The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-18 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Yesterday morning a large detachment of troops, be-
longing to the 4th Royals, 7th Fusiliers, 13th (Prince
Albert's) Light infantry, 18th Royal Irish, 19th and 23d
Welsh Fusiliers, 30th, 38th, 41st and 42d Highlanders,
55th and 68th Light Infantry, 72d and 79th Highlan-
ders, 88th Connaught Rangers, 90th Light Infantry,
and 95th Regiment, left St. Mary's Barracks, Chathatn,
after having been inspected by Lieut.-Col. Anderson,
with Captains Rand and Rawlings, for the purpose of
joining their respective depots, the whole of the men
having recovered from their wounds or sickness. Four-
teen non-commissioned officers and meu of various regi•
ments also len the invalid depot at Chatham yesterday,
under the command of Ensign S. R. Handy, 40th Regt.,
for the purpose of joining their regiments or depots at
the various stations in Ireland.

The Hon. Major Yelverton's company of the Royal
Artillery were on Tuesday inspected by Major-General
Sir W. F. Williams, commandant at Woolwich, and are
under orders to remove to garrison quarters at Leith
and Fort George. Major Yeiverten, in command, will
be accompanied by Capt. Hardy, Lieut. Nicolls, and
Lieut. Hall, the officers attached to the company.
Instructions have been forwarded to the commandant
of Woolwich garrison, by direction of the Commander-
in-Chief, to take immediate measures for a renewal of the
recruiting service for the corps of Royal Artillery. The
standard is fixed for ail ages at Eft. 9in., and recruiting
parties are to be stationed forthwith in three districts of
England and in one of Scotland.

The sailing-ship Tudor was off the port of Liverpool
yesterday afternoon, and would enter the Mersey in the
evening, with a further detachment of the Anglo•ltalian
Legion from Malta. After disembarking they would pro-
ceed to York.

Some further experiments with a new description of
pontoon, the invention of Mr. Forbes, C.E., were made
yesterday at Chatham by the troops belonging to the
noyai ....ewerse in sue &est-nee-of a number
of officers of the Sappers and Miners and the East India
Company's service, with a board of officers of the Royal
Engineers appointed to report on the merit of his inven-
tion. The experiments on this occasion took place at St.
Mary's-Creek, and were conducted by Mr. Forbes, the
troops being under the direction of Major F. C. Has ;ard,
R.E., the president of the board. The newly invented
pontoons, it is alleged, have a great superiority over
those at present in use by the corps of Royal Sappers and
Miners, the invention of Major Gen. T. Blanshard, C.E.;
Mr. Forbes's pontoons being of a triangular shape and
somewhat less bulky, advantages which the inventor con-
Eiders will have the effect of rendering them more buoy-
ant, more easily managed, and capable of sustaining a
greater weight than those nos used. During the experi-
ments yesterday it was a matter of observation that
Mr. Forbes's pontoons were not so steady in the water
as General Blanshard's ; and, being triangular, it was
considered that they were nose liable to get
out of order and sustain injuries by the angular
sides coming in contact with any substance either in or
out of the water—defects which are less likely to occur
to those invented by Gen. Blanshard, which being of a
cylindrical shape, present a more even surface. Although
the newly invented pontoons will probably bear as great
a weight as the present kind, yet, from the experiments
yesterday, it was found that Mr. Forbes's pontoons are
not so easily managed as Gen. Blanshard's, it being very
difficult, if not almost impossible, to perform the opera-
tion termed " booming out" with them, a manoeuvre
easily and quickly managed with the present kind ; so
that, on the whole, Gen. Blanshard's pontoons are more
readily handled in the water than those of the new in-
vention. The experiments lasted some time, and were
witnessed with much interest. The committee of engi-
neer officers appointed to investigate the superiority of
the invention will make their report to the authorities
forth with.

The officers and crew of her Majesty's ship Leander,
50, Capt. T. L. Massie, now at Chatham, waiting to be
paid off, have just performed a praiseworthy act of bene-
volence. During the time the Leander was with the
Black Sea fleet 17 of her crew were killed in the attack
on Sebastopol. On Tuesday, when the vessel arrived at
Chatham, the crew raised among themselves the hand-
some sum of 1361., which they forwarded the same even-
ing by post to the nearest relative or friend of each of

the deceased men, sending the sum of 8/. to each. --
The Goliath, 80, now lying at Chatham, is ordered to
be fitted as a screw steam-vessel, and made ready for sea.
The transports Amaranth and Heroes of Alma have
entered the Victoria Docks, Woolwicl', to discharge
medical and surgical stores, &c. The Dm talus has been
discharged the transport service.
The Ocean transport arrived yesterday morning at
Woolwich from the East, and has entered the Victoria
Docks to discharge.

The engineer department of Woolwich dockyard having
been instructed by the Lords of the Admiralty to ascer-
tain the specific advantages and economy to be obtained
in the event of their decision to adopt Mr. Wethered's
system of superheating steam on board their vessels,
Mr. Partridge, Assistant-Chief-Engineer, was deputed to
accompany Mr. Wethered during the late experimental ,
trip, and to make a careful report on the working of the
apparatus. The pipes have been removed, and the Dee
was yesterday morning despatched under ordinary steam.
Mr. Ward, inspector of machinery afloat, has taken pas-
sage, in order to compare the rate of speed and the con-
sumption of fuel, Stc., of the experimental voyage with
the present one.
The freight ship Voltigenr arrived at Woolwich
yesterday morning from the London Docks, where she
has shipped a cargo of Ordnance stores for Halifax.
The invention of Mr. Bertram (recently a foreman in
the factory department here) for welding iron plates
instead of riveting, has been tested during several days
at the Victoria Ironworks, Greenwich, in the presence
of numerous gentlemen, some of whom are connected
with large foundries in the north of England. The
first trials were not successful, as it was difficult to
obtain the proper heat ; but subsequent experiments
proved the value of the invention, and on applying a
test the iron plate broke, but the junction effected by
the welding process was perfectly secure. Mr. Ber-
tram has been offered 5,000/. by the French Govern.
ment for half his patent, but has declined these terms.
The following appointments were made yesterday at
the Admiralty ;—Lieut. W. H. Owning, to the Curlew ;
James H. Kerr, additional master, to the Actwon ; J. E.
Scudamore, second master, to the Bustard ; R. F. F.
Thomas, master's assistant, to the Calcutta ; J. A.
Collinson, master's assistant, to the Actmon ; George
G. Nelson, paymaster to the Shannon ; Richard Drury,
clerk, to the Shannon ; J. E. Stanton, assistant clerk
to the Shannon.

STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON RAILWAY.—A very im-
portant portion of this railway, called the Tunnel
Branch, was opened on Saturday by the chairman and
directors. Its object is to form a locomotive line from the
north end of the Shildon-tunnel to West Auckland,
where it unites with the Haggerleazes line, instead of the
great traffic (10,000 tons per week) being, as hitherto,
worked by horses and stationary engine to the foot of
the Brusselton incline. The directors had offered a 'pre-
mium for early completion, and this was gained by the
contractors, Messrs. To wsdale and Jackson. Until the
spring only goods and minerals will be carried, but there
will be above 16 trains each way per diem.