The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-04 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

A means of temporarily stopping shot holes or
leaks in the sides or bottOms of iron ships has been
a desideratum ever since the adoption of iron for
building and plating ships of war. An invention
of Commander F. B. Warren, R.N., to sup-
ply this want has been under trial on her Ma-
jesty's ship Fire Queen, at Portsmouth, since
the Ist ult., and remains there still, a most
favourable interim report having been forwarded
to the Admiralty on the results. The plan proposed
by Commander Warren, which has been patented,
is intended to prevent the entry of water into a ship
through external openings made by the action of
shot, by collision with another vessel, or by the
action of torpedoes. It consists essentially of sheets
of lead fastened over the damaged part by means
of screws acting on the outside of vulcanised india-
rubber suckers. Supposing the darnme to be 6ft.
or 20ft. square, or of any given dimensions, the
space so damaged could be effectitally covered and
the water excluded in less time than it would take
to nail the same quantity of lead on the bottom or
sides of a ship built of wood. On the hull of the
Fire Queen the experiment has been made between
wind and water, so that the outer pressure is very
much less, and therefore more unfavourable to the
experiment than it would be if it were totally im-
mersed. The patch of lead, with its screws and
suckers, still adheres as perfectly as ever, although
the Fire Queen is almost constantly under way,
steams very fast, and the wash from her paddles
beats directly on the face of the experimental patch.
Altogether, as the official report states, the inven-
tion has been submitted to a very severe test. As
all of her Majesty's ships number "divers" now
among their crews they have always the means on
board of applying the principle, whether at sea or
in harbour.

The screw troopship Tamar, Capt. Stirling,
arrived at Portsmouth on Monday morning from
the West Indies and Queenstown. From the former
place she has brought to Portsmouth a few naval
invalids and supernumeraries, and from Queenstown
the depots of the 86th, 88th, and 108th Regiments.
The troops will disembark this morning from the
ship alongside Portsmouth dockyard, the 86th and
88th depots marching into Fort Elson, near Gos-
port, as the nucleus of a depot battalion ordered to
be formed there, and the 108th depot joining the de-
pot battalion now at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight. The
31st Regiment, in garrison at Portsmouth, are ordered
for immediate embarkation in the Tamar for convey-
ance to Ireland. The Tamar towed into Spithead
the English brigantine Palmerston, Galan, master,
from Sheilds, bound to Alicante. The Palmerston
had lost fore and main topmasts, fore-and topgal-
lant yards, jibboom, and sails, with other damage to
hull and equipment, in a very heavy squall, with
cross sea, on Sunday, about 1 a in., Portland, at
the time, being distant about 14 miles N.E.
The following notice has been issued :—" Com-
mandant's Office, Woolwich, July 2, 1866.—Gar-
rison Order No. 3.—A1l practice will be suspended
at the practice range, Plumstead Marshes, from the
9th to the 23d inst., to enable the contractors to
cut and carry the grass crop, agreeably to the con-
ditions of their tenders."

