The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-31 00:00:00

NAVAL ANT) MILITARY

factor
aat Woolwich,
now working
nd are night and dayg
in
out two the Royal
bron gnil e
ry , az.
nine-pounder field guns daily, on Colonel Maxwell's
Indian pattern. •
The armour-plated turret - ship Monarch, Captain
Annesley, having completed her refit will go out of har-
bour on Monday, preparatory to her joining t1;;e render'
vows of the Channel squadron at Portland.
The troop-ship Himalaya, Captain Marsden, will ern;
bark the 2nd Battalion 2nd Queen's for Plymouth, an
leave on Tuesday; taking also about 300 men for North
America.
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein will be formallY
sworn in as Chief Steward of the borough of New
Windsor on Monday, November 7. In the evening the •
Mayor and Town Council will entertain his Royal High-
ness at a banquet. •
The Lord Warden, armoured wood-built screw frigate'
Captain T. Brandreth, bearing the flag of Vice-Aduur
Sir R. H. Yelverton, K.C.8., is expected to go outnex of
Portsmouth Harbour to Spithead about Wednesday t'
and will probably sail before the end of the week for the
Mediterranean.
Mr. E. J. Reed, C. 8., late Chief Constructor of the
Navy, was taken seriously ill on Saturday week at his
residence near Manchester, and his medical advisers have
prohibited him from attending to business until the state
of his bealth.is much improved.—Mr. Childers will go to
Portsmouth this week on an official visit.
The screw steam-sloop Dart, Commander the Hon. 5.
Carnegie, arrived on Friday at Portsmouth, from Halifax
(under canvas), whence she sailed on the 21st inst., and is
expected to come into the harbour to be paid off. She has
experienced very bad weather nearly the whole voyage--
gales so severe that preparations were made to cut awey
the masts, fears being entertained for her safety. She
has, however, not sustained any considerable damage.
The United Service Gazette says :—Captain G. 0. Willes•
R.N., is in future to be styled " Chief of the Staff "fit
the Admiralty, and to receive the same pay and allowances
as the Director of Naval Ordnance, viz., £1,264 per annure,
—The following ships will be paid off on December 31, an
recommissioned on January 1, 1871 :—H. M. S. Asia, guar'
ship of steam reserve at Portsmouth, bearing the flag of Reef;
Admiral Loring, C.B. • Cambridge, gunnery ship
Devonport • Fox, store-slip ; Ganges, training-ship for
boys at Falmouth ; Impregnable, training ship for boys
at Devonport ; and. St. Vincent, training-ship for boys et
Portsmouth. Staff Surgeon T. G. Fitzgerald left London
on Thursday, on a special mission, to join the head"
quarters of the Prussian Army before Metz.
The Broad Arrow says there can no longer be any doubt
about the rumour going the round of Naval circles, to the
effect that Mr. Reed has applied to be reappointed to his
old office at the Admiralty, having some foundation. Air-
Reed has been seen at the Admiralty. We have heard
that the ground upon which he bases his right to be re:
taken into the confidence of the authorities are, 111
faithful service, and the success of the Monarch am"
Hercules. The committee on Kilmainham Hospital hal
concluded their inquiry •in Dublin, and Mr. Vivian an
the other members have returned to town. It is under-
stood that they will not recommend the abolition of the
hospital, but that, on the contrary, their report will be in
favour of an increase of the present number of inmates.
The Presidency Paymastership at Madras is vacant by the
death of Colonel Greenlaw.

The Army and Navy Gazette says it is generally
believed that an officer with more experience than
of
possessed by any of the members of the Committee 0
Construction Department at the Admiralty will shortly
be, appointed to the position of Chief Constructor of the
Navy.—There is no truth in the report that his Royal,
Highness the Duke of Edinburgh is to resign the command °'
H.M.S. Galatea, and to return home in H.M.S. Challenger.
Staff-Commander Richards, late of H.M.S. Lightning;
has been appointed Nautical Assessor to the Board °
Trade.—We believe an extensive scheme of Army organi'
sation is at present under the consideration of the (0;
vernment. We have reason to think that the spool"'
direction iu which the proposed scheme will tend 15
towards the Militia, and and that we sb
have a fully organised and really efficient Militia force.;
The following shipbuilding firms have each been entrusted
by the Admiralty with the construction of an armour'
clad turret-vessel of about 2.000 tons, viz. ;—The Thames
Shipbuilding Company, Messrs. R. Napier and Son,
Messrs. Palmer and Co., of Jarrow, Messrs. L41(1,;
geon, and Messrs. Elder and Co.—A distinguisite"
service reward is vacant by the appointment
of Major-General Sir H. K. Storks, G.C.B'
G.C.M.G.., to the colonelcy of the 70th Regiment.--
The report that the crews of the Vanguard, Audacious,
and Invincible are dissatisfied with the degree of safety
which they enjoy on board these ships is all moonshine,.
The fact is that with the quantity of water ballast whi°ll
they can stow away when under sail, they are so sal!:
that the probability is their speed as cruisers will be very
much diminished. They are only " crank " when under
steam in fine weather.—The death of Lieutenant-General
H. Pester, major-general, retired full pay, Royal Artil-
lery, places an Artillery distinguished service reward 1
the gift of the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief.