 60, Capt.
Hamel Bey, arrived in Plymouth Sound at eleven
o'clock on Saturday morning, and saluted the
national standard and the flag of Port-Admiral Sir
Thomas Fremantle, K.C.8., which was acknow-
ledged by the citadel in the Sound, and by the flag-
ship Royal Adelaide, 26, Capt. Frederick W. P. B.
Seymour, C. 8., in Hamoaze. Mr. T. W. Fox,
Ottoman Vice-Consul, paid an official visit to the
Admiral in the afternoon, and wassaaltuteLdisboonn de-
parture. The squadron left Cherbourg at eleven
o'clock on Friday morning, and is bound to Con-
cstaoaln,tionrwlheichTthhee Kshiosspsov willatouch
consumes a large quan-
tity.

The transport Twerton, which left Bombay on
the sth of November, with the right wing of the .
28th Regiment, touched at St. Helena on the 9th of
January, and is expected daily at Plymouth.
Five companies of Royal Artillery from Plymouth
Citadel, headed by .the band of the Royal Marines,
marched on Saturday afternoon to the Royal Wil-
liam Victualling-yard, and embarked on board the
iron screw steamship Urgent, 4, Capt. Samuel H.
Henderson, for conveyance to Woolwich. The de-
tachment consisted of No. 4 company, under com-
mand of Lieut. Brodrick ; No. 5 company, Capt.
Cavendish ; No. 6, Major Lukur ; No, 7, Capt.
Egan ; and No. 8, Lieut. Chamberlaine. Their
duty in the citadel is now done by the 7th brigade,
commanded by Col. Milman, which arrived on the
24th ult. The next arrival of artillerymen at Ply-
mouth will not take place until April when a de-
tachment is expected from Gosport.