The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-04 00:00:00

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... 793 644
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642 491

... 7,967 6,533

STEAM-SLOOP

Brtoox, IsLE or WIGHT, FEB. 2.—The crew of the
Sphynx and dockyard men were employed up to a late hour
last night in arranging the framework which is to rest upon
the " camels," and at one time it was contemplated to make
an attempt at eleven o'clock last night, but all the arrange-
ments could not be got ready.
The project of floating the wreck by camels is the idea cf
Mr. Watts, assistant-master shipwright of Portsmouth dock-
yard, and is views are carried out under the superintendence
of Captain Austen, of Woolwich dockyard, and Commander
Cragg, of the Sphynx.
Captain W. H. Henderson, C. 13., of the Sidon steam-frigate,
arrived yesterday in the Retribution, and assumed the com-
mand here as senior officer. The steamers here are, the Re-
tribution, 800-horse power ; the Porcupine, 132-horse power,
Lieutsnant-Commander (acting) Tumour ; thesefe
tug, 90-horse power; and the Echo tug, 80-lhor power
besides two docks and lumps ; the boats of a
l which were
busily employed in rendering the necessary assistance with
hawsers, removing stores, &c.
In addition to
'the "camels," there are to be 200 casks
lashed alongside the wreck to assist in floating her. The
weather has been extremely favourable for the last three
days, and to-day it is nearly calm. It is the opinion of many
that the lifting power of barges and casks combined is not
Guardrij take no part in the operations, which are
in the sand, and of the ledge of rocks which are to sea-
ward
dehas h crewsa maderge ooft
ships in the offing. Mr. Murray, chief en-
gineerector of machinery of Portsmouth dock-yard ;
sufficient to floateadmt the vessel vobe:s. se:
officer
re codlfeoacrroky.o.:f.latrengineers
e sheai
Portsmouth dock-yard ; ar. Watts, assistant-
s oa
ns s
ai snt
da nt -
Austen)mast er -aant -d.
same establishment, are all here, co-operating
Captaintwtewei
x ianeTerrci
ikiduari
seesn osi
ctavfpaneoonethciac
respective
ritnit .nych
pr
H e nde
mw
iatsht assistant-
master-shipwright,
the
seniorhipw r i
navalght ,
alirm. 8 Bellamy,(
the commander of the Sphynx.
At high water to-day (Tuesday) the wreck was moved
about 100 feet. She is now on the ledge whereon her guns
were hove overboard and her masts cut away. She was got
so far by her own captain, as the steamers and lumps did
not assist in heaving, but were prepared, when
to assist. necessary,
At twelve o'clock to-night another effort will be made.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PonTsNtotrra, WEDNE3DAY.—Great anxiety has been
manifested here to know what result attended the grand
effort to extricate the Sphynx from her unnatural position.
We were enabled to furnish yesterday the result of the first
attempt to heave the above unfortunate vessel off the shore,
which failed, we understood, from one of the camels having
burst after the vessel had been moved 100 feet seawards.
By the arrival of the Porcupine steam-vessel, which came
into this harbour to-day at 1 P.M. from the wreck, with one
of the lumps laden with gear in tow, we are in possession of
the finale to the scene commenced so auspiciously yesterday.
It appears that another effort was made last night to move
the Sphynx, which was continued from nine o'clock last
evening until one o'clock this morning. but no success beyond
moving the wreck about tv.elve feet attended the effort, after
which it was found that the water on the outside was shoaler
than that in shore, and the tide did not rise so high as the
former one. The attempt has consequently been given up
' for the present, and all the vessels which have been sent to
assist in the endeavour to float the wreck will return to
harbour as soon as they have again collected the gear they
took down.

Thus, notwithstanding the phalanx of scientific men,
means, and appliances at command, it appears the vessel is
actually in a worse position than before the effort was mad•
to extricate her, and the difficulty and danger of attempting
to remove the machinery and take the hull to pieces in-
creased.

The wind and weather during the whole time has been
most favourable for the operations.
A number of the dockyard men who have been employed
at the wreck returned this afternoon in the Isle of Wight
packet.
The President, 50, Captain Stanley, flag of Rear. Admiral
Dacres, Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope, was
at Simon's-bay on the sth of December. Lieutenant E. S.
B. Von Douap (1838), of this ship, has succeeded Commander
Booth in the command of the Columbine, 16, and proceeded
on to the East Indies.
By a private letter which came to hand this morning
(dated December 1)--" The Dido, 20, Captain Maxwell, had
just arrived from England; the Brilliant, 22, Captain Wat-
son, is gone on the coast; and the Cleopatra, 26, Captain
Wyvill, which arrived yesterday (November 30) from the
Mozambique, sails for England in a week. She has the
fever on board very badly; two men died last night. The
Thunderbolt, steam sloop, Commander Boyle, is awaiting her
relief. The Helena, 16, Captain Sir C. Ricketts, is cruising."
The Vanguard, 80, Captain Willes, was at Carthagena on
the 21st ult.
The Rattler, screw steam-sloop, Commander Moorman, is
ordered to fit immediately for the reception of Lord How-
den, whom she will take out to the River Plate.
FIRST LORD'S LEVEE.—The following officers attended the
levee of the Earl of Auckland. at the Admiralty, on Tuesday :
--Rear-Admiral Philip Brown ; Captains Alexander B.
Branch, K.H. (of Greenwich Hospital ), Sir Jon RoHss, Chas.
Bosanquet, L. J. Jones, Hon. G. A. Crofton,h P. alst
and G. G. Burton ; Commanders J. A. Abbott, Edward
Smith, 11. Byng, W. C. Chamberlain, J. E. Raton, J. J.
M'Donnell, W. B. Moneyperiny, J. B. Marsh, J. L. It.
Stoll, Richard Douglas, T. D. Stewart ; Lieutenants the Hon.
J. W. Spencer, James Murray, S. S. L. Crofton ; Inspector of
Hospitals, Dr. John Liddell ; Paymaster and Purser, Edward
Griffin.
Berkeley, C. 8., has left the Admiralty
Captain M. F. F.
for Leominster, for a few days.
An inquest was held at Woolwich on Tuesday, on the body
of the late Captain Fead, when a verdict was returned of
1 Died from disease of the heart." Commander Fend,
nephew of the deceased, deposed to the good state of health
of his gallant uncle the day preceding tbat of his sudden
&NIA