The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-01 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Lord Clarence E. Paget, C. 8., accompanied by
Major Andrew Clarke, Royal Engineers, director of
Admiralty Engineering Works, and other officials,
was engaged until late on Tuesday afternoon in the
inspection of the extensive works now in progress at
Chatham for the enlargement of Chatham dockyard,
by the construction of the proposed new basins,
docks, factories, and building slips, preparatory to
the annual statement in Parliament on the intro-
duction of the Navy Estimates. In the early por-
tion of the day Lord Clarence Paget, accompanied
by the principal officials connected with the master-
shipwright's department, and other officers, made
a lengthened inspection of the ironclad frigate Bel-
lerophon, on which a large number of hands are now
employed. The ironclad frigate Lord Warden, in
the adjoining dry dock, also attracted attention, but
the chief interest was centred in the Bellerophon:
After luncheon at the official residence of Capt. W.
11. Stewart, C. 8., in the dockyard, Lord C. Paget
and the other officials proceeded to the eastern ex-
tremity of the dockyard, at the point where the exten-
sion works commence, o ver which they were conducted
by Major Pasley, Royal Engineers, and Mr. Ber-
nays, the superintendent and assistant-superinten-
dent of the undertaking. After making a tour of
the site of the new basins and docks, and ascertain-
ing the leading features and details of the works,
Lord Clarence returned to the dockyard, where he
spent a brief interval in the transaction of some
official business. Ile left the establishment late in
the afternoon for the Admiralty. In the prepara-
tion of the Navy Estimates for the approaching
year, which, with the exception of a few minor de-
tails, are completed so far as the Chatham establish-
ments are concerned, a considerable sum will be
taken for carrying on the dockyard enlargement
works by means of contracts with large firms, in
accordance with the decision of the Admiralty, and
subsequently approved by the House of Commons.
Under this arrangement a sum of £150,000 will be
required for the year 1866-67 for the contracts pro-
posed to be made during the present year, in addi-
tion to a sum of £40,000 for convict labour, which,
as will be seen, forms but a small proportion of
£1,250,090, the estimated expense of carrying out
the extension scheme in its integrity, this being an
increase of £306,100 on the original estimate, the
increase arising from the determination of the Go-
vernment to employ civil labour to a greater extent
1 than has hitherto been found practicable.
Her-Majesty's screw iron-built troopship Simoom,
1,980 tons, 400-horse power, Capt. T. B. Leth-
bridge, made her official trial of speed, at light
draught of water, over the measured mile in Stokes
Bay, near Portsmouth, yesterday, under the super-
vision of the officials of the Steam Factory and
Reserve Departments of the dockyard. The ship
drew 17ft. forward and 18ft. 10in. aft. She was
complete in rigging aloft, but required her stores
and provisions, coals, officers, and crew, as also
troops to be on board to bring her down to her
deep load-line or sea-going draught of water.
The wind was from S.S.W., on the ship's port
quarter, in running over the course to the west-
ward, and on her starboard bow in running back
to the eastward. The force of the wind was
from 3 to 4, and the water, comparatively
speaking, smooth. Six runs were first made with
full-boiler power, alternately with and against the
tide, which gave the ship's speed in each run as
11.803, 11.215, 12.203, 10.846, 12.456, 10.434
knots, the mean speed of the ship as worked out
from the six runs being 11.588 knots. The pres-
sure of steam was 201 b., the vacuum 25 inches, the
.
revolutions of the engines, maximum, 62 5 ; mini-
mum, 51.5. Four runs with half-boiler power gave
11.841, 7.985, 12.080, and 7.860 knots, the ship's
mean speed being 9.986 knots. The steam pres-
sure and vacuum were as in the previous full-power
trials, and the revolutions of engines ranged from
55 to 52.5. The steering wheel of the ship and its
connecting gear from before the mainmast to the
tiller of the rudder aft has been fitted, on the sug-
gestion of Capt. Lethbridge, after the plan of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship
Poonah's steaming gear, and has, so far, been found
to answer most admirably. Yesterday, with six
men at the wheel with full-boiler power, and five
men with half-boiler power, circles were made as
follows :—At full-boiler power—Helm got up in 45
sec. to starboard, 52 sec. to port ; angle of rudder,
29 deg. to starboard, 27 deg. to port ; turns of
wheel, 2.5 to starboard, 2.5 to port; half-circle
made in 3 min. 2 sec. to starboard, to port 3 min. 1
see. ; full circle madein 5 min. 52 sec. to starboard;
to port, 5 min. 56 sec. The revolutions of the en-
gines before the helm was put up were 62.5 ; after-
wards, 61. At half-boiler power—Helm got up in
o 4 sec. to starboard, 32 sec. to port ; angle of rud-
der, 30 deg. to starboard, 32 deg. to port ; half-
circle made in 3 min. 32 sec. to starboard, 3 min.
15 sec. to port ; full circle made in 6 min. 59 sec.
to starboard, 6 min. 31 sec. to port. The revolu-
tions of the engines before the helm was put up were
52.5 ; afterwards, 52. The machinery of the Si-
moom is uew, having been constructed for her by
the steam factory department of Portsmouth dock-
yard since the period of her last commission. The
engines are of the ordinary two-cylinder pattern,the

cylinders having a diameter of 621 in., and a length
of stroke of 3ft. They drive a two-bladed
screw fitted with Maudslay's shifting blades, having
a range of pitch from 22ft. bin. to 27ft. 6in. The
present pitch is 26ft., the diameter 16ft., and the
length 2ft. sfin. The engines worked in the most
satisfactory manner throughout the trial, no hot
bearings or delay of any kind occurring from the
time of starting from alongside the dockyard in the
morning to the time of the ship being made fast again
alongside the dockyard after the trial. If compari-
son be made between the results obtained yesterday
with the Simoom's new engines and what was ob-
tained with her former set the balance will be found
greatly in favour of those employed yesterday. The
ship had previously to yesterday made six trials at
different dates between 1850 and 1856 over the mea-
sured mile, but four of these were reported at the
time as imperfect from stated causes. Selecting,
therefore, the two favourably reported trials of the
ship, we shall find that on the 25th of February,
1854, the ship was tried at a mean draught of water
of 17ft. 61in., and attained a mean speed of 7.926
knots. On the 25th of November, 1856, she was
tried at a mean draught of water of 15ft.11iin., and
attained a mean speed of 10.861 knots. Yesterday
she was tried at a mean draught of water of 17ft.
11in., and attained a mean speed of 11.588 knots.
The admirable internal arrangements of the Simoom
have already been fully described in the Naval In-
telligence of The Sun. In common with all other
of her Majesty's troopships, however, the Simoom
has no accommodation provided onboard fora chap-
lain, although she will necessarily at times have a
large number of sick military officers and soldiers,
with women and children, onboard, returning to Eng-
land from foreign service. She willalways have, when
freighted with troops, upwards of 1,000 people on
board. Wehavealready observed thatit is one of the
strange anomalies of our navy that while a 21-gun
corvette, with a crew of about 300 men, carries a
chaplain, a troop steamer, with upwards of 1,000
people on board, is allowed no chaplain, her captain
being supposed to be always ready to administer
religious consolation when required by the sick or
dying, notwithstanding the many and unceasing
duties which must always attend upon the com-
manding officer of a ship carrying troops.
The Conqueror, screw line-of-battle ship, Capt.
Luard, sailed from Spithead on Tuesday after sun-
set for the Nore and Sheerness.

The Woolwich portion of the Royal Marine
Brigade returned from Japan arrived at headquar-
ters on Tuesday evening, and were played up from
the railway station by the divisional band with the
appropriate air " Here we are again." They en-
tered the parade, where Col. Maxwell and the whole
of the officers and men of the division, were in wait-
ing, when a loud shout of welcome was given, in
which they vociferously joined. They were yes-
terday paraded under shelter in consequence of the
rain, and each man desiring it was granted a pass
for the night for London. After receiving their
pay they will be allowed to go on furlough. Those
whose friends or relatives reside in England will
obtain six weeks' leave, and natives of Ireland or
Scotland eight weeks'. The health of the detach-
ment appears to be very good.
The Chatham contingent of the Royal Marine
Light Infantry which formed a portion of the Japan
battalion was also inspected at headquarters, Chat-
ham, at which the officers and men had arrived the
previous evening from Portsmouth, after disembark-
ing from the Conqueror, 78, Capt. W. G. Luard.