The deaths of the following officers have been
officially reported at the War-office since tilt Ist of
June : Generals the Earl of Rosslyn, Col. of the I
7th Queen's Own Hussars ; and Sir J. M'Donald,
K.C.8., Col. of the 92d Gordon Highlanden4. Lieut.
Col. P. B. Jennings, 13 di Light Infantry. Maj ors D
O'Brien, 4th West India Regiment ; S. J. Skinner,
Royal Artillery ; and J. Kelly, 6th Regiment.
Capts. P. St. George Grmme and J. Percival, Royal
Artillery ; C. W. Lee-Mainwaring, Coldstream
Guards; M. Aytoun, 96th Regt. ; 11. H. Smith, Ist
West India Regt. ; and F. Erdmann, 2d Line Bat-
talion, King's German Legion.. Lieuts. C. D. Gor-
don and A. T. Wallace, Royal Artillery ; R. Mac-
nee, 95th Regt. ; and J. Grant, Waggon Train.
Ensigns W. S. Saunders, Ist Battalion sth Fusiliers;
C. W. C. Kemeys-Tynte, Ist Battalion 11th Regt.;
and A. IL Young, 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers. Pay-
master J. F. A. Hartle, 2d Battalion 21st Royal
Fusiliers ; Quartermaster S. Miller, Ceylon Rifles ;
Assist-Com.-Gens. C. T. Malassez and C. Rague-
neau. Surgeons D. W. Lawler, Ist Battalion 25th
King's Own Borders; and J. Allardyce, sth Gar-
rison Battalion. Assist.-Surgs. E. Cannon, M.D.,
Royal Artillery ; and E. L. Febure. Assist.-Pur-
veyor W. Maslin ; Assist-Superintendent of Stores
H. R. Maxwell ; and Deputy-Assist.-Superinten-
dent of Stores P. A. L. Breton.
The deaths of the following officers have been offi-
cially reported to the Admiralty since the Ist April :
—Admiral G. G. Lennock. Rear-Admirals C.
Basden and W. Clark. Captains G. A. Frazer, 11.
Goold, A. Tait, W. Rodger, J. Taylor, and B. P.
Priest. Commanders E. B. Addis, A. Barrow,
W. F. Irwin, C. Haydon, J. Knapman, S. Strover,
H. L. Grove, T. Kirby, R. Shebbeare, N. Barwell,
T. Hamby, J. M. Paynter, G. C. Greenway, M.
Munro, G. Fosbery, C. B. Ware, W. H. Boyce, G.
Pooley, and J. H. Lloyd. Staff-Commanders Sir J.
Douglas and J. W. M. Hall ; Lieuts. G. S. Sinclair
and J. L. Gilby. Sub-Lieut. H. T. Paulin. Second
Master T. J. Morris. Chaplain and Naval Instruc-
tor the Rev. D. E. Doraville. Surgeons B. Crabbe,
J. M. Brydone, J. Musgrove, W. M'Dowell, R.
Stevenson, J. 0. Goodridge, and A. E. Elliott.
Assist-suits. A. Murphy, J. Farnelly, F. Egen, M.
J. Rahilly, and F. H. Browne. Paymasters F. Bunn,
E. R. Key, A. Frame, and H. Hawley. Assist.-
Paymasters, M. Maxwell, T. J. T. Wood, and W.
Thorne. Chief Engineers J. Magnall and J. Dear-
den. Royal Marines—Major R. J. F. Crowther ;
Capts. J. B. Seymour, G. Griffin, and T. Hussey.
First Lieuts. H. Parker, C. B. Greatrex, K. S.
Parker, W. Collis, J. Perham, and T. M‘Lemoth.
Second-Lieut. L. Agassiz.
The names of the following officers have been re-
moved from the official list of the Royal Navy :
Lieuts. E. F. Keppel and T. L. Woods (resigned).
First-Lieut., Royal Marines, G. A. G. Martin.
Sub-Lieut. E. H. H. Stephen. Assist-Surgeons
W. P. J. Purcell (resigned), T. A. Roe (resigned),
W. L. MacDermott, M.D., and 11. Brietzeke (re-
signed). Assist.-Paymasters W: B. Beveridge (re-
signed) and G: J. Sparks (resigned);
The following appointment has been made in the
Royal Naval Reserve :—To be Sub-14ieut., George
Edwards Bulmer.

THE PRUSSIANS IN SAXONY.--rit has been Offi-
cially announced in Dresden that Lieut.-General Von der
Mulbo, the Prussian military. governor of Saxony, has
ordered Privy Councillor Rape, Police Director Schwauss,
and Police Councillor Pikart to desist at once from their
functions, and leave Dresden within 24 hours. In case of
refusal, they are to be treated as spies and tried by a
military court. Tho Saxon commissioners have protested
against the order. The Prussian military authorities have
also closed the branch of the Saxon War Ministry still open,
and prohibited the members of the department from con-
tinuing their duties. The Saxon commissioners have pro-
tested against this course also.
h Eat
1.7;1, Tbiisl
and general debility are all evils that may beeasil!
yet
bilious
eNTd
disorders,
ers Holloway's
liver
complaints, Pills. —lndigestion,
Jog:
sent lions;
speedily subdued by these inestimable pill
paxticular
discovered. They do not merely get rid 0_
I, and lasting an
disease, but exercise so powerful,
be"
protect it from the
once the mildef.it and most efficaciou eoptch
influence'upon the whole system as toy mpart tone to the
recurrence of the same affliction.
"rhe"
tli. and flesh, and
stomach, restore the appetite, give
nits
streang
new man. Being
make the patient feel himseWhicheeqrre
al substance whatever, these pills are as safe as
any miner
they are efficacious• composed of vegetable extracts,.ciwithout admixture of

