The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-27 00:00:00

WE NAVY.

The Edgar, 86, screw, Capt. the Hon. F. Foley,
flagship of Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres, C. 8., in the
large double dock at Portsmouth, is having massive
metal brackets, or knees, bolted on her aft stern-
post and stern, to strengthen the sternpost in
its position when under steam. Nothing has
been discovered of sufficient extent to fully ac-
count for the water the ship made when under
way a few days since at Spithead, but it is con-
jectured that the play of the sternpost when under
steam may have acted upon a week part dis-
covered near it, and it is on this account that it has
been strengthened with metal brackets. The De-
fence, 16, iron ram, in the eastern end of the same
dock, has had her bottom examined to ascertain the
extent of the damage caused by grounding in the
Baltic. Beyond the breaking of a few rivets, how-
ever, no outward damage is visible. There is no
broken plate in her bottom to account for the water
she is said to have taken in after she had touched
the ground. As soon as the damaged rivets have
been made good she will be nndocked, and again
reported ready for sea. Her bottom, which was
coated some three months since with Peacock and
Buchan's patent composition, with their new top
dressing, is in very good order.
The Falcon, 17, screw, Commander Heneage,
arrived at Spithead yesterday, from the coast of
Africa, and, on anchoring, exchanged smutes, with
the Victory, flagship of the Commander-in-Chief,
Vice-Admiral Sir H. W. Bruce. She sailed from
St. Paul de Loando on July 10, arrived at Ascen-
sion on the 22d, and sailed again on Sept. 31. On
Sept. 10, owing to strong north-easterly winds, she
was compelled to put into Corunna, where she ob-
tained provisions and water. She sailed thence on
the 22d. On the day before sailing from St. Paul
do Loando the Falcon, in company with the Dart,
captured an empty slave brig of 380 tons. She has
brought no passengers or invalids home from the
station. Orders have been received to inspect her
at Spithead this morning, before taking her into
Portsmouth harbour to dismantle'her, clear her out,
and pay her out of commission.
As was reported in The Sun of the 17th inst., the
Jascur, 5, screw steam gunvessel, 80-horse power,
was taken to the measured mile off Maplin Sands,
in charge of Captain T. P. Thomson, commanding
the steam reserve at Sheerness, for trial of her
machinery previous to her being given up to Go-
vernment by the contractors. At this trial the
pitch of the screw (Griffiths's) was set at 14ft., and
the vessel attained an average speed of 8488 knots
per hour, the engines working 87 revolutions per
minute, with an abundance of steam. The contrac-
tors, thinking that a greater speed might be attained
by reducing the pitch of the screw, determined upon
having further trials previous to leaving charge of
the engines. Accordingly the vessel was again
taken to the measured mile on Monday last, the
pitch of the screw having been reduced to 12ft. 6in.
During the six hours the vessel was under way the
engines were kept at full speed; there were no hot
bearings, and there was scarcely any perceptible
vibration. The results were :—Average speed,
9142 knots ; revolution of engines, 99 ; vacuum,
24 ; and pressure of steam, 22, with an abundance
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minute; average speed, 9684 knots ; pressure of
steam, 22; vacuum, 25. This trial was considered
by all parties most satisfactory, and the machinery
will be passed at once over to the Government au-
thorities. The engines were built by Messrs. Laird
Brothers, of the Birkenhead Ironworks, and are of
similar construction to those exhibited by the same
firm in the International Exhibition, and for which
a prize medal has been awarded.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lient. T. M. Kelsall, to the
Phoebe ; Lieut. A. C. May, to the Trafalgar ; Wm.
Patrick, surgeon, to the Sutlej ; Dr. Johnstone
Christie, surgeon, to the Barrosa; Pr. Simon A.
Willis, surgeon, to the Eclipse ; John S. Adams,
surgeon, to the Perseus; John M. Bateson,
assist.-surg., to the Perseus ; Charles L. Cun-
ningham, assist.-surg., confirmed in the Cam-
bridge; E. W. Coleman, M.D., assist.-surg., con-
firmed in the Warrior ; Walter B. Elliott,
midshipman, to the Marlborough as supernumerary;
Francis W. Cobb, midshipman, to the Bacchante,
as supernumerary; C. G. Gardiner, J. B. Young,
B. C. H. Freeman, F. E. A. Croker, and G. J.
Dennistoun, naval cadets, to the Marlborough, as
supernumeraries; G. Davis, assistant-clerk, to the
Edgar; T. E. Goodwin, Owen Davy, and R. B.
White, assistant-clerks, to the Marlborough. The
following appointments have been made in the
Royal Naval Reserve :—To be lieut., Thomas Corn-
well ; to be hon. lieut., Thomas Crosby ; to be sub.
lieut., Robert George White.