The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-13 00:00:00

above the load water-line. The Captain will be
rigged as a ship with masts on Captain Coles' tripod
system, and will have a spread of canvas equal to
that of the best type of broadside ironclad frigate
of her own tonnage. The general construction of
the hull of the ship is similar to that of other large
armour-clad ships building for her Majesty's navy,
and combines all the recent improvements of water-
tight inner-bottom, wind-passages, and other bulk-
heads ; the fore-end especially is made of enormous
strength, and terminates in a massive wrought-iron
stem formed as a ram for running into an enemy's
ship. The engines are to be two separate pairs,
each pair driving a screw propeller, the outer ends
of the propeller shafts being carried on bracket
frames on the same system as adopted by Messrs.
Laird hi several other armour-clad vessels built by
them ; the cylinders are 80 inches diameter,
and 3ft. 3in, stroke, and the indicated power
is to be not less than 5,400-horse power.
The contract for the Captain, which is for the
completion of the ship, turrets, and machinery ready
for sea, with the exception of rigging and sails and
such like stores, were made in February last, and
since that time great progress has been made
with the ship and machinery, as she is now nearly all
in frame, skin-plating fixed and rivetted, the beams
of main and lower decks are also in place, and the
internal arrangements are in progress. The first
cylinder is bored, the trunks fitted, and many other
parts Dell advanced. The boilers are erected. The
shipwrights have already commenced placing the
teak backing to receive the armour-plates, the first
of these being now fixed on the side of the ship and
the boring and planing the remainder fairly com-
menced. We may state that the first plate of the
keel was lowered into the dock in the last week in
March, and that since that time nearly 1,200 tons of
iron have been worked into the ship, besides a large
quantity being in various stages of preparation on
the premises. The Captain is being built in the
large graving dock in which H.M.S. Agincourt, of
6,600 tons, and the Euphrates, 4,200 tons, were con-
structed, and it is intended to take full advantage
of the shed with which this dock is covered, and of
the great depth of water on the dill to keep the vessel
in until she is completely finished, all the armour-
plates fixed, the turrets and machinery all in place
and ready for trial. In addition to the operations in
connection with the Captain we observe throughout
the works considerable activity and show of work.
Among the other vessels in progress are a composite
gunboat for her Majesty's Government, two ironclad
monitors, about 1,600 tons and 140 horse power,
and an ironclad ram of about 1,320 tons and 350
horse power. These three last-named vessels are to
be fitted with turrets on Capt. Coles' system, and
will each carry two 300-pounder 121-ton guns.
In addition to these there are two paddlewheel
river steamers, of about 600 tons, and a small fleet
of 12 iron screws, of about 50ft. length, fitted with
engines of 15 horse power ; the launches have just
been completed, and occupy one of the graving
docks. The total amount of tonnage in course of
construction at present is about 10,000 tons, and
the engines for all these vessels, amounting to about
2,000 horse power, are being made at the Birken-
head Iron Works.

The party were entertained at lunch by Messrs.
Laird, Brothers, before making the inspee' ion of the
works in progress in the yard ; and in the evening
they were to attend a banquet given by the Mayor
of Liverpool in honour of their visit at the Town-
hall. During their stay in Liverpool their lordships
are the guests of Mr. John Laird, M.P.

2 R,..IDES' OUI RAGES CO3IMISSION.

SEVENTH DAY.

MANCHESTER, Thursday.

William Tetlow, examined by Mr. Chance—ls a
brickmaker at Hurst, near Ashton. In 1861 was in
his father's service. Resides near the brick-yard.
Is not a member of the Ashton Brickmakers' Union.
Ceased to be one 20 years ago. Gave up paying
because they illused him. In 1861 the men turned
out, and the masters had meetings. Employed non-
union men, and they wanted an advance, and his
father agreed to give them Is.lod. They then turned
out, and they put needles in the clay—many a thou-
sand. It was in May, 1861. Some bottles were
thrown into his house about six months afterwards.
His father and self and brother, and the chap that
wed his wife's sister, agreed to work the concern
themselves as well as they could after the strike. The
bottles were thrown into his house about 1 o'clock
in the morning. He was asleep, and when his wife
heard the first bottle she said, " There are some
brickmakers throwing bottles into the room." He
said, " Oh, never heed them." They were thr own
into the parlour, and he could not get down stairs
for the smoke and smell. There was a smell of
naphtha. When be got down stairs he found a bottle-
neck. Some of the bottles struck the bedroom window
frame, and exploded outside. One or two bottles
were struck against the frame of the bedroom win-
dow. He found parts of the bottle under the window
outside, and pieces of the room on fire. The blinds
were set on fire in the room below, and pictures
were broken. They had to have window shutters
afterwards, and altogether the affair cost them
many a pound.
By Mr. Pickering—Had been threatened since, and
used shameful. Had had bricks spoiled four or five
times since, and one time they spoilt 20,000. Men
had come and shouted out" knobsticks." Had been
illused this summer through a disturbance over the
water in the brickyard. Burns and Henry Watson
attacked him in the yard and cut his lip with their
fists. They said it was not his water he was using.
Burns and Watson were union men. They tried
to get him into the water. Watson said, " What
are you doing with this water ?" They put him
into the water. He got the upper hand of Watson,
but Burns came and used his fists. His wife came
and talked to them, and they threatened to throw
her into the water. Watson had said in a public-
house they would take his life before the summer
was out. He had been shouted at, and he was afraid
to go down the street.

Timothy Burns, examined by Mr. Pickering—ls
a member of the Ashton Union, and has been for
17 or 18 years. There were men regularly employed
to go round and gauge the bricks and look whether
union men were employed. There was a dispute
about taking water out of a pit. It was in Tetlow's
yard, but he allowed Mr. George in the next brick-
croft to take water out of his pit. This summer he
was called from his work and told that Tetlow was
taking the water. He then thought that the water
belonged to Mr. George, his master. lie went and
found Tetlow and Watson struggling, and he parted
them. Tetlow's wife smacked his face, but he put
her away without striking. He had never called
Tetlow a " knobstick," but had heard that he em-
ployed" knobstick" men. Never believed in spoiling
property, and was never engaged in doing it.
Henry Watson has been a member of the union,
but was not now a brickmaker. Worked for Mr.
George in the next yard to Tetlow. The water was
in their yard, and Tetlow was letting the water run
off in waste. He told Tetlow he must not let it run
off in spite, and ho said it was his water, and he
should do as he liked with it. He told him he
should not, and Tetlow struck him, and Burns came
up while they were struggling on the ground. Had
heard Tetlow called " knobstick." He did not
employ union men at that time, but had employed
them. Witness never spoilt any bricks. Would
swear he never said he would have Tetlow's life, or
ever heard such words spoken.
James Taylor said he was a master brickmaker at
Saddleworth, 51 miles from Ashton. Had a brick-
croft at Cockbrook in 1859. He believed the Ash-
ton Union broke up about that time, and the men
were re-forming it. He turned his hands away and
engaged fresh ones—six or seven who were non-
union men at the time. Paid them the same wages
as the others. They worked for him all the winter.
Two union men came in October and asked him to
take his hands back. He believed one was Thomas
Harrison. Told them he should keep the men he
had, and one said, " Then he must take what fol-
lowed." He replied he would—" he would take
potluck." On the 4th of November a fire was dis-
covered in his brickyard, at between one and two in
the morning. He got out as soon as he could, and

moved some boards from the shed, stopping it from
spreading. The upper part of the shed was all
destroyed. The shed would bold 2,300 bricks, which