The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-25 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Lieutenants—C. Gibbons (1848), to the Encounter,
U, steam-frigate, at Lisbon; Henry J. Blomfield (1847),
to the Arrogant steam-frigate, at Portsmouth, vice Do
Horsey, appointed Flag-Lieutenant to the Cumberland,
70, at Chatham.

Assistant-Surgeon—George Everest (1844), to the
Vulcan, steam-frigate, at Sheerness.
Liutenants the Hon. R. F. Boyle (1843) and Henry
J. Blomfield (1817), having completed their course of
study of steam at the factory at Woolwich Dockyard,
the former 3 esterday and the latter to-day were ex-
amined by Mr. Humphrys, chief-engineer, and, both
having shown their proficiency in the knowledge of the
working of marine steam-engines, received their certifi-
cates. It will be seen by the list of appointments today
that Lieutenant
aLdiepultsesnedanthi henry e(nxsitnryJi.rit 1136n,10 lactield, immediately after
appointed to the
Arrogant steam-frigate.
WooLwicu, JAN. 21.—The Cyclops, 6, steam-frigate,
Captain the Hon. George F. Hastings, went down the
river yesterday afternoon, to friable Mr. Humphreys,
chief engineer at the Factory at Woolwich Dockyard, to
ascertain the working condition of her engines, and they
were found to be in such remarkably good order that
the- vessel is ordered to be paid off here on Tuesday next,
with her rigging all standing as she is, to be again com-
ani,sioned immediately after rho is paid off, for further
service on the coast of Africa. The Cyclops' engines are
of 320-horse power, by Seaward and Cape), and undee-
went a thorough repair at this dockyard about three
years and a half ago; and a very trifling renovation of
several minor parts will enable them to serve again for
another period of commission. The boilers of this
frigate are made of copper, and after twelve years of con-
stant service are
Copperinepfoundtobobsotiilrlelsa
arse orgomodce poenxditeinn. as
gox
when first
than iron boilers in the first instance, but much more
economical in the end, and they will now be generally
adopted in the Royal Navy, and fitted with brass tubes.
ROYAL MARINES —A copy of the following letter
has been forwarded from the Admiralty to each of the
four divisions of Royal Marines.

" Admiralty, Jan. 17.
" Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissionersd
of the Admiralty to acquaint you that they have per?
Pert
the correspondence relative to the abandonment of
clt
avia..
Essington with much satisfaction, and cannottbbeir
Ilia
themselves of this occasion to convey to y
sense of the zeal evinced by you for t
bender all the dis-
for so long a period at Port Essingtonnu,,,uhealthy climate,
licsol:ye
vantages of impaired health and
Pgatriteedn-tcleae withe
x p r whiche
Ps
uus ib c n of their
and of the cheerfulners and
also to the officers and ram
difficulties were there encountbt
" My Lords do sire
be eon
employed under your command at the
approbation owbeartei o
there
emr
ea may
settlement. —I am, *°'

" J. PARSER 4,
tan witrthur, Royal Marines, Woolwich."

44 Ca]

r"—PeylioNhuesELt;clrthhSeei.l2w4tahs oflost D ecoentnbiahre.
from China; British Queen,
from Gibraltar; Windsor, from
forifi,i Iv :coed: lr
St.irloco:3Ln; ,or, JitirnyAieSn 1 -gollo2y4up Chapman,
Aricante; Fernand, from Lucon; Limena, for Porto
Rico; Jane Black, from Saldanha Bay; Independence,
from New Orleans, with rudder damaged. The royal
mail steam-ship Cambria mill leave Cork on the 4th of
February with the cargo, &c., of the United States ship
Atlantic, hence to New York.
GRAVESEND, JAN. 24.—Wind E,' light, foggy.
Arrived—Herald, from Madras; Maria and Justitiv.
from Hamburgh ; Andero Mildatel and Aurora, from
Callandborg; Columbine, from Gottenburg; John Bull,
from Hamburg]]; Danemark, from Copenhagen; °!!:
rald, from Boulogne; Nadir, from France; Ening', from
Groningen.
Sailed—Lionne, for Grarelines ; Apprentice,
for
; Gambia, for Sierra Leone.
sorah; Cotficld, for Calcutta; City of Paris,
Sir Robert Small, from London to Nona,
in long. 107 E.
Robert Gray, from Glasgow
lat. 33 S., long. 45 W., valparAiso, Dec. 6, iu
VESSELS SPOKEN WITH'
3, f2foujrrlevßß:::B6:.
for
fifteen days.
from Callao for Queenstown,
Nov. 28, in lat. 28 8....1? 6
Hannah Salkeld, Dec. 19,
N., long. 41 W.
Atteine Ker (Russian sbip,),:iulisol,ws.S., g.
Jan. 5, in
57,611, second
.13"b9tingi pendant, outward bound t
Edward Everett, from Callao for Boston, Nov. 17. in
lat. 43 S., long, 43 W.
from Callao for Queenstown, Dec. 5, in lat. 24
Emily, from Adelaide, South Australia, for Port Philip,
Sept. 12, off Cape Bridgewater.
Madras, of Havre, Oct. 26, in lat, 56 S., long. 83 W.
Alsex,i
Theodore Korner (Bremen barque), with mainmast
sprung, Oct. 30, in lat. 55 S., long. 64 W.
elaong. 20 W.
Static, Aotw,,rp (Belgian barque), Nov. 24, iu lat. 29 ti .
a long. 23 W,

