The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-07 00:00:00

IRE NAVY.

A , Malti A correspondent, in a letter dated Valetta,
Dc c. 1, sf Aya There have been no movements of
m en-of-* war since my last of yesterday. I have just
received the following in a letter from Corfu, dated
Nov. 27 :—' The two line-of-battle ships reported
to b ave left this for Malta only went as far as the
COS st of Albania opposite, and were absent only for
a /;ew days. Another liner left yesterday for a simi-
le .r cruise. We have now on this station the Marl-
,orough (flag of Vice-Admiral Martin, Commander-
`in-Chief), the Exmouth, Neptune, London, Mars,
Orion, and James Watt, all liners, besides the fri-
gate Melpomene, which is to leave for the coast of
Syria in about a week's time to relieve the Liffey.
The Neptune, it is reported, will leave shortly for
Malta to relieve the Caesar.' A postscript to the
above announces the arrival at Corfu of the London
from Malta, which makes the number of line-of-
battle ships seven at present on that station."
Mr. Ward's night signal lamps, having been sub-
jected to considerable diminution in size and weight,
were again brought forward for experiments at
Woolwich last night by order of the Board of Ad-
miralty. A committee of officers attended the ex-
periments, consisting of Commodore Superintendent
the Hon. J. R. Drummond, Commander Hawker,
Mr. Thomas, Master of the flagship Fisgard ; Mr.
Petley, commanding the Admiralty yacht Black
Eagle ; and Mr. Allen, commanding her Majesty's
ship Vivid, tender to the Fisgard. The lamps, four
in number, were hoisted in line in the rigging of
the flagship, and were operated for signals under
the superintendence of Mr. Thomas, while the effect
was witnessed from various parts of the dockyard.
During the late trials on board the Royal Albert, at
sea, it was suggested. that the weight of the lamps
—4olb. each, might be some impediment in the
hands of the sailors to the free and speedy trans-
mission of the signals, and more especially during a
heavy sea. The lamps are accordingly reduced to a
fifth of the former weight-81b each, while the sig-
nal power is as strong and perceptible as before ;
and, together with the appurtenances, the complete
set of four lamps was yesterday contained in a neat
and compact tin case, the exterior dimensions of
which were stated to be less than 12 inches square.
Other important alterations have also been made,
so that the one hoist can now be given in classes
from 1 to 7 entire, making a total of 178 signals
without the working lines, a convenience never be-
fore attained in the code of night signals. The
night signals are now complete without the use of
blue lights, rockets, false fires, and guns, which were
complained of as being slow and tedious, and in war
could not fail of attracting the enemy's attention.
The improvements were admitted to be extremely
important, and the committee united in congratu-
lating the inventor on the success which he had
finally accomplished, and expressed their opinion
that no alteration or improvement could by any
possibility be further desired.
The Orpheus, 21 guns, screw steam-corvette, 400
horse power, proceeded on Tuesday from Sheerness
harbour to the measured mile off Maplin Sands,
for the purpose of testing her new machinery.
She was in charge of Capt. Schomberg, of the
steam ordinary; Mr. Price, inspector of machinery
afloat at Sheerness ; Mr. Baker, chief engineer of
Chatham dockyard ; and Mr. Humphrey, builder of
the machinery. The engines and machinery were
found to work in all respects in a most satisfactory
manner. The vessel attained a mean speed of 12.8
knots per hour, and the mean revolutions of the
engines were 66.
On Tuesday there was a trial of the engines of
the Howe, 121, screw, outside Plymouth Sound,
under the inspection of Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., of
the steam reserve, and Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8., of
the Royal Adelaide, 104, flagship of Sir T. S. Pas-
ley. The Howe was taken down harbour by Com-
mander Paul, and returned to Hamoaze by Com-
mander Thompson, Queen's harbourmaster, and
navigated on the trial by Mr. J. Tucker, master of
the Indus. Her engines are from the firm of Messrs
Penn and Son, and are now in charge, of Mr. S.
