The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-16 00:00:00

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You have learnt by telegraph the important
news contained in the Cork Examiner of last even-
ing, that Stephens has made his escape to America.
What makes the news probable is that his wife de-
parts this day from Queenstown to New York by
the Inman steamer.

PRICE.. /•• ••• • . .4d.
ST AMPED........5d.

Her Majesty's Ship Bellerop'. on.

Two Fenian fugitives have been arrested at Dro-
mahair, in the county Leitrim, and two others in
Dromard, in the county of Sligo. Yesterday after-
noon 45 of the Fenian prisoners were removed from
Kihnainham Gaol to Mountjoy Convict Prison.
This batch includes nearly all the American officers
and the more important prisoners arrested under
the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act. It was to make
room for them that the ordinary convicts were sent
to Belfast on Saturday, so that the Belfast people
were mistaken in regarding those prisoners as
Fenians.

PORTSMOUTH, Wednesday Evening.
A new ship, bearing an old and honoured name, now lies
anchored at Spithead —the Bellerophon, or Billyruffian, as
seamen generally designate her. Unlike the Bellerophon of
former days is the iron ship designed by Mr. Reed, chief
constructor of the navy. When Britain's best bulwarks
wore her wooden walls, the old Bellerophon and Arethusa
were crack men of war, and even now old salts tell of the
glorious times when those ships were modern and invin-
cible. Mr. Reed's Bellerophon is undoubtedly a splendid
vessel of her class, and, premising her speed answers the
constructor's anticipation, she will rank with the first of our
ironclad navy. This morning was fixed for a preliminary
trial, or what may be more properly designated a contrac-
tor's trial, of the new ship's machinery. At half-past ten
the Fancy, gunboat, was ready, steam up, alongside theße-
serve-office, to embark the chief constructor, engineer, and
officials for Spithead. The morning was beautifully fine,
and the wind was favourable for the run. Mr. Reed, chief
constructor of the navy; Capt. Tatham, of the Bellerophon;
Capt. Herbert, of the Royal Sovereign ; Mr. Penn, Mr.
Matthews, Mr. Penn, jun., Master Commander J. Loane,
and numerous officials, having embarked on board the
Fancy, the little vessel made for Spithead, passing the five-
masted Minotaur, and leaving the red painted Royal Sove-
reign close alongside the dockyard. A short run brought
the Fancy up to the stern of the Bellerophon, trim and
shipshape as she appeared. Ironclads are generally un-
sightly, especially when incomplete, but the Belerophon
appeared to be an exception. Her rigging was neat and
prim, and first impressions received from external appear-
ances were undoubtedly favourable. Her round over-
hanging stern, riding high, appeared somewhat strange
and unsightly, which, perhaps, may be attributed to the
marked absence of an outer stern-post. The Bel-
lerophon, of 4,246 tons, was built at Chatham,
from Mr. Reed's designs. The main copy of the ship is.
plated with 6 in. of iron, tapering forward and aft to 4i in
The first portion of her keel was laid down on Saturday,
April 9, 1864, and last Friday she left her "birthplace" for
Spithead. It was twelve months after the first portion of
her keel was laid ere the last plate of the keel was obtained
from the contractor. More weight has been built into the
ship during a given period—and I should state that the
work was weighed every week—than into any armour-
plated ship built for the British Government. She is built
on the cellular system, and has two entire " skins," these
being divided into water-tight compartments, affording as
it were a double protection. Thus, if her outer bottom, or
" skin," were stove, or carried away, she would maintain
nearly the same line of flotation. The inner "skin" extends
to the main deck, and premising that her bottom was pierced
at any point from the keel to the main deck, the ship would
still float almost as before. She is divided into compart-
ments within the inner "skin," by water-tight bulk-heads,
having water-tight doors for purposes of ventilation.
These doors, of course, are closed when danger is appre-
hended. Her main deck beams are plated with half-inch
iron, on which is laid four inches of oak plank. The upper
deck is plated with half-inch steel, and covered with four
inches of fir. The engine-room is protected by shot-proof
iron gratings, made to slide to and fro as occasion may
require, by means of a screw. During action the machinery
is entirely safe from falling shot. Her gratings are also of
galvanised iron, possessing great strength, although light
in appearance. The masts are of iron, and the yards of
steel, the rigging being of wire, and the dead-eyes of
malleable cast-iron. Sho is fitted with Brown's patent
capstan and deck stoppers. The upper deck has a water-
course, or gutter, running its whole length, so that in the
event of her shipping a heavy sea, the water, instead of
swamping the deck, lodges in the course, and returns to the
sea through scuppers fitted in the gutter. Had such a plan
been adopted in the construction of the ill-fated London
she might have floated. Then as to her armament, the
Bellerophon affords great security in action by reason of
her peculiar construction. She has three batteries, central,
bow, and stern, in addition to a turret amidships, the latter
being plated with eight-inch armour, manufactured by
Camell and Co. In the turret are perpendicular loopholes
for rifles, the riflemen being enabled to protect themselves
after discharging their arms by closing the aperture se-
cured by an external door, to which is attached a small
chain. The turret is entered from the central battery, and
from it all orders are communicated by a system of tele-
