The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-09 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Duke of Somerset will hold his third levee
rio-morrow afternoon at the Admiralty, Whitehall.
The Board of Admiralty, composed of the Duke
'of Somerset, Vice-Admiral ;the Hon. Sir F. Grey,
K.C.8., Capt. Charles Frederick, Capt. the Hon.
J. R. Drummond, C. 8., and Rear-.Admiral Lord
Clarence Paget, C. 8., the Secretary, went yester-
day morning to witness some experiments with
le,rge guns at Shoeburyness.
In addition to the iron frigate Achilles, 50, 6,079
tons, 1,250 horse-power, building at Chatham dock-
yard, the following squadron of iron vessels are now
under construction by private firms for the Admi-
ralty, several of which are in a very advanced state
—viz., the
,Agincourt, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horse
power, bii;:iding at Birkenhead; the Northumber-
land, S(J, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horsepower, and the Va-
liant, 32,Mil 4,063; tons, 850-horse power, building at
wall ; the Minotaur, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horse
?cover, and the Orontes, 3, 2,812 tons, 500-horse
Power, building at Blackwall ; and the Hector, 32,
4,063 tons, 800-hcrse power, building at Glasgow.
•The following iron-plated frigates are now build-
ing at the several Royal dockyards, the whole of
-which are intended to be afloat during the present
year--viz., the Caledonia, 50, 4,045 tons, 800-horse
pow'ar, at Woolwich;' the Ocean, 50, 4,045 tons,
I,o'jo horse-power, at Devonport; the Prince Con-
sfirt, 50, 4,045 tons, 1,000-horse power, at Pem-
"broke ; the Royal Oak, 50, 3,716 tons, 1,000-horse
power, at Chatham ; and the Royal Alfred, 50,
3,716 tons, 800-horse potrier, at Portsmouth. In
addition to thQ above there are no fewer than 31
line-of-battle ships and other screw-steamers now
on the stoc'as at the several dockyards, most of
whioh 'arr.3 admirably adapted for conversion into
shield. ships,
on Captain Coles's principle. Of
th,a the Bulwark, 91, at Chatham ; the Re-
Pl34se, 91, at Woolwich; the Robust, 91, at Devon-
',Jon ; and the Zealous, 91, at Pembroke, are all in
very advanced state, requiring only a compara-
tively small outlay to plate them with iron. There
are also three first-class 51-gun frigates also build-
ing—viz., the Belvidera at Chatham, the Tweed at
Pembroke, and the Dryad at Portsmouth—which
are admirably adapted for conversion into armour-
plated ships. They would not require the removal
of any decks, as would be the case with line-of-battle
ships, but would only have to be lengthened and
strengthened to enable them to bear the increased
weight vf hich would be placed on them. Of the
other vessels in progress several are intended to
carry 22 guns and upwards. If completed as iron-
-cased steamers they would be larger and of greater
tonnage than either the Monitor or Merrimac. The
whole of the hands have been removed from the
wooden ships building at the several dockyards, and
are now emplo-sed on the iron-cased frigates under
construction? 'five of which will be afloat by the end
of the prerJent year.
The tesistance, 18, 3,668 tons, 600 horse-power,
iron se.cearaer, fitting at Chatham for particular ser-
vice., is ordered to be supplied with 700 68 pounder
solid shot, instead of 480, as previously di-
rec:ted. In addition to her deck broadside
Armstrong and 10-inch guns, she is to be furnished
With two 20-pounder Armstrong guns, each of 13
cwt., and, 5 feet 6 inches in length, and one 9-pounder
6 cwt. Armstrong for boat service. Her field guns
will consist of one 12-pounder Armstrong, with field
carriage and limber,and one 6-pounder brass smooth
Lore, 6 cwt. gun, for short practice, with elevating
arriage. She will also take on board one field
carriage and limber to mount a 20-pounder Arm-
strong boat gun.
The Revenge, screw line-of-battle ship, Capain C.
Fellowes, sailed from Spithead yesterday for Ply-
month Sound and Queenstown.
The Tribune, 23, screw frigate, Captain Viscount
Gifford, went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday
to Spithead, on the completion of her outfit for fo-
reign service. Before anchoring at Spithead she
tested her machinery for some time under steam.
Everything was found to work in the most satis-
faci/ory manner.