INS rITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.
(William Cubitt, Esq., President, in the Chair.)
On Tuesday, the discussion on Mr. Digby Wyatt's
paper, "On the Construction of the Building for the
Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, in
1851," was continued throughout the meeting.
On the one side it was contended, that the present
building was not in accordance with the conditions pub-
lished by the Royal Commissioners ;—that from its form,
the wind would have a most injurious effect on it, and
therefore, that instead of testing each girder singly, as
had been done, the whole roof should have been subjected
to the same ordeal as Turner's roof over the Railway
Station at Liverpool, which had been proved by suspend-
ing weights at intervals, on the presumed necessity for
its bearing a strain of wind equal to fifty pounds per
square foot. This test of proof had been suggested by
Mr. Locke and Mr. Fox, and therefore it could not be
objected to now. The snugs, for receiving the ends of
the girders, were considered as being too weak, and
liable to fracture. The foundation of concrete under
each column was considered insufficient, and not in ac-
cordance with the original design, as set forth in the
Illustrated London News, of July 6tb, 1850, where a
proper kind of foundation was stated to be provided.
The columns of such slender dimensions as eight inches
diameter, and varying from one inch and an eighth down
to half an inch in thickness, and each composed of seven
parts, must be unstable when carried to such heights as
sixty-four feet.
The girders of the galleries, when under the action
of the multitudes of persons all in one direction, would
acquire an undulating motion, which would fracture
them.
The glass of the roof being only of the weight of six.
teen ounces psr square foot, or about cne-eighth of an
inch in thickness, was quite inadequate to resist hail-
storms, or even the weight of a fall of snow, and that
great leakage must be expected from this and several
other causes. The condensed vapour from the under
side of the iron beams would also drop on the goods ex-
hibited, to their serious injury.
The quantity of timber employed, and the system of
open flooring, rendering the building peculiarly liable to
catch fire; and on these grounds it was asserted to be
wanting in the stability and the security requisite for a
receptacle for the valuables which would be transmitted
for exhibition. It had been stated by the Royal Com-
missioners that a building would be provided, free of
rent and fire-proof: the latter condition was certainly
not fulfilled, and if the building remained uninsured,
each exhibitor would be under the necessity of pro-
viding for the safety of his own goods, and thus be sub-
jected to a greater expense than the ordinary rent of a
really fire-proof building.
On the other aide, it was admitted that, up to the pre-
sent time, the building was not insured against fire. It
was, however, contended, that an examination in detail
of all the parts of the structure demonstrated the fal-
lacy of the objections which had been made. Every
part had been attentively considered, and had been sub-
jected to careful and minute experiment. The concrete
foundation had been tested to the extent of seven tons
per square foot without crushing, whilst the greatest
weight that could be brought upon each square foot of
foundation was only two and a half tons; this was sup-
posing the building to be crowded with visitors, and the
roof covered with a depth of two feet of snow.

Tae columns had also been submitted to similar expe-
riments; their thickness varied from half an inch to one
inch and an eighth, according to the duty they had to
perform, and the position they occupied in the building.
It had been calculated, that the greatest weight which
could possibly be brought upon the strongest column
was sixty tons, whilst its breaking weight exceeded
three hundred tons.

The glass was considered to be sufficiently strong, as
its thickness and quality were similar to that used in the
lame conservatory at Chatsworth, of which not a pane
had been broken by any hailstorm that had occurred
since its erection, twelve years ago. The canvas em-
ployed outside would not only temper the rays of the
sun, and aid in ventilation, bat would also assist in pre-
venting fracture of the glass, and in consequence of the
canvas itself being fixed to each ridge in narrow strips,
if any portion did catch fire, only that piece would be
burned. It was further stated, that on the present de-
sign being accepted, an offer had been received for ita
construction from the person who now moat violently
attacked the original design and its actual construction.
It was announced from the Chair that the discussion
on Mr. Wyatt's paper " On the Construction of the
Building for the Exhibition of the Works of Industry
of all Nations, in 1851," would be resumed at the next
meeting, Tuesday, January 28th.
At the monthly ballot the following candidates were
duly elected:—Messrs. R. Jobsoc, J. F. Miller, E. Mox-
ham, U. Pooley, W. Weaver, and C. F. F. Wordsworth,
Captain M‘lierlie, R.E., and Major J. C. Plowden, as
Associates.