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.)
Sin,—The most recent and reliable information
from Jamaica leaves no doubt in the minds of the
well-wishers to the colony that, as far as regaris the
negro and coloured population, a state of hopeless-
ness and distress prevails. This is not to be won-
dered at, when the sad and suffering condition of
these poor people is borne in mind. From the...re-
port of her Majesty's Commissioners it appears
that at least one thousand houses belonging to the
negroes have been wantonly destroyed. According
to the evidence of Mr. Parry, the Government sur-
veyor, the property thus sacrificed is worth not less
than £4,000. This estimate, however, does not in-
clude the mills and minor buildings. Nor does it
include the furniture and clothing consumed or
otherwise destroyed. The distress consequent
upon this reckless destruction of property it
is painful to contemplate. It is estimated
that not less than 5,000 persons, principally
women and children, are at the present time
homeless. They are dwelling in the woods
or in temporary sheds, in vast numbers of
instances deprived by the hand of violence and
cruelty of their natural protectors. The Colonial
Government is prostrate, and has probably not abi-
lity to aid these forlorn and suffering people. Our
duty at the present time seems to be in the first in-
stance to provide shelter for these poor outcasts,
and afterwards to take measures for their social,
educational, and moral improvement. The British
and Foreign Freedmen's Aid Society is prepared to
undertake this important work. Already it has
opened up a correspondence with Jamaica, and a
number of clergymen, ministers,
and gentlemen of
the first respectability are prepared to co-operate
with the London society. A gentleman writing to
us from Jamaica on the 23d of May,
says—" Since
the receipt of your letter dated the Bth instant,
I have written Mr.
intimating my wil-
lingness to co-operate in any measures for the car-
rying out of the wishes of the British and
Foreign Freedmen's Aid Society. My idea of
working the thing is, to form a Central Com-
mittee in Kingston, with branch Committees at
Morant Bay, Blue Mountain Valley, at Bath, and
at Manchioneal. I have discovered many real cases
of loss and unrighteous suffering." Speaking of the
district from whence the letter was written, the
writer says—" To give a general view of things
here, I may tell you that there are some 200 houses
in this district burned. 100 may be put down as
destroyed by the recklessness of soldiers and pseudo-
volunteers under Mr. —, their brave lieutenant."
The writer then speaks of the hardships, loss, and
impoverishment of the people, and says, " General
and great is the distress brought on by our recent
troubles." He concludes by presenting the follow-
ing suggestions :—" That aid be given—
" 1. For the immediate relief of hunger, naked-
ness, and destitution.

" 2. Pecuniary or material help to those who are
desirous of re-building their homes.
" 3. Aid in building or repairing mills, school-
rooms, and places of worship, &c.
" 4. A fund for the formation of primary schools
in villages remote from the central schools."
The writer further says, " the ' Friends' gave me
£5O, and I got £2O from —." £7O I have been
enabled to distribute already, but to feed, to clothe,
to aid in providing a temporary hut, what was that
among so many ? My humble prayer is that great
as have been our troubles, greater may be the good
stimulated by the SupremeAtiisdom and Power."
It would be easy to present touching cases of
distress, but this cannot be needed. The report of
hCr Majesty's Commissioners—

"That the punishments inflicted were excessive—

S.: Cl.ll

frequent, '°
"2. That the floggings were reeltless, and at Bath posi-
. tively barintrou.;',
"3. That the burning of a thousand houses was wanton
and cruel,"
together with the minutes of evidence, are suffi-
ciently thrilling to afford a sufficient justification
for my appealing with confidence to the sympathy
and support of the generous British public. I shall
be glad to receive the donations of those who are
willing to come to the aid of these suffering and
perishing people, or donations may be paid into
Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, and Co., Bankers,
54, Lombard-street, to the account of the British
and Foreign Freed-Men's Aid Society, or sent to
the Secretary, 102, Fleet-street, E.C.—I am yours
faithfully,
ALFRED S. CHURCHILL,
President of the British and Foreign Freed-
Men's Aid Society.
16, Rutland Gate, S.W., July 3, 1866.