On marching into the barracks on Tuesday evening
their comrades turned out on the parade-ground,
and gave them three hearty cheers. The inspection
of the officers and men of the detachment was made
yesterday by Col. J. 0. Travers, C. 8., the com-
mandant of the division, who expressed himself well
pleased with the appearance of the non-commis-
sioned officers and men after their lengthened ab-
sence. At the same time a letter from the Admi-
ralty was read to the detachment, in which their
lordships expressed their sense of the exemplary
manner in which the officers and men had carried
out the duties in which they had been engaged since
their absence from England. The non-commis-
sioned officers and men will be paid their arrears of
pay on the arrival of the lists from the Royal
Marine-office, immediately after which they will be
granted several weeks' leave of absence for the pur-
pose of visiting their friends.
The following medals and gratuities awarded by
the Board of Admiralty to the Woolwich division
of Royal Marine Light Infantry for good conduct
and long service were yesterday presented by Col.
Maxwell, Commandant : Colour-Sergt. Jonah
Holder, a medal and £l5; and Drummer Charles
Ilines, a medal and £5. Capt. Allen, Lieut.
Rutherford, one sergeant, one corporal, and five
privates Royal Marines yesterday left WoolWich by
rail to join the Doris at Plymouth for service. The
Royal Marine detachment told off for the Island of
Ascension yesterday went up to Deptford from
Woolwich in the steamtug Monkey, and took up
their berths on board the Megra in readiness for
departure, the order for their embarcation at Wool-
wich having been cancelled.

The depot of the 4th Regiment, consisting of two
captains, six subalterns, eight sergeants, four drum-
mers, 242 rank and file, 21 women, and 11 children,
is held in immediate readiness to proceed from Col-
chester to Dover, to await the headquarters of the
regiment on its arrival from India. Major Gregory,
Lieut. Rennie, Lieut. O'Niell, and Ensigns Foster,
Chappell, and Freke will accompany the depot from
Colchester; and Lieut.-Col. Robinson, Capt. Hodg-
son, and Lieuts. Halahan and Bald will join the re-
giment at Dover on the expiration of their leave of
absence. The depot of the 56th Regiment, consist-
ing of three captains, three subalterns, seven ser-
geants, four drummers, 178 rank • and file, 12
women, and 16 children, is held in readiness to pro-
ceed from Colchester to Portsmouth on or about to-
day, the headquarters of the regiment being expected
to arrive from India early in the ensuing month,
and to be stationed at Gosport or Portsmouth.
Major Anderson, Capts. Godley and Huskisson,
Lieut. Bell, and Ensigns Walmsley and Prickett
will proceed from Colchester with their depot ; and
Capts. Couran and Bradley, Lieuts. King and
Campbell, and Ensign Knox will join headquarters
at the expiration of their leave of absence.
The troops brought to England in the hired sailing
transport Talbot, from Bombay, were disembarked
fram that ship at Spithead. yesterday morning, by
one of the Portsmouth dockyard steam tenders.
The detachment of the 72d Regiment (two com-
panies) under the command of Provost-Major
Hastings, were landed at Gosport and quartered in
barracks, there to await the arrival of the head-
quarters from Bombay, now expected daily at Spit-
head in another sailing transport. The time-ex-
pired soldiers were landed at Portsmouth and sent
on thence by railway to the depots of their respec-
tive regiments. The invalided men were forwarded
to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley.
The authorities at Deptford dockyard were yes-
terday engaged, in pursuance of instructions from
Somerset-house, in testing the powers of a steam
fire-engine ordered by the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, for Bermuda, and supplied by
Messrs. Shand, Mason, and Co., to supersede the
Use of fire-engines worked by manual labour. The
experiments took place in the presence of Captain
Chads, the Captain Superintendent ; Mr. Robert-
son, R.N., chief engineer and inspector of machi-
nery ; Mr. Gossage, from Somerset-house ; and the
various officials of the yard. The water was drawn
from a depth of 12ft., and was projected in various
streams with different sized jets. The fire was laid
with wood and shavings, and was kindled at 2 45
p.m. Steam was obtained in 11m. 10s. of 601 b.
pressure to the square inch, at which pressure the
engine was started, when the water immediately
issued from the jet, and was projected high above
the roof of the building slip adjoining. The best re-
sult obtained was with a jet 15-16ths of an inch in
diameter, which reached a height of 218 ft., the
steam pressure being 1251 b., and the water 1051 b.
to the square inch.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Cottrell B. Powell, to
the Cumberland, vice Barnes ; Lieut. Philip N.
Tyrwhitt, additional, to the Princess Royal, for dis-
posal ; Francis C. Alton, chief engineer, to the
Doris ; Geo. Grandidicr, paymaster, to the Prince
Albert : Julian P. Taplin and William R. Leeson,