The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-07 00:00:00

THE SIPS, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 7, 1866.

between London and Birmingl' .am into a mineral
and goods railway, they had 1111 itructed the engineer
to make a survey, which would be completed in
about a month. The profits for the half year, after
paying interest on the preference stock and working
expenses, amounted to £:26,513, which, added to
the balance in hand, made a total of £32,755, from
which the committee recommended a dividend of
£2 ss. per share, free of in como tax, leaving a ba-
lance of £7,264.

The CHAIRMAN, congratmlatin 7;
on the sound condition' 'le undertaking, moved
the adoption of the re 'the shareholders
~-i
been agreed to , port and dividend, which hav-
inga vote of thanks to the chair-
man concluded 'le proceedings.
- ...._
NPaval and Miltary Intelligence.

We understand that Capt. H. W. Hire, of her
Majesty's screw troopship Orontes, has submitted to
the Admiralty a plan for utilising the present
" bridges" on the upper deck of troop and other pas-
senger screw steamvessels as " lifeboats." The screw
now having superseded paddlewheels in these ves-
sels, the old paddlebox lifeboat is lost as a means of
saving life at sea, or of landing quickly any large
body of troops. It is with a view to meet this de-
ficiency that the plan now proposed as the joint de-
sign of himself and Mr. John White, shipbuilder, of
Cowes, has been so far matured. A boat is to be
built for the Orontes which will also serve as a
bridge. It will be 10ft in width and 50ft long, the
breadth of the ship, and it will be constructed on
Lamb and White's patent. When launched from
the ship and filled to the gunwale with water, it
will, by means of air cases, be able to carry 150
men, each man carrying with him 20 pounds of food
or stores. There can be no doubt as to the fitness
of Lamb and White's patent in the construction of
such a boat, and the most important point after-
wards remaining for consideration is the mode pro-
posed forgetting the boat in and out of the ship from
its bridge position, above the level of the hammock
nettings, to its boat position, afloat on the water
alongside the ship, and back again from boat to bridge.
This is accomplished in the following manner:—The
boatis mounted athwart the ship's deck as a " bridge"
on a platform which is nothing more or less than a
set of launching ways, the keel of the boat fitting
in a groove, and the bilges of the boat resting on
the side " ways." These ways are pivoted in the
centre on stout stanchions, and their ends are held
in position over the ship's hammock netting on each
side by screw stanchions. The ship's bulwarks next
these screw stanchions are cut into a large port on
each side rather wider than the boat, and when open
throw outwards. If the boat has to be lowered,
the screw stanchions are lowered on the side re-
quired, the port opened, and the boat on its ways
lowered down until the lower end of the ways rest
on the ship's side over her waterway. The striking
up then of an ordinary dogshore releases the boat,
and sends her off and afloat alongside the ship. In
getting her in again two threefold tackles, from davits
fixed at each end of the ways, lift one end of the boat
on the lower end of the inclined ways ; another
tackle from their further end hauls the boat into its
seat ; the ways and boat are then swayed into posi-
tion again, screw stanchions are set up and fasten-
ings made good, and the whole has now become a
bridge again. The boat is thus got in and out of
the ship without any purchase from her masts and
yards. The platform of the bridge is formed with
properly-fitted planking laid over the boat's thwarts,
and left on board the ship when she is sent afloat.
The only objectionable feature suggested on consi-
deration appears to be the probable weight of the
boat and its ways when in position on board a steam-
ship as her bridge. This, however, Capt. Hire will
have to deal with ; and if the scheme can be carried
into practical effect a very considerable addition
will be made to the troop-landing powers of our
screw troop steamships and to the life-savingpowers
of all our screw steamships at sea.

The Royal Sovereign, 5, turret-ship, Capt. Herbert,
has landed her gun from her after-turret at Ports-
mouth, and made ready for the firing test at her
after turret from the 10-inch rifled gun now on board
the iron frigate Bellerophon, Capt. B. Tatham, also
lying at Portsmouth. No day has yet been named
definitely for the experiment, although, of course, all
kinds of rumours are current both as to time and
conditions, but the steel shot have been received at
Portsmouth dockyard, the 10-inch gun is mounted
on board the Bellerophon, the gun has been dis-
mounted and landed from the after turret of the
Royal Sovereign, and both ships have but now to go
out of Portsmouth harbourto make the experiment.
The Pearl, unarmoured screw corvette, 1,469 tons,
400-horse power, Capt. J. F. Ross, fitting out at '
Portsmouth for service in China, received yesterday
bronze and silver coin to the amount of about $500,000
for conveyance to Hongkong. The Pearl is complete

