The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-24 00:00:00

Naval Intelligence.

Although only a very few weeks have elapsed
since the first piece of iron for the keel of the turret
ship Monarch, 6, 1,100 horse power, was lowered
into the dock at Chatham, in which she is building,
so rapidly is the construction of the vessel being
urged forward that nearly all her continuous
wrought-iron frames, with the exception of a few of
those at the stem and stern, are in place, while
up to the discontinuance of work yesterday evening
the whole of the bottom plates had been fixed to the
frames, and the work of fixing the recess plates com-
menced. The difficult operation of fixing the pro-
jecting wrought-iron stein for the Monarch was
completed yesterday without accident. The stem
on leaving the smithery, where it was forged, weighed
17 tons, and was the largest forging ever previously
completed at Chatham dockyard. On its removal to
the factory the slotting, planing, boring, and polish-
ing processes it was required to undergo occupied
some weeks, the shape of the stem-piece, which ex-
actly resembles the lower portion of the letter S,
rendering these operations extremely difficult.
Hitherto it has been found impossible to adopt the
ord nan planing machines for curvilinear planing,
but at length this problem has been solved by Mr.
Middleton, tht. head of the machinery department
in Chatham dockyLrd, who has succeeded in planing
the whole of the curves and angular surfaces of the
iron stem-piece for the Monarch with no other ap-
pliances than common planing machines. Like the
other iron ships built from the designs of the pre-
sent Chief Constructor of the wavy, the Monarch
is being constructed on the cellular double-bottom
principle, first introduced into the navy with so much
success in the Bellerophon. Under this system of
construction, while the strength and rigidity of the
vessel are enormously increased, the chances of any
calamity occurring to her from an injury to her
bottom—which in iron vessels built on the ordinary
principle generally proves fatal--if not absolutely
renderedimpossible, are reduced to a minimum. The
Monarch will be the first ship combining the turret
and the broadside principles in the same vessel, and
consequently it is to her central battery, in which
will be mounted her heavy broadside guns, with her
turrets above, that the greatest amount of protection
will be required. 'While the armour-plating cover-
ing the whole of her midship battery will be seven
inches in thickness—an inch thicker than the Bel_
leroplion's armour, which latter vessel is at present
the most heavily armoured ship in the British navy
_ the armour upon her turrets will be nearly, if not
quite, one foot in thickness, while space will be ob-
tained for working two 600-pounder guns, simul-
taneously, in each turret. What in effect will be a
third turret will be erected at the bow, consisting of
an armour-plated traverse, or battery, rising from
the water-lines to a height of eight feet above the
upper deck, and giving protection to the large chase
gun to be carried at the bow. It is a noticeable
feature in the construction of the Monarch that the
Admiralty have at length wisely adopted the system
pursued by private firms, by permitting the drillers
and rivetters employed on that vessel to NI ork by
piece-work, by which not only is the greater eco-
nomy of labour obtained, but the workmen them-
selves are satisfied.

The screw gunboat Sepoy, 2, GO horse power, ten-
der to the Dauntless, 31, 580 horse power, Capt. E.
P. B. von Donop, coastguard ship in the Humber,
having completed her repairs and refit at Chatham,
received orders yesterday to rejoin the Dauntless.
screw steamer Rodney, 78, 2,770 tons, 500
horse power (unarmoured), is getting well forward
in the steam basin, the intention of sending her to
D evonport to be fitted having been abandoned.
She is expected to be ready early in the ensuing
year for commission, her station being a flagship
of the China squadron, relieving the Princess Royal,
73, 400 horse power, on the return of the latter to
England, in the ensuing
7,
2o spring.
The Reindeer,o horse power, Commander
E. dares, was taken alongside the coal depot, near
Illacketakes, in the Medway,yesterday, for the
purpose of filling up with coals.
The attention of the Horse Guards authorities, it
appears, has been called to the great inexpediency of
removing the Ist Brigade Royal Artillery from
Gibraltar to Halifax. On account of the lateness
of the season, and the great contrast in the
climates, the health of the men would undoultery
suffer severely, the winter having already set in
with great severity in Halifax.
The greater part of the: troops at Woolwich were
paraded on Wednesday morning for a general
" march out." The different portions of the force
were ordered to leave the garrison and march by
several routes, so as to arrive at Chislehurst by 11
n.m. The B brigade Royal Artillery, commanded
by Col. D'Aguilar, C. 8., and consisting of cue bat-
tery, commanded by Capt. Saunders, marched out
by Mottinghatu. The C brigade, in command of