The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-23 00:00:00

♦PPOINTMENTS.

Surgeons—John Ardah, to be agent at sick quarters, Lough
Switly ; Richard Carpenter, to the Trincomalee, corvette, in
the West In dies, vice Lambert.

Mate—George Grey, to the Raleigh 50-gun frigate, bearing
he pendant of Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert, K.C.8., in
he River Plata.

Gunner—Thomas Winwood, to the Excellent at Ports-
mouth.

Engineer—Henry Blunden (3d class assistant),to the Rha-
damauthus steam-troop-ship, on the Irish station.
Midshipmen—J. B. Mitchell and A. D. Norie, to the Spy
brigantine at Chatham, for the coast of Africa station ,•
Arthur Morrell, Charles Armytage, M. Bertie, and Edward
J. Squire, to the Southampton, 50, fitting out for the Cape of
Good Hope, at Chatham ; J. B. Butler and F. T. Bromley,
to the Vincent, 120, flag 'ship of Sir Charles Napier, at Cork;
F. H. Smith, to the Raleigh.
Naval Cadets—E. A. Ithubbs, C. H. Williams, and H. C.
Lloyd, to the Southampton ; A. Curwen, to the H0me,.120
gulls, in the Mediterranean ; E. Tonge and C. D. Davies, to
the Stromboli steam-sloop, at Cork.
A large number of volunteers for the Southampton frigate
arrived at Chatham, from the Southern and W estern ren-
dezvous on Sunday.
The Princess Charlotte, 104 guns, is ordered to be taken
into dock at Portsmouth, and repaired immediately. It is
reported she is to be fitted with a screw-propeller, without
being cut down.
Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8., having arrived
at Cork from Kingstown in the Stromboli steam sloop on
the 19th, and hoisted his flag on board the St. Vincent, 120,
was waiting the arrival of the Tweed, 18, from Waterford,
and the Pilot, 14, from Youghal. It was expected that they
would join him on the 20th; and on the 21st he was to pro-
ceed with the St. Vincent, 120; Prince Regent, 90; Belle-
rophon, 78; Tweed, 18 ; Helena, 16; Frolic, 16; Pilot, 12 ;
Amphion, 34, screw steam-frigate; Stromboli steam-sloop;
and Lucifer steam-vessel; on a cruise ten degrees south-west
of Cape Clear, to try rate of sailing. After trying the sloops,
he was to dispatch them to their respective destinations, and
return to Spithead after a fortnight's absence, and wait fur-
ther orders. The Recruit, 8, screw-schooner, it was expected,
would follow the squadron. She had been delayed in having
to set up her rigging afresh.
The Dauntless screw frigate has been taken alongside the
Blake hulk at Portsmouth, and had her sails bent. She was
to have gone out yesterday to try her engines and speed,
under the temporary charge of Commander Stevens, of the
Blenheim. If the Dauntless is found to answer,__ she will be
forthwith coppered and fitted for commission. When brought
into dock the other day she had no less than three different
log lines wound round her screw.
The Tortoise guard-ship and depot, Captain Halton, at the
Island of Ascension, is coming to England, having sustained
serious damage by the fires that have on three occasions
taken place on board by the spontaneous ignition of the
coal. _ . .

The Hermes steam-sloop is ordered from Devonport to
Portsmouth to embark supernumeraries, parcels, &e., for the
ships and vessels of Sir Charles Napier's exercising squa-
dron, whom she will put on board before that force sails
from Cork.
THE COMMAND AT PORTSMOUTH.—AdmiraI of the Blue,
Sir Thomas Capel, K.C.8., is nominated to succeed Admiral
Sir C. Ogle in the chief command at the above station, and
we are informed is accepted by her Majesty to fill that post.
sir Thomas and Lady Capel will visit Portsmouth on
Tuesday next, to look round the establishment and make a
few preliminary arrangements. The let of October is the
day named for the blue flag to supersede the red one at the
mast-head of the Victory, the established flag-ship for
Portsmouth.