tor sea.
The large floating shears in Chatham harbour,
which have been employed for some weeks past in
lifting the engines, machinery, and iron masts on
board the armour-clad frigate Northumberland, in
Victoria-docks, were yesterday towed back to Chat-
ham dockyard, their ser ficesbeing no longer required.
The old line-of-battle sailing ship Belleisle, for-
t merly used as an hospital ship in Chatham harbour,
has, on the application of the committee of the Sea-
men's Hospital Society, been lent by the Admiralty
to be used as an hospital for seamen arriving at the
port of London suffering from cholera. The Belle-
isle has been towed round from Chatham by the
Medusa, paddlewheel steamer, Master-Commander
Potter, but during the passage up the Thames was
run aground. She was got off during the following
tide without having sustained any but trifling in-

interfered with this portion of the intended arrange-
ments. Yesterday Major-Gen. Sir R. Walpole re-
sumed and completed the inspection, and intimated
his satisfaction with the efficient state of the corps.
In consequence of the Ist Battalion of the 2d
(Queen's Royals) Regiment being considerably be-
low its proper strength an order has been received
at Chatham garrison directing 23 men of the 2d
Battalion of the 2d Royals to proceed to Cork to
join the service companies of the Ist Battalion. The
2d Battalion of the Ist Royals and the Ist Batta-
lion of the sth Fusileers are also both below their
proper complement, and an order has been received
at Chatham from the Horse Guards directing volun-
teering to be opened for both those regiments from
the depot of the Ist Battalion of the 10th Regt.
Yesterday the 11th company of Royal Engineers
left headquarters, Brompton-barracks, and pro-
ceeded from Chatham by railway to Dover for the
purpose of being employed on the engineering works
connected with the defences on that part of the
o a s
companyat of Royal Engineers also
left Chathamt garrisonh 4.30 yesterday morning,
The t
and marched to the Isle of Grain for the purpose
of occupying the casemated barracks just completed
c within the fortifications erected at the entrance to
the Medway, for the better protection of Chatham
harbour and dockyard.

The annual military games and athletic sports by
the infantry troops of the line at Chatham garrison
took place yesterday afternoon on Chatham lines,
under the patronage of Major-Gen. Sir R. Wal-
pole, K.C.8., in the presence of an unusually large
concourse of spectators. The sports consisted of
throwing the hammer, putting the stone, high and
wide jumping, foot races over a course of a mile
and under, hurdle races for both officers and men,
flat races, and other games and sports, the entries
for each race being very numerous. A sum of
nearly £3O was distributed in prizes, which were
given in sums varying from £1 Is. downwards.
All the races and games were exceedingly well con-
tested, and the sports gave the utmost satisfaction
to the numerous spectators present. The bands of
the several corps attended and played appropriate
selections of music between the games.
An order has been received at Woolwich from
the War Department for the manufacture of
5,000,000 cartridges for the supply of Schneider's
breechloading carbines, 20,000 of which are ordered
to be issued to the army for immediate use, and a
number of them are to be tested at the Arsenal
butt in the Plumstead-marsh.

