The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-21 00:00:00

OUR TURRET SHIPS : THE CAPTAIN'S

DEFECTS.
The ships of the Monitor type which haVe been tested
in the English navy have been quite as unfortunate as the
original American Monitor and the later improved tyro
Monitor " Passiac ;" for although the Captain alone has
foundered the Prince Albert made such bad- weather
during her first commission that her captain, Wilnishurst,
was superseded, and the vessel made into a harbour-ship
for cruises near the Plymouth Breakwater, as a tender
to the Cambridge, at Devonport, a duty
on which
she is still employed. The two turret ships built for the
Southern Confederacy, but purchased into the service,
and named the Scorpion and Wyvern, have both proved
unsuited for seagoing purposes. The Scorpion's men pro-
tested against being taken to sea in her, and the vessel
after being raised upon, was sent to Bermuda under
escort, and was in great danger of foundering during
her

passage out.
The Wyvern, commanded by the late lamented Captain
Burgoyne, was sent into harbour by the Admiral cora:
manding the Channel Squadron, to secure her safety, and
although still in commission is deemed to be unseaworthy
by those who belong to her.
The Scorpion and Wyvern were both masted by Car
tain Coles, the one with the usual masts, the other with
tripod masts. Both Captains Commerell and Burgoyne,
who commanded them when tried, reported against triPna
masts.

The Prince Albert has no masts and yards, the Ads'
ralty refusing to consider her as more than a Channel de-
fence ship, despite the urgent remonstrances of her in"
ventor. The result of the trials proved the correctness
of their decision.
The Royal Sovereign is higher out of the water and $
safer ship, but is unsuited for ocean cruising. The Ad'
miralty have, as in the case of the Prince Albe, t, wisely
refused to have masts put into a vessel which has neither
protection for the men, nor a hurricane deck from which
the sails could be worked.

So far, therefore, as the Admiralty is concerned the,'
have been continuously opposed to adding masts and
yards to monitors, and gave expression in the Monarch to
their view of the size of vessel and height of deck requisite
for a seagoing turret ship. The ill-fated Captain carried
her boats in a position from which they could with dim'
culty be got out in the event of her going on the rocks, of
being destroyed by fire, or sinking after an action.
And as regards signalling, there was no place on deck
in which to stow a rocket, much less to put a powder
charged, so as to be able to fire a signal gun. Shelter for
the watch on deck there was none, and the state of her
(the Captain's) hurricane deck, exposed for hours in the
North Sea to the driving sleet, can be easily imagined,:
As to the nonsense about the Captain's destroying 3
fi
the broadside ships of the squadron in detail," first ex-
pressed by a landsman, viz., the correspondent of the Time
with the coastguard squadron (whose knowledge of such
matters is more than questionable), such is not the (vial°,
of any impartial naval officer, any more than it is that or
the admirals and captains of the Mediterranean and
Channel squadrons, who, almost without exception, 00.
Bider the Hercules as superior in armament as she nin;
doubtedly is in sea-going qualities to the ill-fated an
'much-be-puffed Captain. Lastly, as to this vessel's hur-
ricane deck. It was not made large and strong enough
to resist the vibration of her guns, but to allow space ',1(1
work the ship, and to carry the great weight of boats and
mass of men working the sails ; but, despite its great
it was still far too small to enable the sail to be taken .;
readily, and this defect appears to have been the cause °;
the delay in shortening sail in time to prevent the sad
casualty which occurred.— Western Morning Hews.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND
ENGLISH WORKING MEN.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs has sent the
following reply to an English address :

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LIBERAL ASSOCIATION OF

GREENWICH.

Thanks for your noble and brotherly sympathies. They
console us in our misfortune, they encourage our hope 9,
and strengthen the bonds which should unite the tW°
great nations.

