The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-13 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The 89th (the Princess Victoria's) Regiment, Col.
Boyle in command, rec,Aved unexpected orders by
telegraph on Monday evening to move to Ireland
immediately. Accordingly the regiment marched
from the North Camp yesterdly morning at 9 30,
leaving Farnborough by special train at 11 o'clock
for Dublin, via Holyhead. Si hurried was the de-
parture of the regiment that the men took nothing
but their actual necessaries, leaving the regimental
baggage to follow. A small baggage party was left
behind to pack up, and accompany the women and
children who were left behind.

The 3d (The King's Own) Hussars, under the
command of Cul. H. Vyse, after nearly two years'
stay at Aldershot, are under orders to move as fol-
lows :—Head-quarters and six troops to Hounslow,
one troop to Hampton Court, and one troop to
Kensington.

The 66th (Berkshire) Regiment, under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Col. Garrett, are under orders to
move from Aldershot to the Channel Islands, re-
lieving the 69th Regiment. The head quarters and
five companies will be stationed at Jersey, two com-
panies at Guernsey, and three companies at Alder-
ney. According to present arrangements the regi-
ment will leave Aldershot to-morrow morning.

No. 21 troop of the Military Train will march
frcm Aldershot Camp on Friday morning en route
to Woolwich, and No. 9 troop-2 officers, 63 men,
40 horses, 8 women, and 14 children—will march in
on the same day.
Major F. Brine, Royal Engineers, has been selected
by the Secretary of State for India to proceed over
land to Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta in charge of
the telegraphic staff.
The death of Gen. Cosmo Gordon, in his 90th
year, took place on the 7th inst. at his residence in
Hampshire. He was the youngest son of the late
Hon. A. Gordon, Lord Rockville, and Anne Coun-
tess of Dumfries. The late General was one of the
oldest officers in the army, being senior to Gen. R.
Pigott, Field-Marshal Sir E. Blakeney, and Gen.
Sir A. Woodford, having entered the army as far
back as 1792. He was in receipt of a pension for
distinguished and meritorious services. The late Gen.
Gordon served at the siege of Pondicherry, the battle
of Argaum, and the sieges of Asscerghur; Gawil-
ghur, and various other hill forts. He also served at
Walcheren in 1809. His commissions bore date as
follow : Ensign, Dec. 6, 1792 ; Lieut., Oct. 28,
1794 ; Capt., Oct._23, 1800 ; Major, Feb. 12, 1807;
Lieut.-Col., July 20, 1809 ; Col., Aug. 12, 1819 ;
Major-Gen., July 22, 1830 ; Lieut.-Gen., Nov. 23,
1841 ; and Gen., June 20, 1854.
A most important case of firing at armour plating
began yesterday on board the Thunderer, floating
target ship, in Porchester Creek, near Portsmouth.
Tht armour fired at was a plate built up of alternate
steel and iron layer from the manufactory of Messrs.
C. Cammell and Co., of Sheffield, on a plan sug-
gested by the manager of the firm, Mr. G. Wilson.
The plate weighed 5 tons 7 cwt., was 7in. in thick-
ness, and 12ft. long by 3ft. 11in. wide. The firing
from the guns at the plate was conducted under the
superintendence of Commander Arthur, H.M.S. Ex-
cellent, in the presence of Rear-Admiral A. C. Key,
C. 8., Director-General of Naval Ordnance; Mr. F.
J. Reed, Chief Constructor of her Majesty's Navy ;
Capt. Brackenbury, R.A. ; Major Inglis, R.E. ;
Capt. Lord F. Kerr, R.N. ; Capt. Noble, ILE., mid
other naval and military officers and members of
the Ordnance Select Committee. The plate was
bolted on a timber bulk-head (solid) of 42 in., and
the guns were fired at a distance of 35 feet from the
plate's outer surface. Five shits were fired on one
spot from the 68-pounder smoothbore gun, with
141 b. of powder and a cast-iron shot, and two shots
were fired from an Armstrong 7-inch rifled gun,

with 221 b. of powder and aPalliser chilled elongated
shot. The general results may be taken as promis-
ing a great revolution of theprinciples now observed
in the manufacture of iron-plating, although the re-
sistance of the plate to the impact of the shot was

not quite so great as was expected. The welding of

the two forms of metal was perfect, and there were
also other indications that the experience gained
by the results of the firing might possibly lead to
such modification in the principles of the manufac-
ture of armour-plating, for ships or for forts, that
although the weights of armour might be materially
reduced, its defensive power at the same time would
be still more materially increased.
The Hector, 20, armour-plated screw frigate,
4,()89 tons, 800-horse power, Captain William G.
Luard, steamed into Portsmouth harbour yesterday
from Spithead, to make ready for paying out of
commi&ion on the 19th inst. The Hector was in-
spected on Monday, at Spithead, by Port Admiral
Sir Thomas S. I'asley, K.C.13., who was attended
by his flag Captain, the lion. Francis Egerton,
A.D.C. to the Queen.

The Northumberland, armour-plated v
se ,ro 5hip,6,621 tons, 1,350-horse power, which has for two or
three months been awaiting in Sheerness harbour
the final orders for her destination, left yesterday,
shortly before 12 o'clock, for Pevonport dockyard,
where she is to be completed and made ready for
sea. She was in charge of Staff-Commander G. J.
Hodges, assistant master attendant in Sheerness
dockyard, and was navigated by nine engineers and
about 200 seamen and riggers belonging to the
steam reserve and dockyard. The ship was accom-
panied by the Medusa, paddlewheel vessel, Staff-
Commander T. 'Potter, which will act as her con-
voy. Mr. Anderson and staff, from the firm of
Messrs. Penn and Son, the makers of her engines,
are in charge of the machinery, and on her arrival at
Plymouth the ship will make her trial over the mea-
sured mile.

During the severe gale yesterciay afternoon the