A naval court-martial assembled on Tuesday on
board her Majesty's ship Victory, at Portsmouth,
for the trial of Lieut. E. F. Keppel and Mr. J. P.
Snell, officers serving on board her Majesty's ship
Pearl, Capt. Ross. The charges against Lieut. Kep-
pel were, his having been drunk on May 27, and
of having, on or about March 27, caused a boat to
be lowered, and being in the gangway with intent
to leave the ship in the said boat without having
obtained permission from Capt. Ross. The Court
comprised Capt. E. Tatham (Bellerophon), presi-
dent ; Capt. the Hon. F. Egerton, A.D.C. (Vic-
tory), Capt. M. Connolly (Pallas), Capt. J. Sec-
combe (Liverpool), Capt. Hire (Orontes), and Capt.
Herbert (Royal Sovereign). Capt. Ross (Pearl)
prosecuted; and Mr. E. Hoskins sat as officiating
judge advocate; Mr. R. W. Ford, solicitor, of Ports-
mouth, was present as prisoner's friend. After hear-
ing the evidence the Court ordered " That Lieut.
Keppel be dismissed her Majesty's service." The
Court then proceeced to try Mr. Snell, master of
her Majesty's ship Pearl, on the charge of being
drunk. Captain Ross prosecuted. The prisoner
pleaded guilty. He laid before the Court certifi-
cates he had received since he entered the service.
He obtained full numbers at college, for which the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty favourably
noticed his name. lie also produced an extra cer-
tificate as pilot from the Board of Trade. The
Court, after deliberating an hour, sentenced the
prisoner—in consideration of the position he ob-
tained at college, and the excellence of his certifi-
cates —to be only dismissed his ship, and placed at
the bottom of the list of masters.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander G. 11. Clarke (now
employed as naval agent in contract mail service) to
the Royal George, additional, for service as trans-
port agent at Kingstown, vice Lieut. E. 11. Blake ;
Staff Commander George L. Carr to the Indus, for
service in tenders ; Lieut. Hugh Davis, Lieut. Chas.
E. D. Willcox, Lieut. Frederick Hammond, and
Lieut. Francis itomilly to the Lord Clyde ; Lieut.
Edward C. Royse to the Pearl ; Francis B. llen-
wood, master, to the Pembroke; W. F. Parsons,
master to the President ; S. W. Browne, master,
to the Pearl ; S. J. M'Beau, assist.-surg., additional,
to the Ganges; J. W. Arnott, assist.-surg., to the
Wizard; Dr. W. M‘Mahon, assist.-surg., to the
St. George ; C. Strickland, assist.-surg., additional,
to the Bristol ; N. T. Conolly, assist.-surg., to the
Supply ; E. W. Thomas, engineer, and J. F. Hat-
tersley, first-class assistant-engineer, to the Cale-
donia, for the Pigeon.

dew-point temperature and air temperature was 9.2
deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was
72, complete saturation being represented
.by 100.
On four days of the week the humidity was only 62
or 64. Rain fell to the amount of 1.80 in., of which
o.Boin. fell early on Sunday, and the remainder,
equal to lin., on Thursday and Friday. On the
latter day the rain-fall at Birmingham amounted to
but there was scarcely any north of that town.

King's College Hospital.

The 27th anniversary festival of this charity was
held yesterday evening at Willis's Rooms, Sir W.
Ferguson, Bart., in the chair. There were between
150 and 200 guests present. The report circulated
in the room pointed out that the hospital was in the
centre of a district containing 400,000 inhabitants,
and that it received patients from all parts of Lon-
don and the suburbs. Last year relief was given to
1,900 in-patients, 35,792 out-patients and 733 poor
married women at their own homes. No London
hospital afforded to its patients a greater quantity
of space, air, and light, or more perfect ventila-
tion. Ten beds were set apart under the auspices
of Miss Nightingale, at the charge of the
Nightingale fund, for the reception of poor mar-
ried women, of whom 168 were confined in the
hospital during 1865. By these means midwife
nurses were specially trained. There was a ward
for sick children called the " Pantia Ralli" ward
founded recentlyby a gift of £6,000 from Mr. Peter
P. Ralli, the Greek merchant, in memory of his
late father. The entire cost of conducting the hos-
pital could not be put down at less than £B,OOO per
annum, while the committee had only annual sub-
scriptions to the amount of about £2,200. Between
the toasts vocal music was given by Mr. Winn, Mr.
Coates, Miss Dalmaine, and Miss Randal. The
loyal and patriotic toasts were given by the chair-
man, and Major-Gen. Sir J. Garvock acknowledged
the toast of the army. In giving " Prosperity to
King's College Hospital" the chairman made an
earnest appeal on behalf of the institution, and cha-
ritable institutions generally, referring incidentally
to his 40 years' professional experience of them.
Since its foundation he said 700,000 applicants had
appeared at the doors of King's College Hospital,
and of the 40,000 persons who applied every year
2,000 were admitted. After dwelling upon the ad-
vantages of the hospital as a charity, the chairman
enlarged upon its educational character, remarking
that it was one of the only two hospitals in London
devoted from its opening to educational purposes,
and that the present number of pupils was 140,
while the total number educated was 1,300. The
facilities offered for the training of nurses was also
commented upon as one of its important and inte-
resting features. Subscriptions exceeding £2,500
were announced. The Earl of Dartmouth and Mr.
Justice Keating were amongst the speakers during
the concluding portion of the proceedings. It was
hoped that £B,OOO would have been subscribed dur-
ing the evening, that sum being required to place
the charity in a healthy financial position.