The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-14 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Yesterday Major-General Freeman Murray cow_
menced the summer inspection of the 2d Depot Bat-
talion at Chatham, under the command of Col. W.
Rickman. The various corps comprising the bat-
talion, including the depot companies of the Ist
battalion of the 2d Queen's Royals, Ist and 2d bat..
talions of the Bth (the King's) Regiment, 29th Regi-
ment, 30th Regiment, 82d Regiment, and 100th
Bombay Light Infantry, were formed on Chathain
Lines at 11 a.m., when,. on the arrival of Major-
Gen. Murray, accompanied by Brigade Major
Lynch, Capt. llerries, aide-de-camp, and other offi-
cers of the divisional Staff, the battalion, which was
formed in line, gave the usual salute. The line hav-
ing been inspected, Gen. Murray took up his posi—
tion at the flagstaff, when the battalion was put
through the manual and platoon exercises and a few
other movements, followed by the formation of the
companies in squares, when the usual question was
asked for any complaints. At the termination of
this portion of their inspection the troops were dis-
missed to their quarters, when Gen. Murray pro..
ceeded to the general parade-ground, where he wit-
nessed the officers and non-commissioned officers go
through the sword drill. At 8 o'clock the whole of

the officers and men of the battalion were drawn up
in review order, on the great lines, for the customary
inspection in battalion, light infantry, and company
movements, when the entire force was put through
a variety of manoeuvres, under the direction of Gen.
Murray, with the view of testing the efficiency of
the officers and men in field movements. The inspec-
tion of the battalion will bo resumed and brought
to a close to-day.

Yesterday morning at the rifle ranges near the
North Camp, Aldershott, Instructor of Musketry
Serg. Thomas Lilley, of the 70th Surrey Regiment,
was accidentally shot by a private of the same regi-
ment, named Warburton. It appears that a squad
of the regiment, under the command of Captain
Wright, Lieut. King, and Ensign Johnstone, with
Dr. Ilession, surgeon of the regiment in medical
charge, were at ball practice at the regimental
ranges. The squad, provided with flO rounds of
ammunition for the Snider-Enfield rifle, had ex-
pended ten rounds at the 400 yard range in volley
firing, when the order was given to throw out the
empty cartridge case, and advance to the 300 yard
range for independent firing, and the men had
done so, and during the interval of checking off the
marks on the targets, and washing them prepara-
tory to:the next practice, Sergeant-Instructor Lilley
went round the squad instructing the men how
to use the rifle at independent firing without
raising the back sight. Ile commenced at the right
hand man, Sergeant Pearon, the non-commissioned
officer in cnarge of the squad, tang every man as
he passed him successively to aim at his eye. This
was obeyed in every- instance, and the last man of
the squad in obeying the order pulled the trigger,
and, the rifle being loaded, the charge entered
'Alley's eye, blowing his brains out, and killing him
instantly. Warburton was immediately seized, and
on his pouch being examined nine rounds of ammu-
nition only remained. He was asked where the tenth
was, and he replied, " That was what shot the ser-
geant." The prisoner, who was deeply affected, was
marched off to the camp to await the coroner's in-
quest. He is described as a steady man, but very
awkward both in shooting and drill. He has been in
the regiment ten years, and has two good conduct
badges. Lilley, the deceased, had been 12 years in
the service. He was married, with two children.
The enormous floating iron dock, intended for the
use of vessels belonging to the Royal Navy at Ber-
muda, now in course of construction in the yard of
Messrs. Campbell, Johnstone, and Co., the paten-
tees, at Silvertown, facing the dockyard at Wool-
wich, was yesterday officially inspected on behalf of
the Admiralty by Major Andrew Clarke, R.E., di-
rector of engineering and architectural works to the
Admiralty, and a very favourable opinion was pro-
nounced of it by a number of naval officers and
scientific persons who accompanied the
inspecting
officer. Some account of the undertaking as it ap-
peared at the commencement of the work of con-
struction was given in The Sun last year. Since that
time 1,200 men have been constantly employed at

the work, which isprogressing very favourably. The
dock is 333 ft. in length from end to end, and
381 ft. long over all cutwaters. and 83ft. 9in. wide in-
side of ditto. The depth is 71ft. 11in. On reaching
the floor (open from end to end) the visitors were
struck with admiration at the vast and uninter-
rupted area which it afforded, fully capable of dry
docking, when in position, ships of the Bellero-
phon class. In the opinion of undoubted
authorities it will be sufficiently buoyant to
be towed out to its destination complete. This is a
matter of great importance, as it will preclude the
necessity of a large establishment at that station for
the purpose of putting the dock together, which it
would require if shipped and transported piecemeal.
The dock is divided into 48 water-tight compart-
ments, formed by seven water-tight longitudinal
bulkheads, nine water-tight transverse main ribs,

and by the outside and inside skins. These com-
partments consist of load or upper chambers, and of
air or bottom chambers, for operations of floating,
loading, raising, or lowering requisite in docking
ships, and also for careening the dock. It will weigh
about 8,000 tons, and will be launched broadside on.
The contractors have suggested to the Admiralty
the addition of moveable trays, or pontoons of suffi-
cient floating power and stability for docking small
ships upon each tray or pontoon to be lifted by the
dock, emptied and floated out with the ship on it.
By this arrangement as many small vessels can be
docked at the time as there may be trays or pontoons
available. A small working design illustrating the
capabilities of the dock was exhibited in the model
room, and showed satisfactorily how the docking of
ships of various classes will be, effected, as well asthe
advantage of the ways in docking the ships of the
new transport clas3 intended for Indian service.

M. Am-pieta, a Frenchman who has lived several
years in Birmau, describes a certain spicimon of lizard
found iu that country, which by its croaking announces
the approach of an earthquake. He thinks that this pro-
phetic lizard might advantageously be- acclimatised in
Algeria and the West Indies, as the gecko of Ceylon has
been in Sicily, Corsica, Spain, and Provence. The Bir-
man lizard scorns to be a variety of the gecko, and M.
Anquetil thinks it would he worth ascertaining by obser-
vation.whether the gecko is endowed with a similar in-
stinct, which would render it invaluable in countries sub-
ject to terrestrial commotions. •

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