graphy
to the hold, magazine, and engine-room. She car-
ries ten 300-pounders, smooth-born, and three 6i-ton guns,
all muzzle-loaders. By the arrangement of the three bat-
teries every man in the ship is protected, being, as it were,
encased in armour-plating. The guns in the central bat-
tery are trained by Mr. Reed's new training gear, worked
about 17. i seconcit.irTftts jetpra rcrt 'et'nfetetjth's" It/
t iII
rangements. Another simple, yet important, arrangement \
is the fixing of numerous loopholes in the side, affording
facility in discharging rifles at an enemy, and affording
security against the best marksman. A small aperture is
cut in the iron side, through which a rifle can bo discharged,
and when the Millet has left the rifle the marksman pulls
a chain, which closes a small iron shutter, and protects
him from danger. The loophole externally presents a
very small surface, while it expands internally, allowing
the rifleman ample space to manage the shutter, so inge-
niously contrived. There are four large anchors of 80 cwt.
each, the invention of Mr. Rogers, who has patented the
plan on which they are made. These have been tested
about 25 per cent. above the Admiralty anchor of 95 cwt. ;
they are " catted" on a system invented by Mr. Reed, RN.,
brother to the chief constructor. Thus it will be seen by
these particulars that the ship possesses all the excellence
that modern inventions can supply or money procure.
Gisborne's system of telegraphy is in use on board, by
which orders are communicated to all parts of the ship.
The engines are set in motion and stopped by this
system, which is both simple and efficacious. The
trial of to- day demonstrated the excellence of the rudder to
a remarkable degree. Nothing could have been more com-
plete than the precise and rapid steering of this great ship,
for she rounded in a few seconds, and was steaming on an
opposite course ere an ordinary vessel would have com-
menced to turn. The remarkable manner in which she
steered, provoked inquiry as to the means used to secure
such a satisfactory result ; and I learned that, for the first
time, the "balance rudder" has been applied to the Belle-
rophon. This rudder was originally invented many years
ago by Lord Stanhope, and tried in the Great Britain,
when it was supposed to have failed. Mr. Reed, it appears,
improved npon the original invention, and this balance
rudder has since been largely introduced, with great suc-
cess, into the American navy. The long corvettes-340
feet in length—now in course of construction by the
American Government, are fitted with this peculiar steer-
ing apparatus. There are features in the mode of sup-
porting and working this rudder which have been intro-
duced by the chief constructor for the first time, and
which are peculiar to the ship. The principal feature is
that instead of being in the centre its pivot turns on the
fore edge, one-third of the area of the rudder being before
the centre, and two-thirds abaft. When this ship was
tried at the Nore she reversed from one point of the com-
pass to its opposite in one minute and a half, and this
at full speed. It is evident to the veriest tyro in naval
architecture that the factof this ship having been designed
with a much gr- „r draught of water after than forward
has tended to improve her steering qualities, the ultimate
low draught of the Bellerophon when ready for sea being
21 feet forward and 26 feet aft. When at full speed
this ship can be easily steered by six men on deck.
To ascertain the working of the engines to-day
was the primary object of the trial, and these I will briefly
describe. The engines were manufactured by Messrs. John
Penn and Son, of Greenwich ; they are of 1,000 nominal
horse-power, and will, it is bellowed, work up to 6;000.
They are on the patent trunk principle, having surface con-
densers, superheater; and apparatus for working the steam
expansively, thus economising the consumption of fuel.
The cylinders are of the effective diameter of 104 i inches,
with a stroke of four feet. There are eight boilers, each
of which can be used independently or collectively. The
machinery was in charge of Mr. Newton, chief engineer of
the ship. Mr. Penn and Mr. Matthews were present watch-
ing their working, with their assistants, Mr. Anderson !mu
Mr. Knight. The boilers were in charge of Mr. Penning
and his mon from the dockyard. The engines are light of
workmanship and undoubtedly very perfect,
ship
was
draw-
back being considerable priming, which had
unfavour-
able effect. I may here remark that
when
MePre lin Sands,
the
an
this only
tried onthe 22d September last year, at thes an
absence of hot
'a reported
the mean speed was 13.645 knots.
Theengines
to have worked admirably, and theiem ,a
bearings. The draught at that trial N'v'as, forward,2 16.6 ;
forward,
aft, 23.6 ; vacuum in the condensers, 5 5
; aft, 25
The water was smooth,
the four-bladed screw being used,
80 tons of coal were on board.
At starting to-day 153 tons of coal were on board, the
ship's draught being 19 feet forward and 24 feet 6 inches
aft. She was fitted on this occasion with a two-bladed
Griffith's screw. Several runs Were made from Spithead to
the east end of the Isle of Wight, past the Warner and Nab
lights, the result being satisfactory for a preliminary trial,
the speed being an improvement when compared
with the previous runs. Pending an official trial of
speid, at the measured mile in Stokes Bay, I reserve
figures until taken from given distances, at the same time
expressing a belief that she will realise, if not exceed, 14
knots. The contractor's trial will be resumed on Fri-
day; the day for the Stokes Bay run has not been
fixed. The Bellerophon promises well, and, providing
her speed comes up to the mark I have named, she will be
a great acquisition to our iron-clad navy.