The Defence, 18, iron frigate, Capt. R. A. Powell,
C. 8., it is expected will go into Portsmouth harbour
to-morrow. She is to be placed in No. 10 dock, on
its vacation by the Black Prince, iron frigate, to
ascertain the effects of the recent grounding on
Soutsea beach when returning into harbour from
her trim trip at the measured mile in Stotes Bay.
;The officers of this ship speak in the most enthu-
siastic terms of her recent performances under sail
and steam, and further declare that her steering
qualities have turned out good. As a general rule
in the service, however, officers belonging to a ship
are not the most impartial judges of her good or bad
qualities, and we trust that the Defence's steering
apparatus will be made as perfect as possible before
she is again sent to sea. On her trial of speed in
Stokes Bay the ship did not steer at all well, she
answered her helm at different times, and no rea-
son was discovered, that we are aware of, to account
satisfactorily for this defect. To end her day's
work she grounded twice on Southsea beach, broke
the tip of one of her propeller blades to pieces, and
may, when she is in dock, be ascertained to have
sustained other damage. 4
The paddle steamer Vivid, tender to the Fisgard
at Woolwich, was yesterday taken into basin to be
fitted with a saloon on deck, abaft the mainmast,
for the accommodation of their Royal Highnesses
Prince Leopold and Prince Alfred, who are about to
proceed on a cruise around the south-west coast of
Ireland.

The new naval prison at Lewes was opened for
the reception of prisoners on Monday. The first
instalment received was a batch of seven seamen
from Portsmouth under sentences of court-martial.
Admiralty instructions were yesterday received
at Woolwich, ordering the whole of the shipwrights
and others employed in the construction of the
Wolverene,Dartmouth, and Sylvia to be withdrawn,
and the building of those vessels to be discontinued
for the present. The,Dartmouth was commenced in
Sept., 1860, and the Wolverene was ordered to be
launched on the 7th pros. The whole of the hands
are consequently hastening the progress of the
Caledonia, about to be armour-plated, and, as stated,
to be additionally provided with a formidable iron
prow.

The Lieut.-Governor of Greenwich Hospital,
Rear-Admiral Sir W. Fairbrother Carroll, K.C.8.,
died at his residence there yesterday afternoon. He
was born in 1784, and entered the navy as midship-
man on board the Diamond, commanded by Sir
Sidney Smith, in 1796, with whom he was the same
year made prisoner. In 1800 ho was severely
wounded in attacking a French sloop under Havre
de Grace. He was flag-lieut. to Sir Sidney Smith,
in the Pompee, in 1806, at the sieges of Gaeta and
Scylla, and storming of Capri ; and in 1807 com-
manded the seamen and marines at the destruction
of the battery and guns on Point Pesquies, and the
guns in the wrecks of the Turkish ships. In 1811
his vessel was sunk at the attack upon Fort Cata-
lina. 11e
rated Withas_commander of the Volcano, he co-ope-
rated
Spanish patriots on the coast of Cata-
lonia. His
s twice honourably mentioned by
the Duke of aWellingtonG in despatches, and officially
recorded in they
ore in 1805, twice in 1806,
and repeatedly after
wards up to 1814, In
April, 1852, he
nominated a Knight Com-
mander of the Bath.
1853, he was ap-
pointed Cornmander4o.chiehtlY,
Queenstown, and
remained there till 1855, Wheialt,
Lieut.-Governor of Greenwich he
.was appointed
com-
missions bore dates Marchs, ittial• His
MayDlesc.,
1805; Commander, 4, 1811; it'
6, 1813 ; and Rear-Admiral, Jan. 24, igr.o
The following appointments were. made
yester-
dayx '
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. W H. m
to
the Coquette ; N. C. Hatherly, surgeon, to the
Coquette; Daniel A. Cochrane and W. E. Shintic....
ton, Fecon d-class assist..engineers, to the Asia, si,
supernumeraries ; W. H. Fitzpatrick, assist—pay-
master to the Marlborough, as supernumerary; and
Francis E, James is nominated to a naval cadetship.

On the re-distribution of the Royal Marine corps,
and the separation of the Light Infantry from the
Marine Artillery, a number of officers belonging to
the latter corps were promoted over the heads of
those of the Light Infantry, although seniors in the
service. In consequence of this a memorial was
forwarded through the Lords of the Admiralty
to her Majesty. In reply a communication was
ye terday received at Woolwich from the Royal ,