The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The difficult operation of cutting asunder the
sailing frigate Severn, N guns, in order to lengthen
her preparatory to her being altered to a screw
steamer, took place at Chathaii dockyard on Satur-
day afternoon, and was succehsfully and expediti-
ously accomplished under the direction of Mr. 0.
W. Laing, the master shipwright. After the frigate
hal been cut asunder, the part severed was launched
33 feet, without the slightest accident, the operation
being completed in about half an hour. The
Severn was built at Chatham a few years ago, and
has not yet been to sea.
The Benbow, 72, is ordered to Chatham dock-
yard, from Sheerness, for the purpose of being re.
paired, and refitted as a coal depot at the Nore.
The hired troopship Celestial, 430 tons register,
Capt. Legoe, yesterday embarked at Woolwich
Brevet Lieut.-Col. Mitchell, Staff Assist.-Surgeon
Richmond, 48 non-commissioned officers and gunners
of the 4th Battery, 13th Brigade Royal Artillery,
2 women, and 4 children, and sailed for Bermuda.
The Celestial is a good sea vessel, and is expected
to be about eight weeks on the voyage. After
landing the relief she will embark 2 officers and 75
non.commissioned officers anal men for the home

voyage.
A demand was yesterday made for additional
tonnage for the shipment of war materials for Gib-
raltar, Malta, and the lonian Islands. The Benjamin
Bpyd and the Queen have commenced shipping war
stores from Woolwich for Malta and Corfu, and
have built magazines capable of containing 300 tons
of powder, which they are ordered to embark from
the river hulks off the arsenal.

The Queen's proclamation for the augmentation
of the Royal Navy has been responded to with
alacrity at Woolwich. Some hundreds of smart
growing lads and young men have presented them-
selves at the Fisgard's offices at the rate of 201 per
day, and are admitted for examination four at a
time, but on account of the paucity of officers avail-
able for that duty (only a master and assistant-
surgeon) the business at present progresses at an
extremely slow space, and a great proportion, not
absolutely rejected, are daily dismissed with orders
to make their appearance at a more convenient op-
portunity, which involves considerable inconveni-
ence and loss to the lads themselves as well as to
the service. A number of petty officers and assis-
tant engineers for the Banshee and other ships in
commission were yesterday detained several hours,
and were ultimately ordered to return in the morn-
ing from the same cause. Many of the applicants
are known to arrive from distant places, and are
unprovided with funds to meet the expense of even
a night's lodging.
The screw steamship Algiers, 91, arrived at Port-
land on Saturday afternoon, under canvas, from
Plymouth, and anchored near the extremity of the
outer breakwater. The Mersey, 40, was then
hourly expected from Spithead.
The Cunard screw steamship Etna, Commander
Hockley, arrived at Spithead early yesterday morn-
ing, in 44 hours from Liverpool. She steamed into'
Portsmouth
officially harbourat lastlo a
Inc v. etnhi
ins%
aa3n,,de
mwill
rt.
iii'neer-
troops (as enumerated in The Sun of the 7th inst.)
on Wednesday, and sail for Malta at 7 a.m. on
.sh screw steam corvette passed through
Thursday. Dsdaanyi
Spithead from the westward yesterday at 2.30 p.m.,
under steam, and continued her course to the east-
ward. She hoisted the English ensign at the main
royal masthead, and fired a salute, the compliment
being returned by the Victory, flagship of Admiral
W. Bowles, C.B.ia Portsmouth harbour.
The Melpomene, 51, screw steam frigate, in the
steam basin at Portsmouth, has completed the
whole of her stores, &c., with' the exception of her
provisions, powder, and shell.
The Pioneer, 6, screw steam despatch vessel, Com-
mander C. H. May, has bean placed in the ship basin
at Portsmouth to receive her masts, &C.
The Undaunted, 42 (old sailing frigate), has been
towed down Portsmouth harbour and placed in the
ship basin.
An order has been received at Portsmouth from

the Admiralty to enter a large additional number
of mechanics for the dockyard, including 140 ship-
wrights.
The Lords of the Admiralty having ordered an
inspection of all the naval and marine out-pensioners
of Greenwich Hospital, to ascertain their fitness for
further service, a notice has been posted at the gates
of her Majesty's dockyard, Portsmouth, ordering
all the out-pensioners of that district under 60 years
of age, to present themselves for that purpose on
the 11th and 13th inst.
The Doris, 32, screw steam frigate, Captain E.
Heathcote, weighed at Spithead yesterday, and
proceeded to the trial ground in Stokes Bay, to
make trial of her altered screw, in charge of Capt.
G. T. Gordon, commanding steam reserve ; Mr.
Dinners, Admiralty inspector of machinery ; Mr.
Murdoch, inspector of machinery afloat ; and Mr.
Miller, of the steam factory. The screw used on
this occasion was the " common Admiralty screw,"
with the loading corner of each blade cut off. The
result of the trial in a mean of six runs gave
p
rather
over 12 knots, her most successful attempt resent.
The Cressy, 80, screw steam ship, stood into St.
Helen's Roads yesterdays, on her way down