The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-13 00:00:00

THE NArr.

Considerable proP;ress has been made in plating
the Royal Oak, it, at Chatham, and yesterday
workmen vrinmenced fixing her second tier of plates
the first tier amidships having been completed. Each
plata is laid on prepared felt, and is secured to the
ahip's sides by 14 bolts which pass completely
through the timber and planking, besides being
secured on the inside by nuts. The armour. plates
are drilled, and otherwise prepared in the factory,
but, in consequence of the cylinder of one of the
large hydraulic machines used in bending the
plates having become fractured through the
enormous pressure required to be used in bending
the plates some delay will be experienced in the
work of plating the frigate, as only one hydraulic
machine can now be used. The cylinder of the
hydraulic machine which was fractured was of a
thickness of five inches. The Royal Oak is being
strengthened internally at the bows in order that
she may be used as a steam ram. As she will be
launched before she is entirely plated, preparations
are being made for her reception in No. 3 dock, in
which she will be placed as soon as she is afloat, in
order that the work of fixing her armour-plates
may be completed. Owing to the third dock not
being wide enough to receive the Royal Oak, the
granite coping has been removed, and the sill cut
away. The Lords of the Admiralty have given
directions for two of the patent portable steam
cranes, manufactured by Messrs. Taylor, Britannia
Works, Birkenhead, to be used in the third dock
for raising the armour-plates to the frigate's sides,
and the tramways are now being laid down on each
aide the dock on which the engines will traverse.
The armour-plates will be carried down to about
Oft. below her water line, so as to prevent shot strik-
ing the frigate below the water. Her broadside
plates will be of an uniform thickness of 4im., bat
at the stem and stern, and the other less e:posed
parts of the ship, the plates will var.; from lin. to
2in. less in thickness. The 1!-unching-ways have
been laid down, and so 'lar as the shipwright de-
partment is conceinied, the Royal Oak may be
launched withi:a a fortnight.

The Wa:i-spite, 50, sailing frigate, attached to the
reserve at Chatham, is ordered to be fitted for a
training ship, the Lords of the Admiralty having
lent ter to the Mercantile Marine Association.
The gale which commenced from the southward
and westward on Tuesday at Plymouth continued
more or less up to yesterday morning, when the wind
was blowing strongly from the south-east. All the
ships of war in the Sound had taken in their light
spars, lowered topgallant masts, and made all snug.
It Was reported there that the Revenge, Trafalgar,
Emerald, Galatea, and Chanticleer were ordered to
Milford, where they would be joined by the St.
George, in order that Prince Alfred might be enabled
to christen the iron-cased ship Prince Consort,
50, to be launched on the 26th inst.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—William H. G. Nowell and
Frederick Gaskell, midshipmen, to the Rapid;
Henry Morris, A. C. M. Coulson, A. C. Loveridge,
James H. Corfe, and Joshua Swan, midshipmen, to
the Euryalus ; Frederick 0. Powell and PhiliTx.,
Tyrwhitt, midshipmen, to the Trafalgar -; William
B. Fegen, surgeon, to the DO(10/ais ; Dr. M. W.
Cowan, assist.-surgeon, to the I".,.ortsmouth Division
of Royal Marines ;
William T. Goldie, confirmed as
second-class assist."er-Igineer in the Cumberland ;
Josh. Manley, confirmed as second-class assist.-en-
gineer in the Shalnon James M'Gregor, confirmed
as second-class assist.-engineer in the Doterel ;
James acting second-class assist.-engineer, to
the Asia ; and William Way, master's assistant, to
1.,410 Rapid.