The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-14 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY.—The Calypso, 20, Cap•'•
tain Worth, arrived this morning from the Pacific and
Rio, 55 days out from the latter place; her news conse-
quently has been considerably anticipated by the Sara-
phina and other mercantile arrivals. She has brought•
a freight, on merchants' account, amounting to between
2,000,000 and 3,000,000 dollars.

The Dragon Steam-frigate, Captain Hall, was "paid
down" to-day and went out to Spithead, prior to sailing
for the Mediterranean, at half-past five this evening.
The Cormorant steam-sloop, Commander Schomberg,
is still at Spithead.
Wind W., fresh breezes and cloudy.
WOOLWICH, SEPT. B.—The St. Lawrence frigate, 46
guns, was towel up the river to-day to Greenwich, to
be used as a cholera hospital ship for any of the inmates
of Greenwich Hospital who may ba attacked with the
prevailing epidemic.
Captain W. 11. Stewart, and Mr. F. P. Smith, of the
Screw-Propeller department at the Admiralty," pro-
ceeded yesterday to Taplow to satisfy themselves
_ht.
ow
far the report of the perfection of Captain z
maurice'a Orkney rotary_ engine was correctly
during a
stated,
and, although the rain poured
intorrents
were carried
greater part of the time the experiments
on, they admitted the result tobe very satisfactory.
Not anticipating any visitors on such a day, the pieces
which had been detached since the previous experiment
on Saturday last were hastily put together, and the
steam got up, and the boat st,,rted against the stream
with seven persons on board. The rains had increased
the depth of the river nearly two feet since the previous
trial, and made the navigation less difficult. The boat
started in fine style, and on Mr. Smith timing the revo-
lutions of the screw, he found them to be 192 per
minute, and that may be considered the average speed
on this occasion, with a very little exception, when the
screw got entangled in weeds, which were soon removed
when found adhering by a few back turns of the screw.
The distance run out and back was about twenty-six
miles, and once through the lock of a canal, for
which species of navigation it appears to be
admirably adapted, having shown on a previous
occasion its capabilities for towing by drawing
n brad-bowed and flat-bottomed barge, thirty feet
long by twelve Let in breadth, at the rate of three miles
an hour against the stream. Th© speed attained by the
boat on this occasion was ascertained by Mr. Smith and
Captain Houston Stewart to be fully seven knots per.
hour, or 8.055 statute miles an hour, a remarkable,
result, considering that the boat was in no way con-

for speed. The ease with which the engine
set in motion, and stopped or graduated to
of velocity up to its full speed, was a subject
ie to the visitors, and the rough manner hi which
_ls used to show its instantaneous effect, and diffi4
culty to put it out of working order, eould not be credited
nless they were witnessed. The absence of vibration
)41 the engine, and the uniform continuous motion, satis-
fied the visitors that Captain Fitzmaurico had overcome
the difficulties which eminent engineers have always
considered it difficult to obviate i❑ rotary engines, and
they left, on their return to town, much gratified with
the result of all they had witnessed, and pleased with the
minute details he entered into when showing ihe model
and explaining the principle on which the two pieces of
which it consists work the one within the other.

The Firebrand steam-vessel had her iteara up again
in the basin at Woolwich dockyard, to test her engines.
On the last occasion a workman, named James Alexan-
der, had a most surprising escape from instant death.
When engaged in oiling the crank of the piston, which
has a six-feet stroke, he placed his hand, while moving
from one place to another, on a hot bearing, which
caused him to withdraw it suddenly, and his shoes being
studded with iron tacks, ho slipped and fell down with
the piston on its descending strike. Fortunately Mr.
Maurice Johnson, engineer of the vessel, and Mr. New-
ton, engineer at the factory, observed the accident, and
had the presence of mind to step the engines, which
was effected before they made another half-turn, and
prevented his being crushed to death by their ponderous
weight on their next descent. Alexander is hurt inter-
nally by the fall he had upon the hard metal, but not to
such an extent as might have been anticipated, and ho
is likely to do well.