Harris, chief engineer ; they are what is termed
trunk enginea, and are worked by eight boilers, the
four forward of 600-horse power, the four aft 400-
horse, together 1,000 horses, working up to 4,050
horses. The diameter of the screw is 22 feet, and
pitch 28 feet. Mr. J. Ward, assistant to the chief
engineer at Keyham steamyard, and Mr. J. Stall,
inspectory of machinery afloat, superintended the
experiment for the Government, and Mr. T. Holli-
day on the part of the contractors. The Howe
draws forward 20 ft. 3 in., and aft 23 ft., and made
six runs on the measured mile outside the break-
water, averaging a mean speed of 12296 knots.
The mean revolutions of the engines were 55 ; maxi-
mum 57; pressure of steam, 201 b; vacuum, 251.
The engines worked remarkably well without any
heating of the bearings. The force of the wind,
M.S.E., was at 4. The Howe has not received her
masts, and her guns are not on board. In conse-
quence of her lightness and the heavy swell she
rolled considerably, which was very detrimental to
her speed at the trial. The space occupied by the
two funnels of the Howe interferes very much with
her deck accommodation.
On Wednesday there was a trial of the Lion, 80;
her engines, which are in charge of Mr. J, Mac-
gregor, are also from the manufactory of Messrs.
Penn and Son, They are of 400-horse power, and
were exerted up to 1,700 horses, rather more than
four times the nominal power. On the first run at
the measured mile she went 11.321 knots ; second,
10.557 ; third, 10'375 ; and fourth, 11.392. The
mean speed attained was 10.911 knots; steam,
201 b. ; vacuum, 251 b. ; revolutions, 66. Draught
forward, 17ft. 10 inches; aft, 21ft. 6 inches. The
Lion has neither spars nor armament. The wind
was light from the south-west, with little or no
swell. The speed attained is considered exceedingly
good, and the ship will, it is expected, prove very
useful for harbour service or channel duty. She
steers with great facility. The engines of the
Lion are placed about amidships. On the trial the
temperature in the engine-room was 66, and in the
stoke-hole 87. The space in the hold occupied by
the engines and boilers was designed originally for
the water-tanks, but they will not be required, as
the ship is supplie,i with a condensing apparatus.
The machinery does not interfere much with the
deck space. The Lion was launched in Oct., 1847,
as a sailing ship, and was converted into a screw
about two years since at Keyham. The only altera-
tion in her frame is the run under her stern, which
is finer than before. She has now, of course,
two_ stern ports instead of one. These changes
:7" made by Mr. Trelwin, inspector of ship•
'rights, under the authorities at the Devon-
port 110,kyard.
She was never fitted as a sailing
ship, and in consequence of her shortness her con-
version into as
crew was the subject of much dis-
cussion in the various Boards of Admiralty. She
carries the same number of guns, 80, as when first
designed. Most screw ships of• ber class mount a
large gun forward ; to enable the Lion to do so
involve too much alteration in the bow. On re-
turning from the, trial, the Lion
was placed along-
side the hulk Kent, in lialnease. The screw,
satisfactorily tried on Wednesday, will be lifted
and kept as a spare screw. The new screw will be
tested on the first opportunity.
The steam sloop Ariel, 7, Commander Alexander,
left Plymouth Sound on Tuesday for the Cape of
Good Hope,
r
The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander G. M. Jackson,
arrived at Spithead yesterday morning from Lisbon,
with the remaining officers and crew of her Majes-
ty's screw troopship Perseverance, wrecked on the
24th of October last on a reef of rocks off the north-
west end of Mayo, Cape Verde. The Geyser had
an exceedingly rough passage out from the Channel
to Lisbon, where she arrived on the 29th ult.
Having received on board the officers and men of
the Perseverance, she sailed again for England on
the following day, the 30th ult. During the whole
passage home she experienced a continued succes-
sion of very heavy gales from all points of the
compass. She arrived in Plymouth Sound on
Wednesday morning, and received orders to proceed
on to Portsmouth. The Perseverance's officers and
men will be transhipped to her Majesty's ship
Victory, on board which ship it is expected a
Cyrurt-rnartial will be held for the trial of Comman-
ael' ruvver and his officers for the loss of their ship.