The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-13 00:00:00

STRENGTH OF THE FLOATING BATTERIES.

The floating batteries, said to be ordered to be built as
strong as wood and iron can make them by private ship-
builders, are to be equivalent to vessels of 1,300 tons, and
to have plates of iron on them four inches thick. The decks
aro to be eight inches thick.

THE FLOATING BATTERIES FOR THE WAR.
A "Naval Officer" addressing " the editor of the Stan-
dard," says :
" Sir,—l observe it stated in your paper of Thursday
evening last, that a floating battery is in the conrso of con_
struction at Cherbourg, to be employed in the spring a;ainst
tho Russian fortresses in the Gulf of Finland.
"It is now three months since I submitted a similar
thing to the Admiralty, since which notice has been taken
of it in the columns of your contemporary, the Morniny
Herald, to the editor of which paper I sent the draft of a
plan; all of which may be constructed within a short dis-
tance of these fortresses, out of materials to ho obtained
on the spot (balks of fir timber), piles of which have been
destroyed by fire since the operations of the fleet in those
seas, and which might have been used for the purpose. I
have fully described the plan to the editor of the Morning
Herald, and need not therefore trouble you with a repiti-
tion, and I have no doubt, if carried into execution as I
pointed out, will be most completely successful."
The batteries in course of construction will be the most
formidable ever projected, They are of forged or ham-
mered iron plates, 4i inches thick, lined inside with wood,
and will measure about 1,500 tons. From actual experi-
ment it has been proved that they will bo impervious to
shot or shell.
A dozen at least (French and English) of these floating
batteries will be in the Baltic next spring. The conatruc-
tion of these engines of war is a very diffieult and expen-
sive task, and we should like to see them afloat before
entering into further details.

NAVAL PROMOTIONS FOR THE CRIMEAN
WAR.

We have much gratification in announcing the promo-
tion of the two lieutenants who were so prominently men-
tioned in Lord Raglan's despatches, to the rank of com-

mander, viz.:—
Lieutenant S. 11. Derriman (1842), commander of the
Caradoc, who was appointed by Admiral Dundas as his
lordship's aide-de-camp at the battle of the Alma.
Lieutenant Frederick A. Masse (1352), one of the
juniors of the Agamemnon, 91, who returned through the
forest with Lord Raglan's despatches, and thus enabled
the Agamemnon to reach Balaklaya at the desired mo.
meat.
Lieutenant Maxse's promotion will be rather to " brevet
rank," to be confirmed as soon as he has served his full
time of two years as a lieutenant.

MORE RUSSIAN PRIZES.
Yesterday advices wore received that a number of Rus-
sian vessels bad been captured by the English cruisers off
Odessa. Their cargoes are chiefly linseed oil. They will
be sent to Malta fur condemnation and to be sold for the
benefit of the captors.'

THE HOSPITAL SHIP BELLEISLE.
The Belleisle, hospital-ship, Commander James Hoskin,
was ordered from Sheerness to this port to refit, but has.
been countermanded. It is supposed that she will go to
the Black Sea.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
A number of the crews of the North Star and Talbot
store-ships, amounting altogether to about 50, left Wool- I
wick yesterday morning for Seerness, their leave to come-
1
up to Woolwich to see their friends and their old com
panions of the crew of the Phcenix having expired on that
day. They all appeared to be in remarkably good health,
although many of them had been in the Arctic regions for
several winters, serving in the Investigator discovery-ship
under Captain /11`Clure.
The court-martial to be held on board the Waterloo,
120, flag-ship at Sheerness, on Captain Sir Edward Belcher
and the officers in command, for leaving their ships in the
ice, has been postponed until Tuesday next. The court-
martial demanded by Ctiptain Osborne is not likely to tale

The Glamorganshire Militia have completed their 28
days' drill, and have been reviewed at Cardiff by Ge-
neral Barnard, who expressed himself well pleased with
their efficiency. The men have been dismissed from pre-
sent duty.
The North and South Mayo Regiments of Militia (Ira-
laud) are ordered to be forthwith embodied fur active ser-
vice.
Yesterday morning the Essex Rifle Militia left their
quarters at Canterbury, and proceeded to London ; on
reaching the London-bridge terminus the men fornied, and
marched through Southwark to the. Waterloo-road station
of the South-Western Railway, where a train was in rea-
diness to curry them on to Windsor, to relieve the 46th
Foot.
The 2d Somerset Militia will receive their colours at
Bath to-morrow (Saturday) at the hands of Miss Portman,
daughter of Lord Portman, Lord-Lieutenant of the county,
and proceed forthwith to Cork for permanent duty.
The fifth company of the 2d West York Regiment of
Militia left that city yesterday (Thursday) morning for
Hull, where they are to form a guard of honour to her Ma-
jesty, on her arrival at Hull this evening. After her Ma-
jesty's departure they will proceed to f4heffielcl, where a
portion of the 2d West is to be stationed, four of the com-
panies having arrived there, under the command of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Brandling, on Wednesday. About 300 of
the regiment will remain with head-quarters of the regi-
ment at York, and it is stated they will be reinforced by
a troop or two of the 7th Husears.