A young man, named M'Cormack, discovered 25
bayonets at Monaghan yesterday evening. They
were concealed in a ditch about 60 perches from
the Police Barracks. These weapons are much
more likely to have belonged to Orangemen than to
Fenians.

A crowded meeting of members of the Established
Church was held is the town of Antrim on Tuesday
in order to take measures for their defence against
the Fenians. The chair was taken by Captain
Brooke, and among those who took part in the pro-
ceedings were four clergymen—the Rev. Messrs.
atn to stand
liberties
against
i n
the and
threatened
Canning, Green, Smith, and Adare. They passed
resolutions to the effect that they pledged them-
selvesfor the common mutual' defence of their property,
lives,
hr esattlandefda st
uattackson
of conspirators, who, under the false pretence of
patriotism, seek only to enrich themselves by tha
slaughter and plunder of the peaceable and unpro-
tected, and agreed to form a general committee,
with branches, for this purpose. The gentleman who
convened the meeting, Mr. Gwynn, gave his hearers
the following pieces of information :—" With regard
to the present state of the country, he mentioned
that he had been told by a lady friend of his, who
was in company with the Lord-Lieutenant recently
at the Viceregal Lodge, that in reply to a remark of
hers that she supposed the conspiracy was now
crushed out, his Excellency said, I tell you what,
madam ; I know not but before you and I rise from
this table despatches may reach me of an actual in-
vasion—of an actual rising throughout the king-
dom.'" Mr. Gwynn also stated that, "from his
knowledge of the country, he was impressed most
seriously with the opinion that the loyal subjects in
this land should have some organisation to meet that
of the Fenians. One of the principal landlords in
that part of the country had embodied a large num-
ber of his own tenantry, whom he had supplied with
arms ; and the same gentleman had employed drill-
' sergeants to instruct those tenants, so that they
might be prepared for resistance."
The Carlow grand jury yesterday passed a reso-
lution expressing their entire approval of the mea-
sures adopted by the Lord Lieutenant for the sup-
pression of Fenianism. They state that, "by a firm
and judicious use of the powers imparted to him by
the suspension of the Habeas Corpue Act, he has
paralyzed the efforts of a traitorous conspiracy
against the integrity of the empire, and saved the
country from scenes of bloodshed and violence which
would otherwise have taken place. As justices of
the peace, we desire to tender him our thanks for the
assistance he has been ready to afford us in main-
taining the peace of the county." They also re-
commended that Constable Cox should be promoted
to the rank of Head Constable, for having arrested,
under circumstances of great difficulty, J. Morris,
charged with being the chief leader of the Fenian
conspiracy in that county.
It was stated yesterday at the Four Courts that
Baron Hughes has been suffering from severe indis-
position since his return from circuit.

The Cork Examiner states that, in the South, the
constabulary arc resigning in large numbers, in con-
sequence of the inadequacy of their pay, and are
emigrating, chiefly to Australia. _ _

The Ist battalion of the Coldstream Guards was
inspected yesterday morning at the Nine Acres,
Phoenix-park, by Major-Gen. Conyngham, C. 8.,
commanding the Dublin Division. The regiment ap-
peared in splendid order, under the command of
Col. D. W. Carleton, Lieut.-Col. Crawley, and
Major Goodlake.

AN AMERICAN WAR STEAMER IN THE MERSEY.—
The Canandaiga, American war steamer, arrived in the
Mersey on Wednesday morning from Belfast.