The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-22 00:00:00

A new drill battery for instruction in ship-gunnery
has been built in the barrack ground of the head-quar-
ters of the Royal Marine Artillery Corps for the better
convenience of the men under tuition in gunnery. This
battery represents a ship's side, and mounts five long
32:pounders ; but a ship from the ordinary might have
been brought alongside the wharf of the barracks, and
have done far better for the purpose.
The Odin has been ordered to Lisbon, and will go as
soon as the intermediate shaft (which has been for some
time preparing for her) has been put on board, for which
purpose she will come into harbour to-morrow.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Prussia visited the
Royal Clarence victualling establishment yesterday (Sa-
turday), and was conducted over that naval storehouse
by Captain-Superintendent Courtney and staff ; after
which his Highness and Commodore Schroeder, of the
Prussian frigate G-efion, visited the dockyard, accompa-
nied by Rear-Admiral Fansbawe, Superintendent of the
yard, and Captain Shepherd, of the Victory.
The Tribune, 30, went out of harbour yesterday to
Spithead, and after taking in powder, &c., joined the
Royal squadron in Osborne Bay.
The Rhadamanthus steam-transport sailed yesterday
for Woolwich.

PLYMOUTH, AUG. 20.

Her Majesty's steam guard-ship Ajax, Capt. Michael
Quin, which arrived from Spithead on Thursday, was
inspected by Port Admiral Sir John Ommanney in the
Sound yesterday. This morning, at six o'clock, she
steamed into Hamoaze. Her sails are unbent, and top-
gallant and royal yards sent down.
The Lords of the Admiralty have granted a day's
holiday to those riggers and seamen riggers who ex-
erted themselves in getting off the Caesar at Pembroke.
Yesterday at 4 a.m. a frigate with the white ensign
at her peak, under all royals, topsails, and topgallant-
sails (wind south-west), tacked off the Bolt, going down
Channel. At 3 p.m. a brig-rigged paddlewheel steamer,
under steax only, passed inside the Eddystone, bound
west. At 5 p.m. a bark-rigged paddle-wheel steamer,
under steam and canvass (wind south-east), passed down
Channel, inside the Eddystone.
It is stated that the commanders of two of the largest
of the screw steam-ships, forming a portion of the fleet
at Spithead, will either retire from active service or ex-
change into ships of less magnitude.

SHEERNESS, AUG. 21.

The Myrtle steam-tender to Waterloo, 120 guns, flag-
ship, Wm. S. Bourchier, master (additional), got up
steam yesterday, and proceeded to Chatham, with a ship
wright named Wm. Bevan, who unfortunately fell from
the orlop deck of the Crersy, 80 guns, screw steam-ship
fitting in the basin for commission here,) by which he re-
ceived a fracture of the thigh bone, close to the socket
joint. On the accident occurring, the unfortunate man
was immediately conveyed to the yard surgery, where he
was promptly attended to by the surgeon of the yard,
and the assistant-surgeon also. After every medical
precaution had been taken to prepare him for being con
veyed to Melville Hospital, Chatham, he was carried in
a cradle bed on board the Myrtle, and Mr. John Jeff-
' cott, assistant-surgeon of the yard, proceeded in charge
of the poor fellow for Melville Hospital. From the se-
rious nature of his injuries, he is at present in a very
precarious state.
The Netherland ship Jan Hendrik, H. de Jong, com-
mander, now in No. 3 Dock, has been temporarily re-
paired by an Admiralty order, to enable her to proceed
from this port to another port for permanent repairs, the
Admiralty having refused the application of Captain H.
de Jong to permanently repair the ship here. She has
been for some time past under an arrest issued from the
High Court of Admiralty, at the suit of William Axon,
of the lugger Stornaway, and J. Speers, of the lugger
England's Glory, for the sum of 1,6001. Bail bond has
been put in ; the supersedeas arrived here yesterday, and
the ship is released. She will be put out of dry dock on
Monday or Tuesday next, and remain in the fitting basin
until the tides are available for opening the caisson.
During the time this ship has been in dock dischirging
cargo—coffee, sugar, &c., a large portion of which is
considerably damaged, al the coffee and sugar being
more or less so. She has been undergoing part perma-
nent and part temporary repairs. The captain-superin-
tendent, Charles Hope, R.N. ; the master-attendant, Mr.
Jonathan Aylen ; the master-shipwright, Mr. Samuel
Read ; and the storekeeper, Mr. Robert Laws, have
rendered most efficient services cheerfully, which has
tended to effect a considerable saving to all parties con-
cerned ; and it is most seriously to be regretted that
Vice-Admiral C. B. Hyde Parker should have deter-
mined, under all circumstances, to set his veto against
the ship being permanently repaired here. This will, it
is most certain, have due weight on the Netherlands
Government, much to the inconvenience and expense of
the British merchant, shipowner, and underwriters,
should opportunity offer.
The surveying officers, Captain-Superintendent Chas.
Hope ; Mr. Jonathan Aylen, master-attendant ; Mr.
Samuel Read, master-shipwright, with their assistants
in attendance, have completed the survey of all the ships
in ordinary and commission at this port.

