The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-23 00:00:00

BERLIN WATERWORKS.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
on Thursday at the London Tavern ; Mr. J. L. Sim
in the chair.

Mr. Berry, the secretary, read the report, which,
stated that the general revenue account showed an
available balance of £20,207, from which the Board
recommended a dividend for the half-year at the rate
of 7i per cent. per annum, free of income-tax, leav-
ing £2,257 to be carried forward. The further
capital of 13,000 new £lO shares, for the construc-
tion of additional engines and filters, was at once
subscribed for, with the exception of 22 shares ; the
new filters were almost completed, and the directors
had subscribed the designs of Mr. Hawksley, C.E.,
for the new engines to contractors here and in Berlin,
in expectation of receiving within a few days ten-
ders for their construction. During the past half-
year 336 applications for house service were ac-
cepted, and 10,000 houses were now being supplied
by the company.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the re-
port, congratulated the shareholders upon the pro-
sperity of the company, as shown by their increas-
ing dividend, which had been fairly earned. He
complimented Mr. Gill, the manager and engineer
at Berlin, to whose exertions and judgment the
directors were much indebted.

Mr. PICKERSGILL seconded the resolution, which
was adopted, and the dividend was declared.

Mr. Stour was then elected a director, and the
proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Although experience is daily proving that wooden
ships are obsolete in modern naval warfare, the Ad-
miralty is vigorously pushing forward the repair and
outfit of a number of them in Sheerness dockyard,
which,,it is stated, will mostly be employed in the
protection of our foreign trade. First among these
is the new wooden ship Eudymion, a screw frigate
of 21 guns, almost ready for sea, and which is ex-
pected shortly to be commissioned. A new wooden
sloop, the Sappho, a vessel of the Amazon class,
building expressly for speed, has just been com-
menced on the slips. She will be of about 2,000
tons burden, and will carry four 6i-ton guns. The
Virago, 6, paddlewheel sloop, 1,059 tons, 220-horse
power, is rapidly completing in the large basin of

;he dockyard. She is just now under the steam

masting shears receiving her masts on board. It is
stated she is intended for the West Coast of Africa.
Iu No. 1 dock the Chameleon, 17, screw sloop, 952
tons, 200-horse power, another wooden ship, is un-
dergoing extensive alterations and repairs to render
her fit to be employed on a foreign station, and in
No. 2 dock is the Charybdis, 17, screw corvette,
1,506 tons, 400-horse power, likewise a wooden ship,
which is being " altered and repaired" for foreign
service. The Rodney, a screw two decker, 78 guns,
2,770 tons, 500-horse power, lying in No. 1 dock,
is about to be made as comfortable as possible for
the flagship of an admiral on the China station.
These are all the ships which are at present being
built or repaired in Sheerness dockyard, and an
extra number of shipwrights are, being set to work
to get them out of hand as quickly as possible. The
harbour is filled with wooden ships and frigates
under the name of Steam Reserve. The Anson, a
large 81-gunfrigate, of 3,214 tons and 800-horse
power, and the Atlas, 81 gun ship, 3,318 tons, 800
horse power, have never been to sea, having been
built some years ago and placed in the " steam
reserve," where they have remained ever since.
The following is a list of the ships which
compose the " steam reserve" in Sheerness har-
bour, in addition to the two already named :
—The Collingwood, 68 guns, 400-horsepower, 2,611
tons ; Conqueror, 76, 500 horse power, 2,845 tons ;
Cressy, 68, 400 horse power, 2,540 tons ; Emerald
frigate, 35, GOO horse power, 2,913 tons; Forte,
frigate, 29, 400 horse power, 2,364 tons; Goliath,
60, 400 horse power, 2,596 tons; Hero, 79, 600
horse power, 3,148 tons; Hood, 79, 600 horsepower,
3,308 tons; Mars, 68, 400 horse power, 2,573 tons;
Meeanee, 60, 400 horse power, 2,591 tons ;
Miranda, 15, 250 horse power, 1,039 tons ; New-
castle, 31, 600 horse power, 3,035 tons ; Orion,
79, 600 horse power, 3,281 tons; Phaeton, 35,
400 horse power, 2,396 tons ; Severn frigate, 35,
500 horse power, 2,767 tons ; Undaunted frigate,
31, 600 horse power, 3,039 tons. These are gene-
rally considered to form the available steam re-
serve, but many of them would :require very large
repairs before being fit for service. In addition
to these there are in the harbour three floating bat-
teries armour-plated, the Thunder, Thunderbolt, and
Etna, but the valueset on these may be judged from
the fact that the last named has been turned into a
residence for the dockyard police ; the Cumberland
and the Formidable, sailing ships, the former the
guard ship of the steam reserve and the latter the
flagship of the Port Admiral ; five or six other
sailing ships which will never be of any use to the
Admiralty, and if kept much longer will never be of
use to any one else; three or four gunboats and three
or four tugboats conclude the list.

