The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-05 00:00:00

Lordships visited the Monarch, which is building in
the adjoining dock, the inspection of this vessel
occupying an equally lengthened period. The
Monarch, which was commenced in October last,
will be completed by the close of the present finan-
cial year, the rapidity with which she has been built
up to this period exceeding anything yet achieved
in iron shipbuilding at Chatham. Her 7-inch and
6-inch armour plating for a considerable distance on
both her port and starboard sides has been fixed,
and most of her deck beams laid, while so rapid has
been her progress up to this period that should it be
required there would appear nothing to prevent her
being afloat during the present year. The only
other iron vessel building at Chatham is the Beacon,
of the squadron of double-screw gunboats designed
by Mr. J. E. Reed. The wooden ships under con-
struction are the Blanche, one of the new class of
unarmed screw corvettes, and the unarmoured screw
gunvessel Myrmidon. The members of the Board
went over each of those vessels, both of which are in
a forward state, the Myrmidon being intended for
launching in June next, and the Blanche in August.
At the close of their inspection of the shipbuilding
departments of the dockyards their Lordships took
luncheon at the official residence of Capt. W. H.
IStewart, and afterwards visited the factory, where
they witnessed the operation of bending one of the
large 6-inch iron plates by means of hydraulic pres-
sure, for the sides of the Hercules frigate. They
next proceeded to the smithery, where at the mo-
ment of their visit the massive iron sternpost for the
Hercules was being taken from the furnace for being
operated upon with the 40 ton steam hammer, the
accident to which has recently been repaired. Their
lordships witnessed the operation of forging the
sternpost with much interest,:the work being super-
intended by one of the foreman from a private
establishment in the north accustomed to large un-
dertakings of the kind, whose services have been
temporarily engaged by the Admiralty. After
spending some time in the smithery quadrangle the
members of the Board visited the building slips, and
inspected the stacks of timber in store, proceed-
ing by the eastern end of the yard to the extensive
works, where Mr. Ducane left the First Lord, and
returned to the office of the Captain-Superinten-
dent, being occupied the remainder of the afternoon
on official business connected with his department.
At the entrance to the extension works one of the
locomotive steam engines employed on the island
with a number of trucks were in waiting, which the
members of the Board entered, and were conveyed
over the works, which cover an area of between 300
and 400 acres. The contract for that portion of the
undertaking at present being carried out, including
the construction of two large docks and a basin,
with a water area of 22 acres, has been taken by
Mr. Gabrielli, but at present there are only a few
hundred hands employed on the works, who are
now engaged in excavating for the. proposed basin
and docks. The visit to St. Mary's Island and in-
spection of the works in progress occupied Mr.
Corry until late in the afternoon, and at the close
of the inspection the members of the Board returned
to the dockyard, which they afterwards left for the
Admiralty.

A notification has been received at Chatham gar-
rison from the Horse Guards that the next exami-
nation of candidates for direct commissions, under
the regulations of the Ist January last, will com-
mence at Chelsea Hospital on the Ist of May next.
The examination of candidates for admission to the
Staff College in February, 1868, will commence on
the 22d July next.

The Chesapeake, 35, 400-horse power, serew
wooden frigate, attached to the third division of the
Chatham Steam Reserve, has been disposed of by
the Admiralty to Messrs. Castle and Sons, of Baltic-
wharf, Millbank, to which place she will be removed.
Her machinery and engines have not been sold with
her, but have been taken out and removed into the
steam factory.
The unarmoured screw corvette Barrosa, 21,
400-horse power, attached to the third-class Steam
Reserve, was yesterday brought up to Chatham
Barbour, in tow of the paddlewheel steamer Adder,
in readiness to be placed in one of the available
docks for the purpose of undergoing a thorough
repair in readiness for being brought forward for
commission.

Yesterday a detachment of 100 non-commissioned
officers and men from the Depot Brigade, Royal
Artillery, left Warley, and proceeded to Sheerness,
where they join the Ist division of the Depot Bri-
gade, in order to augment it to its full strength.
The depot of the 98th Regiment, which has been
stationed at Colchester for upwards of four years, is
held in readiness to proceed to Portsmouth to await
the arrival of the service companies from Bengal.
The depot is composed of nine sergeants, four
drummers, 153 rank and file, 14 women, and 17
children ; and the commanding officer is Major
Cleveland. The authorities of the War Department
have approved a site near Military-road, Colchester,
for the erection of a Lock Hospital, for carrying
out the act for preventing the spread of contagious
diseases.