STEAM ON TURNPIKE ROADS.
TO THE EDITOR OF ME SUN.
RESPECTED FRIEND,—I observe in your paper of the 16th
instant, a letter signed by " C. Weeks, Civil Engineer," in
which he intimates (alluuing to a letter of mine that previously
appeared is your journal) that it would have been desirable if
I had stated details, so as to have enabled persons to form a
more correct oßiniun iprßbable success of Sir James
LW. sia as, is pr IJAUI6 1 IV
made, this will be better than the most elaborate description
of details, or the most perfect theoretical deductions. I will,
therefore, only add, that I considerione of .the greatest and
most important improvements made by Sir J. Anderson is
the fact of having adopted oscillating cylinders. C. W.
however, in the absence of the desired information, and with•
out knowing how far Sir J. Anderson's improvements were
likely to meet his views as to what he considered essential to
success, nevertheless affirms that Sir .T. Anderson has not
accomplished these objects; upon what data he founds his
conclusions lumat a loss to conjecture. C. W. further con-
tends that it is most important to reduce the friction in the
engine rather than on the surface of the road; but in this I
respectfully beg leave to differ. I contend it is most im-
portant to reduce the cause of concussion, and consequent
friction on the surface of the road, which the past experience
of rails and tramway sufficiently proves. C. W.
loofcowmhotieiyhe
Iraienlwtaeyrst,einwvheicryh
haleludtehsinktso
may a
strong doubts, for reasons which it is not needful now to
state. But what appears to me extraordinary is, that
C. W. seems to overlook the most important part of my
planf
succeed,or
former observations, viz., the circumstance of laying on the
middle or side of the road timber or other tracks which
would render unnecessary an extraordinary attention to
springs, &c. In order to enable him and your readers to
form some opinion thereon, permit me briefly to explain the
mode of construction I should propose if timber-tracks were
determined upon. Wood-paving has hitherto been unsuc-
cessful principally on account of a want of a sufficiently
firm base to prevent the blocks sinking below each other, to
remedy which I propose to construct angular troughs 15 to
18 feet long, with planking two inches thick, say 18 inches
wide at the top, and nine inches deep in the middle, and
then to fill the interior with suitable angular blocks, the
upper surface of these blocks to be the end way of the
grain, and the wood, which may be either beech or elm—the
former would perhaps be the best—the blocks may be cut so
as to avoid waste of material. These tracks I apprehend may
be made fit for laying down complete at from 3s. to 4s.
per yard run—these tracks to be embedded in and flush with
the surface of the road, with proper concrete,; which would
render them immoveable and prevent the possibility of an
unequal surface. On such tracks as these I estimate the
a t l
es ten t milesthirty
se
g
at the same speed; thus
passengers n
traction or friction not to exceed l2lbs. per ton, which is
about 3lbs. more than on iron. On the Edinburgh and
Dalkeith Railway, which was for many years worked by
horses, the allowance for one horse was to draw forty pas-
sengers
1, therefore, imagine that on these tracks one horse would
draw
at a
showing that Telford and Sir H. Parnel were correct in
stating that on a rail or perfect track on the surface of the
road, same undulating, one horse would draw as much as
five or six.: and, consequently, as far as regards horse-power,
the usual charge of 2d. and 3d. per mile made by coaches on
turnpike-roads, might be reduced to one halfpenny and
three farthings per mile, and still afford a reasonable profit.
But with steam.power the profit would be large indeed, which
the following statement will exhibit. I estimate Sir James
Anderson's engine to be equal, at moderate working, to eight
horses, and therefore it will be fully equal (even without
tracks) to convey, on such a road as from Hyde-park to
Hounslow (ten miles), at least forty passengers. But let us
imagine the tracks laid, and the engine (though capable of
drawing three time" the number) yet confine it to 40 each,
trip, and that it makes 10 trips per day, the account would
stand thus:—

CRIDITOA.

£lO 0 0

400 passengers at 6d each ... ..
DEBTOR.
Cost of fuel for 100 miles at 4d. per mile
Engineer is., guide 55., guard 4s.
Toll, Id. per mile . , ... ••• -
Duty, ditto ... ••• —• •

1 13 4
0 16 0
0 8 4
0 8 4

Add other expenses, say 50 per cent. ... ...
Gross profit ••• ••• ••• ••• "•

R 3 6 0
1 13 0
5 1 0

£lO 0 0
Thus, after making the liberal allowance of 50 per cent. to
cover all other expenses, it leaves a gross profit of 100 per
cent. Large as this appears (especially by adopting the
means I have suggested)4l have not the least doubt but this
astounding result may be and will one day be most amply
confirmed.
I remain respectfully yours,
THOMAS MOTLEY.
Bristol, eighth month 18th, 1848.

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All painful and distressing sensations arising from these
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At this season when epidemics are so prevalent, these
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fessor llolloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London.
WHEAL CURTIS MINING COMPANY.—Yesterday
an extraordinary meeting of this company was convened at
their offices, Basinghall-street, for the purpose of considering
the propriety of dissolving the company and discharging its
liabilities. An hour beyond the titre fixed for commencing
the proceedings (twelve o'clock) elapsed ere more than six-
teen regularly qualified shareholders had assembled; and as
no less than twenty are required to form a quorum, no
ofgal
meeting could, therefore, be held. However, those
ft e
shareholders who were present came to a resolutiontbhe
die
they separated, to the effect that "They recommit-Lid e t
rectors forthwith to sell the leases, the plant„ ani.i.tfhe phroorpeeorfT,
of the company, and to discharge all the liabilities t. •
It was also suggested by the shareholdets that the directors
should immediately take measures to enforce payment from
all defaulters.