The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-08 00:00:00

PROTECTION OF SHIPS' PROPELLERS.

A trial, by order of the Admiralty, has been made
at Portsmouth of the Cunningham plan for protect-
ing the screws of steamships from fouling by under-
lying warps, wreckage, or other floating material,
with a small screw yacht, belonging to Mr. Cun-
ningham, the patentee of the system of reefing top-
sails from the deck, and fitted with his "screw pro-
tectors," which is a simple application of radius bars
from the inner sternpost, and deadwood, with chains
reaching from them to the ship's quarter and keel,
and a network of rope and chain at the water's edge
in the run of the ship. The tests first applied were
those most likely to occur under ordinary circum-
stances of losing masts and rigging from the effects
of the weather or from the shot of an adversary, in
both instances being supposed to be under steam
with the spars and wreckage sucking under the
quarters. A boat's spar with loose rigging attached,
and numbers of ends of ropes floating, to represent
spar wreckage, was thrown overboard from each
bow, fore and main chains, checked with guiding
lines to bring it under the quarters, the vessel
yawed wide over in order to bring the wreckage
across the vessel's stern, and therefore as closely as
possible in contact with the working screw (the
Swinger gunboat having the vessel in tow at full
speed) ; but every attempt to bring a " fouling''
failed, and the " protector" proved to be thoroughly
efficient. These tests were next repeated at half
speed, and were attended with the same results. A.
quantity of ropes, coir and hemp, was next made
up in loose coils and flung overboard from each bow,
and also from the chains on each side, and the whole
mass, with their numerous floating loose ends, were
checked along the sides of the protectors to give
every chance of fouling the screw. This was,
however, again found to be impossible, and fur-
ther experiments in this direction were therefore
abandoned. In the concluding experiment the
schooner was made fast from its stem to the gun-
boat's stern with a short length of hawsers, the gun•
boat then going a-head at full speed, when the
spar and wreckage were thrown over from the
gunboat between the ends of the protectors over
the schooner's screw. It, as a matter of course,
became fouled at once and gave an illustrative
proof of the want of some means of protection
from floating wreck, hawsers, &c., of our ships
of war when under steam. The experiments,
which were considered of a most satisfactory
character, were carried out under the superinten-
dence of Commander Miller, of l•er Majesty's ship
Asia, Mr. Hill, master of the same ship, and Mr.
Murdoch, inspector of machinery afloat.

711 E SECOND MARSHLAND INUNDATION

KING'S LYNN, TUESDAY.

Very little work at the dams was accomplished
yesterday, the time being occupied almost solely in
preparations and accumulating material. Hun-
dreds of navvies were all yesterday and to-day
occupied in heightening the banks from the sluice
up to the point where the first dam is to be made;
but though a great mass of earth has been thrown
up it is not puddled, and wants solidity to resist
the pressure of the tide. In many places the
" cradges" thus made have been swept clean away
at high water.

it has been already stated that the sluice bank
gave way on Sunday evening, without more than
ten minutes warning. This is true, but in a limited
sense Our reporter has just ascertained that four
or five months ago, when the sluice was being
strengthened by piling and the deposit of clunch
on the outer face, the divers at that time employed
on the Middle Level dam examined the founda-
tions of the sluice, and reported through Messrs.
Smith and Leather, the contractors at the dam,
that there was a hole of six feet width
in the bank next the wing wall at the very spot
where it has now given way. Messrs. Smith and
Leather then recommended that a dam should be
immediately struck across the mouth of the drain,
and the sluice and banks thoroughly examined and
repaired from the foundations upward. This was
not done, although it is to be presumed that efforts
were made to stop the hole.

