The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. SATUROAV EVENING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1867.

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POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

No. 11 troop of the Military Train, at Aldershot,
has received orders to move from that station on
Tuesday next, and proceed to Liverpool, and thence
to embark for Dublin.

The rations which are being issued to the troops
at Aldershot are pronounced to be the best they
have yet received during their period of service.
Previous to the Crimean War the soldiers scarcely
ever had any change in the preparation of their
food, but the order was " soup and meat one day,
and meat and soup the next." At present, through
tho excellent arrangements of the sergeant cooks,
who have received their training at the " Instruc-
tional kitchen" at Aldershot, the troops have served
to them baked, steamed, and boiled dinners on alter-
nate days. The steamed dinners are preferred, the
men asserting that the meat loses more of its nutri-
ment by the baking process. It is asserted that
some regiments are not allowed the luxury of beer
with their dinners; but others get what they like
from the regimental canteens by payment. If beer
be really forbidden in any regiment at the time
stated it seems difficult to discover a reason for the
exceptional deprivation, unless it have anything to
do with the extra pay. We mentioned a few days
ago that one effect of that increase was visible in
the general air of contentment in the camp. It is
now but right to view its effect in another aspect.
It is an undoubted fact that since the issue of the
extra pay at Aldershot there has been a perceptible
addition to the inmates of the district military pri-
son. This will probably be interpreted in some quar-
ters greatly to the disadvantage of the soldier, and
used as an argument against War-office liberality ;
but it is only fair to bear in mind the great delay which
occurred in the issue of the arrears of pay, and that
when they were paid most of the regiments received
the whole sum in onepayment. It is expected ,however,
that in a very short time the statistics of military
prisons will show no perceptible increase of crime,
and matters will resume their former quiet footing.
Among the subjects which may be ranked under the
heads of "complaints" at the camp is that of the
delay of the third issue of the Luckuow prize-money
and the Banda and Kirwee prize-money. The
soldiers at Aldershott who have served in the Indian
campaigns loudly express their dissatisfaction on
this point, but are not without hope that the delay
may soon be terminated.

The regimental sports of the 72d Highlanders, at
Aldershott, came off on Tuesday on the Royal
Pavilion Cricket•ground. There was a large con-
coarse of spectators.

The Herbert Hospital, recently erected for the use
of the troops at Woolwich, and which has for some
time past shown signs of dilapidation, on account, it
was supposed, of imperfect drainage and an unsettled
base, is uow undergoing the process of what is termed
" underpinning." A drain has been found at the
base of the concrete, which was referred to some
time ago in The Sun as being the probable cause of
the giving way of the building. The rents in the
outer walls and throughout some of the pavilions
became the subject of much discussion, and were
visited by Lord Dalhousie to convince himself of the
fact which was denied by the officials at the hospital
at the time. It has since become evident that
unless immediate measures are taken to stop the
yielding of the foundation the total destruc-
tion of the building must soon follow. Since
the appointment of Colonel Gosset, the new Com-
manding Royal Engineer, the buildings have been
excavated and surveyed. The work now in hand
has been undertaken by a civil contractor, and
about 30 or 40 men are employed in excavating to
the base, driving galleries under the foundation,
needling the walls, and underpinning them with
balks of timber 12 inches square and Portland cement
concrete. The work is superintended by Mr. Jones,
one of the senior clerks of the works in the Royal
Engineer department, whose experience has brought
into use a most available method of forcing in the
concrete by means of a peculiar specks of screw-
jack, which is placed horizontally, and operates on
the last layer, about 12 inches thick, with a pressure
of 20 tons. About £1,500 is stated to be the esti-
mated cost of this work, which, it is hoped, will
render the building perfectly secure.
A large number of pack saddles and harness,
Maltese carts, and other stores, marked "Abyssinia,"
were yesterday transported in Philips's barges from
Woolwich Arsenal to the Victoria Docks, to be
transhipped on board the Golden Fleece for Bombay.
Five thousand cases of Boxer ammunition were
yesterday despatched from Woolwich Arsenal for
shipment at Liverpool on board the ships Queen
and England for Bombay. Twenty-four covered
railway trucks belonging to the South-Eastern line
were brought up by tramway to the shipping wharf
in the Arsenal and received their freight, proceeding
direct to Liverpool without being disturbed, an
arrangement which was made soon after the outbreak
of the Russian war, and which has proved of im-
mense advantage.

The War Department are desirous if possible of
availing themselves of the advantage of the APAlahon
pack saddle for the present expedition, and ordered
a further series of trials to be mada yesterday to
test its applicability. The mule recently purchased
for these experiments was yesterday loaded with a
brass gun 2251 b. in weight on Lieut. M'Mahon's
new saddle, and was paraded through the roads and
along the wharves, in the presence of Capt. Fenn,
Lieut. M'Mahon, and other officers. The gun was
mounted from front to rear, and the trial appeared
highly satisfactory. A similar trial is ordered to
take place for the inspection of General Warde,
with a view of employing a number of the saddles
for immediate use.