The new War Department steam store vessel Earl
de Grey and Ripon, Mr. Moor master in command,
having been cleared of her superheating steam ap-
paratus, sailed from Woolwich-pier yesterday morn-
ing, laden with a cargo of war stores for Devon-
port, including 12 6 tons, carriages, and platforms,
and 700 7-inch shells for her Majesty's ironcased
ships Ocean and Zealous.

Her Majesty's surveying ship Nassau, Captain
Mayne, returned to Woolwich yesterday from her
trial ship, which was announced as perfectly satis-
factorily. She is to be inspected this morning by
the senior officer of Woolwich dockyard, Captain
Edinonstone, accompanied by Commander Jackson
and Mr. Lory, secretary. After the inspection the
Nassau will go down to Greenhithe to arrange the
deviation of her compasses, and will then proceed on
her voyage to the Straits of Magellan, calling at
Portsmouth and Plymouth, Madeira, and Rio de
Janeiro.

The iron storeship Industry, Staff-Commander
Youel, having been undocked at Woolwich, yester-
day went down the river on a trial of her machinery,
and is under orders to go up to Deptford to ship
victualling stores for Rio and Ascension.

Brigade-Major Hay, ILA., Woolwich, having

been granted leave of absence from the garrison,
the duties of that post will be performed in the in-
terim by Major Greville, R.A.
Major-Gen. Stransham, Inspector-General Royal
Marine Light Infantry, has signified his intention of
commencing his half-yearly inspection of the Wool-
wich division of the corps this morning.
In addition to the 12 batteries of Royal Artillery
announced in The Sun of Tuesday as being ordered
'by the War Department for immediate transport to
Canada, the authorities of the Royal Arsenal at
Woolwich have received instructions to prepare for
despatch to the same destination a large number of
20-pounder, 12-pounder, and 9-pounder guns, t°'
gether with 40,000 rounds of prepared cartridges,
ammunition, shot, and shell, to be shipped at the
earliest possible date, and for which tonnage ha's
been engaged by the Admiralty.
Yesterday afternoon the D and B troops of the
Bth Hussars, forming a squadron of about 96 men
and horses, under the command of Capt. 11. P•
Burke, marched into Windsor from Aldershot Camp,
and were billeted at the various inns in the town•
To-day the squadron will set out for Northampton,
where it will for the present be stationed, other
squadrons of this regiment being stationed, it iS
understood, at Coventry, Weedon, and Birming-
ham.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Mr. H. Drummond, midshipman,
to the Bellerophon; F. M'Aree, surgeon, to the
Ganges, additional, in lieu of an assist.-sung• ;
J. Inman, assist.-surg., to the Dart ; J. V. N.
Blake, assist.-surg., additional, to the Victory, for
Haslar Hospital ; R. G. Bird, acting assist.-surgq
to the Mega3ra ; R. Harbord, assist.-paymaster, to
the Victory, as supernumerary ; Geo. G. Barden,
chief engineer, to the Asia, for service in the Prince
of Wales ; G. Rock, chief engineer, to the Asia, for
service in the Edgar ; and J. J. Hill, clerk, to the
Caledonia, as supernumerary.
The Hon. E. R. Gifford, A. W. Pym, C. G.
May, and B. A. Muirhead have been nominated
naval cadets.