The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-11 00:00:00

tion has shown that both the vessels arc as, rotten
as those first inspected, and utterly unfit foz.further
service; indeed, so rotten were they found be that
after a portion of the planking had been, removed
enough was exhibited to satisfy the ,aill.cers ap-
ppinted to inspect them that it was uniaei:essary to
extend the survey, and they were necorakul;ly closed
up and sent afloat to await an Adinirielty order for

them to be broken up. It is not .yet known The-
ther the Admiralty will have ali the gun and
mortar vessels lying in Chatham harbour hauled
up at the • dockyard and inspected with the
view of ascertaining their condition, but, as
they were all built by contract, there would
seem to be no doubt, from those already sur-
veyed, that the majority, if not nearly the whole,
will be found so rotten as to render them un-
fit for further service. The two mortar ves-
sels numbered 30 and 32 are being taken to
pieces by a numerous body of shipwrights, and the
planking having been removed and the timbers laid
bare, their fearfully rotten state is at once apparent.
Scarcely a timber can be discovered which does not
contain a liberal quantity of "sap." Indeed, por-
tions of the timbers may be picked to pieces with
the finger, showing the disgracefully faulty timber
which, there can be no doubt, was purposely used in
their construction. The workmanship is likewise
of a very inferior character, and contrasts strongly
with that exhibited in the vessels of war under
construction on the adjoining slips, the hired ship-
wrights who are employed breaking them up fre-
quently remarking that the timbers of the vessels
seem to have been " thrown" together..
The new 12-pound Armstrong battery inspected
last week by his Royal Highness the Prince Qin-
sor t,at Woolwich, was yesterday delivered over from
the Arsenal to the Artillery for service. Unlike the
guns of that description which have hitherto left the
Arsenal, either in cases or enveloped in canvass
wrappers, the guns of yesterday were transported
through the town with no greater degree of secrecy
than the guns of former years.
Two other cast-irons guns, 61 inch bore, manu-
factured for the special purpose of being hooped,
and intended to be rifled according to Sir William
Armstrong's principle, were yesterday tested at the
Arsenal butt, Woolwich. The charge used on the
occasion was similar to the last—namely, 161. b. of
powder and a cylindrical rod of iron weighing 160
lb. Both guns withstood the test well over 60
rounds, and at the 62d and 63d rounds the breech
of each gun was forced clearly off the chamber
without a single fragment or splinter. The proof
was ordered to be continued until both guns had
burst, in order that the authorities may decide the
question of cast iron guns for rifling definitively.
Her Majesty's screw steam-schooner Ranger,
Commander Wratislaw, yesterday took her depar-
ture from Woolwich for Greenhithe, where she is to
remain about three or four days, after which she is
to be detained a short time in the Channel for ex-
periments, and proceed thence to the West Coast of
Africa, her destined station. Before leaving the
basin the vessel was inspected throughout, and
eea
the crew mustered by Commander Hawker, doing
duty as Commodore-Superintendent in the absence
of
iplCommodorelaidaindleßwDoi
paddlewheel
nsmt,eoawnmad-s,v oeyt
n leave.
The
steam-vessel Medusa,
w
a rped into
Comman-
dertlieTollile William
basin at Woolwich, to return stores and
prepare for paying off.
Iler Majesty's naval transport Diligence, Master
Crooke commanding, yesterday commenced ship-
ping dockyard stores at Woolwich.
The contract vessel Llewellyn yesterday ariiv_d
at Woolwich Arsenal pier, laden with returned
Government war stores from Gibraltar.
The contract screw gun-vessel Cormorant, 4,200
horse-power, built by Messrs. Wigram and Co.,
Blackwall, arrived in Chatham Harbour on Wed-
nesday evening to be surveyed.
The Wanderer, 4, serew,gun-vessel, one of the
centred steam gun-boats built during the Russian
war, which, on being surveyed, was found to be very
rotten and defective, is ordered to be sent from
Chatham to Sheerness to be repaired ; but the gene-
ral opinion appears to be that, from the state she is
in, she is not worth the expense of repairing.
Mr. S. Allen, Assist.-Surg., has been confirmed
in the Liffey ; and Mr. Patrick Keel, Assist.-Surg.,
has been confirmed in the Industry.