Her Majesty's screw troopship Crocodile, 4,173
tons, 700-horse power, Capt. G. W. Watson, having
made satisfactory preliminary trials of her machinery,
will re-eater Portsmouth Harbour this morning
from Spithead, and prepare for embarking troops
and sailing for Alexandria, on her first turn of ser-
vice in the relief of troops in India, on Tuesday
next. The speed trials of the ship were ordered by
the Admiralty, to be made over the measured mile
in Stokes Bay yesterday, but owing to the unfavour-
able weather and the urgency for the ship's depar-
ture for Alexandria on Tuesday the trials have now
been postponed until the ship's return to Portsmouth
from her first Alexandria voyage. The ship was
built by Messrs. Wigram fur the Admiralty, and
her machinery supplied by Messrs. Humphreys,
Tennant, and Co., the manufacturers of the engines
of her Majesty's ironclad frigate Pallas. In the
general design and arrangement the machinery of
both the Pallas and Crocodile is precisely similar,
the latter having merely the greater nominal power.
The two large cylinders of the Crocodile's engines
have a diameter of 102 inches, and the two smaller
of 57 inches, the length of stroke being 3ft. 9in.
They drive a two-bladed Griffiths' propeller, with a
shifting pitch of 21ft. diameter. The preliminary
trials of the engines have been perfectly satisfac-
tory, and on their further trial over the measured
mile, as well as during the voyage to and from
Alexandria, there can be no doubt they will fully
sustain the high reputation of the manufacturers.
The Black Eagle, paddle yacht, Commander
Whiffler, sailed from Portsmouth yesterday morn-
ing for Woolwich. The First Secretary to the Ad-
miralty, Lord 11. Lennox, M.P., went round to
Woolwich in the yacht.

The Supply, screw storeship, Commander Baw den ,
last from the Mediterranean, sailed from Spithead
yesterday morning for Woolwich, with stores re-
turned from Malta and Gibraltar. _ _

We understand that, by permission of the Lords
of the Admiralty, an exchange of ships will be made
on the 10th inst. between Capt. Charles Fellowes
and Capt. Hancock. Capt. Hancock will take
command of the screw ship Duncan for the Coast-
guard station at Queen's Ferry, and Capt. Hancock
that of the Duke of Wellington screw ship in Ports-
mouth harbour.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Tom H. Falcon to the
Impregnable ; Navigating Lieut. Charles Parkinson
to the Fisgard, additional, for transport service ;
Sub-Lieut. A. W. Moore to the Jaseur ; Francis
Hotham, midshipman, to the Arethusa ; John P.
Wells, pay master, to the Brilliant ; James Bramble,
assistant-clerk, to the Caledonia, as supernumerary,
for disposal ; Alfred 11. Miller, chief engineer, to
the Indus, for charge of engines for the Rattlesnake;

Edward Norrington, second-class assist.-engineer,
to the Phoebe ; Thomas F. Right and Abram Grey,
engineers, to the Euphrates ; William Stretton,
first-class assist.-engineer, to the Cumberland, for
the Adder ; and George J. Rose, acting second-
class assist-engineer, to the Euphrates.

EX7ENSIVE CONFLAGRATIONS-MIS

DAY.

This morning, about half-past three o'clock, a fire
of a rapidly destructive character broke out on the
premises of Mr. J. Bowker, a fruiterer and green-
grocer, 2, 'Wellington-street, Camden Town. The
police succeeded in arousing the inmates, and they
happily effected a safe retreat. Numerous land
steam engines, by Shand, Mason, and Co., promptly
attended, and the mains of the Grand Junction
having yielded a bountiful supply of water the fire-
men went to work, but they were unable to get the
flames extinguished until Mr. Bowker's premises
were destroyed, and those of Mr. Stroud (No. 4),
and Mr. Parnell, a tea dealer, No. 221, High-
street, damaged by fire and water. The principal
loss will fall upon the County, from which office
Mr. White, the assessor, attended to estimate the
damage done.

A very serious firo happened in the well-known
and antiquated building termed the Butchers' Arms
Tavern and Foresters' Meeting-house, in Pear Tree-
court, Clerkenwell-close. The flames originated
from some unknown cause in the second floor, and
owing to the great quantity of timber in the pre-
mises the fire spread with great fury. The land
steamers, by Shand and Mason, were set to work
under the direction of Mr. Bridges, the district
superintendent, and Mr. Swanton, the chief of the
London Salvage Corps, but so strong was the body
of water thrown by the steamers, and so rotten was
the building, that the greater part fell in, striking
several of the firemen. Fortunately none of them
were killed. Eventually the fire was extinguished,
but not until the building was nearly destroyed by
fire. The loss will fall upon the County Fire-office.
At the same time as the last-named fire took place
another one burst forth from the egtensive premises
of Mr. Rulke, linen-draper and silk mercer, No.
114, Whitechapel-road. It commenced in the second
floor, and in spite of the early arrival of the steam
engines and a good supply of water the flames could
not be conquered until the upper part of the build-
ing was burned out and the remainer damaged by
heat and water. Fortunately the London' Salvage
Company succeeded in saving the principal portion
of the stock in trade. This fire was caused by an
escape of gas. Mr. Rulke was insured in the Phcsnix
Fire-office.