WOOLWICH, Aua. 20.
APPOINTMENTS.
Commander Henry S. Hillyar (1853) to the Agamem
non, 91, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
Lieutenant H. W. Corneck (1848), from the Excellent
gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth, to the Edinburgh, 58,,
screw steam-ship, at Devonport.
Master—Henry McAusland (1852) from the Blenheim,
60, screw steamguard-ship, at Portsmouth, to the Strom-
boli, 6, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, at Portsmouth.
Paymasters—William F. Lapidge (1850 to the Strom-
boli ; John Jones (1851) to the Arab, 12, sloop, at Chat-
ham.
Clerk in Charge—Frederick G. Bulgin (1852) to the
Dolphin, 3, brigantine, at Sheerness.
Clerk—Arthur B. Upler to the Victory flag-ship, at
Portsmouth.
Acting Clerk—J. P, Sargent to the Arab.
The Cyclops steam-frigate, in charge of Mr. Charles
Pope, assistant master-attendant at Sheerness, arrived
at Woolwich at 2 o'clock p.m. to-day, to take on board
the remaining portion of the machinery of the Cressy,
80, at Sheerness.
A very interesting and important series of experiments
have just been concluded in the chain-testing department
at Woolwich Dockyard on deck nails and bolts, &c.,
made of iron, and coated and tipped with copper by
Messrs. Watt and Burgess's patent process. The object
of the patent is to render iron deck nails, bolts, and
other articles, available for use in shipbuilding where
copper deck nails, bolts, &c., are at present applied, by
coating the iron with copper and brass, and the applica-
tion of the invention to sheet iron and tubes preserves
these articles from corrosion. The first set of experi-
ments were made with a view of ascertaining if they re-
ceived any injury by the process. The coated iron was
placed in the powerful hydraulic proving machine, and
stood the full strain of ordinary iron of the same dimen-
sions, and in some instances it showed that an increase
of strength had been obtained by its sustaining a greater
strain than the ordinary iron. It was also bent double
by cold hammering, but it did not appear to be injuri-
ously affected. The next series of experiments were
made with reference to the possibility of separating the
copper from the iron. On the bolts e tipp d with copper
being placed in the hydraulic proving -machine it was
imposlible by any strain to separate the copper from the
iron, the copper in every instance breaking in the solid.
Deck nails and bolts, tipped at one and also at both
ends, were then driven into African oak, the bolts being
clenched in the usual way, and no separation or tearing
of the copper occurred. Two blocks of African oak
were then fastened together by bolts tipped at both ends,
and then clenched. The logs were subsequently sepa-
rated by driving wedges between them, which had the
effect of drawing the clenches through the rings, while
the adhesion of the iron and copper remained perfect.
The last experiment was again repeated, with the excep-
tion that one of the bolts used was all copper. On
driving the wedges the compound, or iron coated with
copper bolt, held fast, but the copper one drew through
the rings. A box, containing specimens of the results
of the experiments, was forwarded to-day to Captain
Sir Baldwin Walker, Surveyor of the Navy,
purpose of having the specimens submitted at the
Admiralty.

HUDDERSFIELD, Aug. 16.—We have no material
change to report in our market today; the demand
keeps up for seasonable goods. Manufacturers ge-
nerally are fully engaged working to order.