It is hardly possible to describe the alarm and
depression occasioned throughout the district by
the state of affairs this morning. The day opened
on a heavy rain, which has continued all day, ac-
companied by a gale from the north-west—the most
adverse combination possible. The tide of this
morning was consequently full four feet higher
than that of last night; and this evening (about
seven o'clock) it will be still higher unless the wind
abates. The sea water rushing through the breach
rapidly filled the drain and poured over its banks,
wherever the cradging had been ineffectual, into
the Marshland sewer, and over the further bank of
this on to the lands of Mr. Peek tind others, filling
the stack-yards and coming close to the houses
themselves. Making its way rapidly up the two
main arteries it filled the internal drains and caused
them to overflow on either hand. The scene is now
exactly similar to that of May last, but so much the
worse as Marshland itself is now invaded, as well
as the Smeeth and Fen. The flood is spreading
across in the direction of Tilney Buck (three miles
in a direct line from the outfall), and Mr. Robert
Bird, Mr. Batterham, and other extensive farmers
in that neighbourhood have significant warnings of
the necessity of removing not only their corn and
stock, but also themselves, their families, and house-
hold goods. On the other side of the drains in the
Fenlands the case is precisely similar, but of course
aggravated by the low level of the soil. The flood
is making its way close up to the Lynn and Wis-
bech Railroad, and there is every prospect of
this being again submerged, and the traffic
stopped. Some attempts have been made to check
the flood by closing the sluices in the various
smaller drains, but in few cases is this iikely to be
successful, and it endangers the stability of the
sluices themselves. The parish and farm roads
have already in places been covered; but at pre-
sent the water rurs eff at the ebb tide through the
broken -sluice and the Marshland sewer. Large
quantities of cattle, sheep, and corn are necessarily
from the threatened deprivation of standing for
them, forced into the market at Lynn andto-cday
ea;,is
this, with falling prices for nearly all cereals,
doubly disastrous.
The land flooded
to_dayis
of
fstibmeawteerds ohvaerve2h,OeOldo
acres. The Marshland Court
a long meeting this morning, and after an animated
discussion have determined to entrust the safety of
their drain and district to Mr. Valentine, C.E., and.
to give him a carte blanche as to the works he may
think it necessary to execute.

ORYSTAL PALACE.—The GREAT FOUN-
TAINS TO-MORROW, at Three o'clock, will comprise
the following:—
The Six Fountains on the Upper Terrace.
The Two Prince of Wales' Fountains.
The Large Central Basket Fountain.
The Two Graceful Water Temples.
The Forty-eight Tazza Fountains.
The Six Boiling Fountains.
The Grand Cascades and Waterfalls.
The Eight Dancing Fountains.
And the whole of the varied and beautifully designed Foun-
tains alild Cascades of the GREAT LOWER BASINS, which
alone cover a surface of five acres, numbering Twelve
sand Jets, discharging One Million Nine Hundred
U Thousanwhich
d
Gallons of Water, including Les GRANDES EAX,
attain tho altitude of 234 feet.

'.* For full particulars of amusements see first page.
ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN,
This Evening, MA ItITNA.
ComAmence at 8.

THE AT Rk_l-ROYAL, DRIJ RY-LANE.
this Evening, pARENTS AND GUARDIANS. And
THE RELIEF' OF LUCKNOW. To conclude with THE
ARABS OF THE DESERT. A Troupe of the Beni-Zoug-
Commence at 7.
Zoug.

TIIEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
This Evening, A DAUGHTER TO MARRY. After which,
OU It AXE RICAN COUSIN. With DUCK HUNTING.
And THE GALICIA Comm
Cmmence at 7.

NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, ADELPHI
This Evening-, THE GREEN BUSHES. Followed by
TILE SHILLING DAY.
Commence at 7.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
This Eveninz, THE RENDEZVOUS. After which, at a
quarter to 8, KING HENRY VIII. With BORROWING
A HUSBAND. Commence at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
This Evening, PEEP O'DAY. Followed by KILLAR-
NEY. Conclude with THE COLLEEN BAWN SETTLED
AT LAST. Commence at 7.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
This Evening, MAZEPPA. Brilliant Scenes in the Circle.
COncluding with a Comic Bailet.
Commence at 7.

W. S. WOODIN'S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES,
rolyg,i-aphic Hall, King IV illiam-street, Charing-cross.
Commence at 8.

ARGYLL ROOMS, Great Windmill-street, Hay-
market. Open every evening for Promenade and Dancing.

CANTERBURY HALL—EVERY EVENING.—
Ateckel, the great Trapeze performer—Grand Operatic Selec-
tion as usual —Unsworth, Eugene, and Duley, the great comic
trio, &C.

Commence at 7.

THE OXFORD, 6, OXFORD-STREET, EVERY
EVENING.—Grand Operatic Selections, with full band and
chorus.—The comic performance of Miss Caroline Parkes—
Steckel on the Flying Trapeze—The Ethiopian oddities of
Rumsey, Newcomb, &c.
Commence at 7.