We only desire peace, but if they attempt to make
us buy it at the sacrifice of our honour we will fight to the
last drop of our blood, certain of having with us all noble
spirits.
I send you the expression of my most cord
sentiments.
The Vice-President of the Government,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Paris, 16th Sept., 1870. JULES FAVBE•

A. FENIAN OUTRAGE.—ATTEMPTED
MURDER OF TWO MEN.
A Rochdale correspondent furnishes the particulars of
an extraordinary attempt at murder which was made the
other day in the neighbourhood of that town. It appears
that Michael O'Shea, bookbinder, Bolton, and Michael
Roach, shoemaker, Manchester, had for some time been
members of the Fenian brotherhood, but having.
come to see the folly of such a connection, they
seceded, and tried to induce other members tc't
follow a like course. This action on their part gave gre3d
offence to the brotherhood, and the seceders were in
to a private conference, which was to be held on the 101
instant. They accepted the invitation, and met some, c.,
the members at a public-house in Rochdale. It Was tue;
proposed to adjourn to a private house, and for this 13°,^'
pose the party set out ; but, on reaching a dark, lonely
part of the road, near the Rochdale reservoir, a numberof men rushed out of ambush, seized Roach, -41
was some distance in advance of O'Shea, and bowl.
him. One of the party then presented a pistol to his
head, and fired, but the ball did not take effect. It
next proposed that he should be kicked to death, and
this course being approved of, the unfortunate man svas
thrown down and kicked all over the body. O'Shea, °ci
observing the first indication of an attack, ran off, an
succeeded in getting out of harm's way, though several
shots were fired after him. Roach, who had been left fordead, recovered consciousness after a time, and made Di'
way home. Since the occurrence, the police have been
making every effort to trace the perpetrators of the out-
rage, but without success.—Manchester Examiner.

THE LAST ALPINE ACCIDENT.

It has now been ascertained that the Scotch gentle-
man who perished in the recent catastrophe onINI°I
Blanc was the Rev. George McCorkindale, minister
the parish church of Gourock, on the Clyde. The de
li ceased had been in the habit of spending his ann
holiday almost always in foreign travel, an
chiefly in walking tours among the ra°11,11;
tains. Some years ago he accompanied
friend and neighbour, the Rev. Mr. Sandie, on a visit to
Palestine when that gentleman was collecting the mate-
rials te
rials for his book on Horeb and Jerusalem," and tat
years ago, along with the minister of the Free Church
Gourock, he spent his autumn vacation among the Al'
Mr. M'Corkindale was an able preacher, and was highly s
esteemed by his parishioners as well as by the numerol_
summer visitors to the watering-place in which iv
ministered.

STRASBURG AND METZ.
As to Strasburg, we learn little that we have not heard
before. The only additional facts of interest may be,
stated in a few lines. It -is the citadel which is the chic;
point of attack, and on which eventually the assault
be made. A breach has been made on the Kehl side, and the
fire of the garrison waxes weaker and weaker. On the other
hand, the badness of the weather has impeded the opera'
tions of the besiegers greatly, and the wet ditch round the
town and citadel offers a formidable obstacle. Every
attempt has been made to drain it, but without suce°,ss.
Our latest intelligence on the above points is dated the I,b
September. At Metz Marshal Bazaine's prospects seem t°
be more hopeful than has been generally supposed.
The fortifications of the town are reported as being
very strong, and it is said that Bazaine has stile
70,000 men under his command. The correspondent of
the Coloyne Gazette, writing on the 13th, says that
a Prassian captain who went in with a flag of truce'
was told by the marshal himself that he had no intention
of capitulating. The writer himself saw large herds of_
cattle grazing within the French lines, and could distill;
guish the soldiers at drill. These are not symptoms of
want either of spirit or of food.—Standard.

MR. GEORGE HUDSON.—A year ago the trusteesa
appointed by the subscibers to the Hudson Annuity Fil!
invested a sum of £4OOO, which purchased a life annul
for the ex-Railway King of £520. It is now announ,
ec„,
that a further sum of £B5O, has been placed making "-
annuity £635 per annum. This is strictly reserved for
Mr. Hudson's personal benefit, and is amply secured
against any claims of litigants. Mr. Hudson is in exec'
lent health and resides in London.
CACAbINE.—Cacoa nibs on the removal of the nil f9'u
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sirable of all for use in the later hours of the day. Cacloine, uti!
reason of the ingenious method by which the oil is removed, Pre"
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by James Epps and Co., Homoeopathic Chemists, 112, Great their
sell-Street ; 170, Piccadilly ; and 48, Threadneedle-street ; at
Works for Dietetic Preparations, Euston-road.—ADVT.

D UNV I LLE and Co., Belfast, are the largest holders
of whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky is r ommendea
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plied in in casks and cases for home use or exportation. Quotations
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