The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-24 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Duke of Somerset, as first Lord of the Admi-
ralty, held a levee yesterday at the Admiralty,
Whitehall, at which the following officers attended :
—Rear-Admirals G. Ramsey, Warden, M'Hardy,
and Glasse ; Captains C. B. Hamilton, G. Han-
cock, W. C. Browne, M. Connolly, N. B. Beding-
field, H. C. Glyn, J. F. Rous, H. Christian, J. E.
Commerell, T. Miller, and W. C. De Vere ; Com-
manders Sholto Douglas, J. C. Wells, G. D. Broad,
E. A. Porcher, R. A. Newman, 11. J. Grant, T. T.
Bullock, St. Leger Aldworth, and T. De Wahl :
Lieuts. C. G. F. Knowles, W. A. Gambier, G. T.
Morrell, F. Hardy, and Arthur Salway ; and De-
puty-Inspector-Gen. Smart.
Three of the iron screw steamships belonging to
the Channel squadron are now in dock at Devon-
port. The Achilles, 20, Captain Vansittart, was
placed in No. 3 dock at Keyham, on Jan. 11, partl
in consequence of the loss of one of the blades of
her propeller. The new propeller, which will have
blades of greater strength, is not yet fitted. Some
alterations have been made to her after stern post,
apparently with a view to carrying off the water
more readily when the ship is in motion. Her bot-
tom is being recoated with Hay's composition, which
operation is nearly complete. The dock shores were
shifted on Monday in order that the spots which
they covered might be properly coated. The
Black Prince, 41, Capt. Lord Frederick H. Kerr,
was placed in the Prince's dock, Devonport,
on the 15th inst. Her starboard watch had leave
from the 16th to the 19th, and the port watch from
the 20th to the 23d inst. The shaft of her engine
has been launched out to examine the condition of
the " thrust bearing," which is in very good order.
The bottom of this ship was completely painted
with Hay's composition in November, 1863, and
partially so in May, 1864. About the middle of De-
cember, while at moorings in Hanmaze, her star-
board side was " hogged ;" that is, her bottom was
cleaned by a large brush moved by rope guys.
When in dock this side was found to be nearly
clean, and on the port side there was comparatively
very little weed, and but a few small mussels. Some
corrosion has taken place on her bottom, especially
from the line of flotation to 10ft. below, which is
the part most exposed when she rolls at sea. It may
have commenced through the friction of a deeply-
laden vessel (such as a collier) lying alongside.
Some such cause as this has apparently been in ope-
ration, as the composition is rubbed off chiefly on
that part between the mainmast and the foremast,
which is that usually occupied by vessels lying along-
side. However, since she has been in dock, owing
probably to exposure to the atmosphere, the effects
of corrosion have been exhibited more or less below,
from the keel upwards. The pits in some places
may be a quarter of an inch deep. There is consi-
derable rust on the keel. The Defence, 11, Capt.
Augustus Philbrnore, was placed in No. 1 dock at
Devonport on the 14th inst. The ship is in good
order and will require no important alterations ; her
officers still consider her " a good sea boat." In
November, 1863, her bottom was thoroughly coated
with Peacock's and Buchan's composition ; in June,
1864, it was retouched. She has been lying in har-
bour for the last four months, during which she was
hogged. When docked it was found that some short
weed, about an inch long, and a few small shell fish
were attached, but this was chiefly in quarters out
of the run of the sea. She is now receiving another
coat of the same composition. Some corrosion exists
below the water-line.

The Royal paddle yacht Elfin, Staff Commander
Balliston, is in No. 1 dock at Portsmouth yard un-
dergoing important experimental alteration to her
wheels. The Elfin's wheels have hitherto been
fitted with the well-known feathering float. These
floats have now been removed from round the peri-
phery of each wheel, and in the place of each float
are now being bolted on to iron arm and stays, as
fixtures, two screw blades with their leading corners,
inclining towards each other. The principle has been
patented by a Dr. Croft, and it is stated that some
preliminary trials on the Thames with a vessel
somewhat smaller than the Elfin brought out re-
markable results.

The preliminary trial of a new invention for cat-
ting ship's anchors, emanating from the department
of the Controller of the Navy, took place yesterday
alongside Portsmouth dockyard on the starboard
bow of the iron frigate Hector, Capt. G. W. Preedy,
C.B. All our ironclads are now fitted with a se-
cond cathead to enable them to carry their bower
anchors further aft from the ship's stem, and at a
point where their weight is more thoroughly water-
borne than if they were carried in the old position
at the foremost cathead. Under the new arrange-
ments tested preliminarily for tatting a ship's an-
chors when weighing from an anchorage, some 15
or 16 feet of chain are attached to the • ring of the
anchor with the other end attached to the cable so
far as the short chain will reach by a " slip."
Thus
when the anchor is weighed and thestock approaches
the surface of the water the small length of chain
attached to the cable by the slip has entered the
hawse-pipe along with the cable. The small length
is nowreleased from the slip, and, being shackled on
to a greater length of the same kind of chain, has
been previously brought to the hawse-pipe from
over the sheave of an iron block in the after cathead,
or davit, and, leading thence inboard on the ship's
upper deck, a direct purchase is thus obtained upon
pennant, the an
the anchor, and by hiseavrnoguguhptonwetuhisafcht
on the
t tcate
t the after davit. The two great features in this
p 's
the ans co hmo
er s-
aship's bows, and hove up to its desired position
appeared to be
iron ships—operations of
what dangerous—to
new arrangement
the
er
a tattingv
oidancea ship's
44 serging," and the substitution of a single chain