The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-01 00:00:00

THE POPE AND THE RING.

A correspondent in Rome, writing on the 10th instant,
gives the following account of the interview between the
Pope and Count Ponza di San Martino, the representa-
tive of the King of Italy, prior to the occupation of Rome:
-Signor Ponza di San Martino on entering the Pope's
presence gave Victor Emmanuel's autograph letter, of
which the contents were already known to the Holy Father.
Pius IX., Without unsealing it, took it and threw it on
the table beside him. "This," he said, "is the only
assurer I have to give to one who asks me to surrender
my most sacred rights and those of the Holy Roman
Church." Signor Ponza di San Martino then took a very
threatening tone, arid said, " Does your Holiness know
th:a while you are speaking it is possible that four divisions
may have crossed the Roman frontier ?" The Pope replied,
What is a division more or less to the Vicar of Christ ?
My cause and that of Rome are in the omnipotent hand
of God, to whom I confide them. "Go back to your
and tell him that I will, with the help of God,
defend Rome to the last soldier and the last
cartouche. I have no other answer to send him."
The Pope rose as he said these words with an air of the
gr..)atest dignity and resolution, and ordered his chamber-
lain to show Signor Ponza di San Martino out, and to in-
troduce General Kanzler the Minister of War. " I confide
the city to you, General," he said, " and you will take
immediate dispositions for a defence a routrance—they
gave me five days for .my answer, but I only
needed a few minutes to decide, and God will help us if we
a) our duty."' The Council of War sat at the Pilotta im-
mediately, and in twenty minutes the Pope's decision was
known all over Rome. The enthusiasm of the Romans is
the most striking (and, lown, to me unexpected) feature of
the situation. The Pope has never had such an ovation
siiice I have known Rome (a matter of twenty years) as
had in the afternoon on going to open the Aqua Pia
at the Thermo of Diocletian. More than 18,000 persons,
all Romans, went to do him honour, and the acclamations
were something deafening, The Pope looked wonderfully
well and radiant with courage and fire. He seems ten
r_.,-ars younger in a moment of danger than at any other.

THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN.
(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.)

The court-martial resumed at nine o'clock yesterday,
and sat until seven o'clock. The survivors were recalled,
and questioned as to where the boatswain's axes were
kept. Correspondence was then read relating to the con-
struction of the Captain, and a letter from Captain Coles
Nyhich appeared in the Standard commenting on the
Times' article, and Captain
.Coles's letter criticising the
construction of the Monarch, in which he stated that she
did not represent his views of what a ship should be, were
also read. In reply to this, the Admiralty said they
could not alter the Monarch, but if Cap-
tain Coles prepared a design for a ship to
meet his views they would solicit tenders.
Mr. Robinson was here requested to have the evidence
of the previous day printed, at the cost of the court, as
they considered it very important.
The Advocate then proceeded to read correspondence,
from which it appeared that the original complement of
men was 400, subsequently the number was altered
to 500.

Captain Goodenough, of the Minotaur, said if he had
been in charge of the squadron he should have made a
difference in the Captain, Monarch, and other vessels in
respect of the sail carried. He had no doubt the
Captain could carry double-reefed topsails and foresail,
on the night in question. The weather was not sufficiently
bad to justify the Captain in hauling out of line.
Nathaniel Barnaby, President of the Council of Con-
struction, stated that he had been in the public service
twenty-eight years. Messrs. Laird requested that the
Captain might be inclined, so as to ascertain by experi-
ment what was her centre of gravity. This was done,
and the centre of gravity was ascertained to be situated
three feet below the water line. The distance between
that and the metre centre was 2 10-16ths, the ship being
assumed to be floating at a mean draught of 25ft.

In reply to the President, witness said Captain Bur-
goyne did not know these facts, as he had left for the
voyage before the calculations were complete. In the face
of the report of those who tried the ship at sea he saw
nothing to cause apprehension.
Admiral Hope said it seemed the captain was unaware
of the dangerous want of stability shewn in the
diagram.

Witness said no one supposed that the danger was
likely to involve the loss of the ship. He had pointed out
the danger of putting sail on such ships.
Isaac Watts, the celebrated naval architect, discredited
the last witness's calculations, and considered the ques-
tion one of strength versus stiffness of ship. The Captain
was considered so steady that there was no fear of her
lurching to forty degrees. It was not always possible to
get a ship to float at' the precise draught designed. In
some cases the divergence was very considerable; and in
regard to the Captain doubtless Messrs. Laird were able
to shew many things were added which they could not
forsee when they designed her. He knew on the 30th of
Mareh that the Captain would float before the intendea
line, and when the designs were submitted he considered
the area of sail was large. The sail arrangements of the
Monarch and Hercules were increased by order of the
chief constructor to enable them to compete with the
Captain. The Captain was said to have had 26,300 square
feet, Monarch 27,700, Bellerophon, a ship of the same
tonnage as the Captain, 23,800. There was a difference
in tripod and common mosts for the same sail area. He
would rather say no more as to the loss of the Captain
than that it was known great experiments were being
made, and with a reasonable prospect of success,
and like many other experiments an unforeseen
accident caused a failure.

Witness was questioned as to the responsibility of the
various departments, and in reply to the President, said
the department of Controller of the Navy always con-
sidered the construction of the Captain was forced upon
the Admiralty by public opinion and the House.
The Court then adjourned.