The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—As news from Sebastopol is still read with
interest, I send you extracts from a letter I have
this morning received from Mr. Gowen, the gentle-
man engaged in raising the sunken fleet there,
and whose exertions in repairing and protecting
the graves of our fallen countrymen cannot, I
think be too highly praised.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. ALFRED LOCKWOOD.
2, Wigmore-street, Cavendish-square, July 26.

" Sebastopol, July 10.
. • " Yesterday I raised and brought alongside
the wharf the 60-gun frigate Koolefchi, the, frigate
the large masts of which stood upright in tho centre
of the harbour. She was very heavy, weighing, I
think, 4,500 tons. This is, I believe, the first
frigate that was ever raised whole, and she is in
good condition.
" Since yos. left I have raised some 12 vessels,
among them four wooden and one iron war
steamers, of 260-horse power each. The steamer
Vladimir, of 400-horse power, will be the next one;
and after her some line-of-battle ships.
" . . . Since you were here I have paid great
attention to the reparation of the cemetries where
your brave countrymen are buried, and have orna-
mented the cemetries where they repose ; for you
are aware of their barren state, being entirely des-
titute of trees, and, in fact, all kinds of herbage.
Therefore, I thought that it would be pleasing for
me to reflect upon at some future time that I had
performed one act during my residence in the
Crimea that might reflect favourably, as the pil-
grims resorted to the graves of their friends, and
found that the stranger's hand had made the ground
under which they reposed more pleasing and in-
viting, that their ashes could commingle with their
mother earth, as their friends would desire, under
the shade of the stately but mournful cypress trees,
which should cast their ample arms over and above
their abode. They were loved and respected by
their friends in life ; let the stranger's hand add to
their shelter and repose in death.
"I have also caused extensive repairs to be made
to the graves of the French and Sardinians who
were killed during the war, and in some cases I
have covered with concrete the graves of your
Generals, such as Estcourt, where I excavated to
a depth of three feet over a space of 9 by 13 feet,
and filled in entirely with solid concrete, and
placed the tablet on a raised bed of the same
material.

" I am thoroughly convinced that the Russian
Government and authorities have the greatest re-
gard and respect for the graves of all, and, could
they for one instant detect any person who dese-
crated any of the graves, they would punish him
even more severely than would be done in England
under the circumstances. Yet, I think that some
person should be appointed to look after the graves,
for it can hardly be expected that the Russian Go-
vernment could watch over 300 graveyards, cover-
ing over 20 square miles of territory."

271 E LEINSTER.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY,

The Leinster, the herald of the fleet of new
steamships built for the City of Dublin Company,
to carry on the mail service between Holyhead
and Dublin, under the new contract, made the
official trial trip to.-day. She left the docks
at one o'clock for Stokes Bay, where she ran the
measured mile four times, with the following re-
sults .—First run, 3 hours 20 minutes, 18 knots per
hour ; second run, 3 hours 30 minutes, 17.143 knots
per hour; third run, 3 hours 17 minutes, 18.274
knots per hour; fourth run, 3 hours 23 minutes,
17.734 knots per hour. Pressure of steam, 251 b. to
the square inch (261 in the fourth run) ; revolutions,
26; -vacuum gauge, 251 inches. Draught of water,
12 feet 21 inches forward, 13 feet 21-- inches aft.
The average of the four runs was 17.977 knots,
equal to 20-1 statute miles, being the greatestspeed
ever known to be attained on the measured mile.
It will be seen that this was a higher rate of spee 1
than was reached on Saturday, when the Leinster
made her first trip between Gravesend and the Nore,
on which occasion she averaged 16.975 knots, or
19.526 statute miles. Darin the trial to-day the
indicated horse-power of her engines was 4,200,
being six times their nominal rate (700). The
cylinders are 98 inches diameter, and 6 feet 6
inches stroke ; average strokes per mile 261 dur-
ing to-day's trial. The machinery worked with
the greatest smoothness and ease, and the almost
total absence of vibration in any part of the
ship was most remarkable. There was a party
about 40 or 50 gentlemen on board, includir.g the
Government authorities, the chairman and other
directors of the City of Dublin Steampacket Com-
pany, and. several of the directors and officials of
the Peninsular and Oriental and the Royal (West
India) Mail Steampacket Companies. On leaving
Stokes Bay a sumptuous thjeuner was served in the
saloon, under the presidency of Mr. Ravenhill, the
head of the firm by whom the engines of the Lein-
ster were built. After the usual loyal and other
toasts were drunk, the healths of Messrs. Raven-
hill and Salkeld (the engine builders), and Mr.
Samuda (the buildiir of the ship), were given and
acknowledged, and these gentlemen severally re-
ceived the warmest congratulations of all present
on the successful result of their labours, The City
of Dublin, the Peninsular and Oriental, and the
Royal Mail Steam-packet Companies were also
toasted, and a litre compliment was paid to the
press. The weather was beautifully fine, and all on
board thoroughly enjoyed their trip in the Leinster,
a vessel which in all respects marks another epoch
in the history of steam navigation. The Leinster
came into dock on her return, and is to sail hence
on Friday morning for Holyhead, making her first
voyage thence to Dublin on the let of August.