The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-22 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The whole of the available officers and men of the
Royal Engineers not employed in the other depart-
ments of military engineering at headquarters,
Chatham, have been engaged for several weeks past
on the Royal Engineer field-works, in engineering
operations on a large scale, including the construc-
tion of batteries, the erection of stockades, the for-
mation of parallels, magazines, chambers, flying
bridges, and other works required to be undertaken
with an army when on active service in the field.
The scene of the operations is at the back of the
casemated barracks at St. Mary's, including the
whole extent of the lower line of fortifications,
stretching down to the Medway, which forms the
base of the operations. On Saturday, the working
party commenced the formation of the second
parallel, having previously completed the first line
of works. In order to facilitate the conveyance of
materials to and from the stores at Brompton bar-
racks, a bridge has been thrown across the trenches
surrounding the garrison, the work having been
accomplished by Sappers of the Royal Engineers.
An extensive portion of the builaings near the north
gun-shed at Brompton barracks has been devoted
to instructing the officers and men in sand model-
ling, and in the formation of the various kinds of
batteries and earthworks on Vauban's theory. The
works now in progress at Chatham are, it is under-
stood, in connection with some military and engi-
neering operations of unusual magnitude, during
the present summer, and in which the whole of the
available military force of the district will take part.
The following detachments :embarked yesterday
morning, at Gravesend, on board the hired trans-
port Achilles, to reinforce the respective corps serv-
ing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick—viz., two
officers and 65 non-commissioned officers and men
of the Ist battalion of the 15th Regiment, and six
sappers of the Royal Engineers, from Chatham ; 13
non-commissioned officers and gunners of the 3d
Depot Brigade, Royal Artillery, from Warley ; 73
non-commissioned officers and men, and one officer
of the 2d battalion, 17th, from Mullingar ; and 12
men of various corps—total, 168 men of all ranks,
together with the following officers :—Capt. J. Wil-
kinson, and Ensign H. B. Le Mottee, 15th Regt. ;
Capt. J. D. Travers, 17th Regt. ; and Staff-Surg.
C. Martin, in medical charge.
The enrolled pensioners of the Woolwich division,
the total number of whom amounts to 426 of all
ranks, Major Tench, late 15th Hussars, staff-officer
in command, having undergone their customary
eight days' drill, paraded on Saturday on Woolwich-
common, and were inspected, by order of the War
Department, by Lleut.-Col. Ord, sth Brigade Royal
Artillery. The greater number of the men of this
corps still capable of good service in cases of emer-
gency are stated to belong to the local division of
Royal Marines, and others are men belonging to the
Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, and the Mili-
tary Train, who have fulfilled their period of 25
years' service, and now receive pensions and are
employed in various positions of emolument in the
Royal Arsenal and dockyard. Their movements
during the inspection were those of well-disciplined
soldiers, and their marching past was admirable.
The inspecting officer said he felt pleasure in being
able to make a very favourable report to head-
quarters. There were absent four sick, six without
leave, and three with leave.

The pensioners and men of the Army Reserve
force of the Deptford district, numbering 160,
under the command of Major Richmond, were in-
spected on the previous Saturday, in a similar
manner by Lieut.-Col. Ord, who, after seeing the
men perform the usual field• movements, told them
that he should have the satisfaction of reporting
most favourably of them to the War-office.
A very serious accident occurred on Friday last
to Mr. Call, a cadet of the A division, Royal Mi-
litary Academy, Woolwich, during the performance
of his riding drill. The horse on which he was
mounted had made three successive leaps, and
when brought up to the bar a fourth time he
shied and threw his rider. Mr. Call's thigh was
fractured, and he is now in the Cadets' infirmary,
under the care of Dr. Little. He is progressing
favourably.
The Endymion, 22, new screw frigate, un-
armoured, 2,486 tons, 500 horse-power, was on Fri-
day taken to the measured mile off Malpin Sands
for the contractor's trial of her engines, which have
just been completed. They consist of a pair of
horizontal air-pump trunk engines. She was in
charge of Commander Partridge, of the Sheerness
Steam Reserve, Mr. W. W. Williamson, inspector
of machinery afloat ; Mr. G. Blaxland, chief engi-
neer, and Mr. Mitchell, assistant master shipwright
of Sheerness Dockyard, were likewise present ; Mr.
Brock, from Messrs. Napier, and Sons, of Glasgow,
the makers of the engines, attended on their behalf.
Six runs were made on the measured mile, but after 1
the first three it was found that owing to hot bear-
ings in the engines the trial could not be carried out
successfully. The first three runs gave an average
of 12i knots to the hour, but taking the average of
the whole six runs the result was only 11.672 knots.
Two runs were also made at half-boiler power with
an average Of 9.788 knots. The engines gave a
maximum of 66 and a mean of 61.5 revolutions to
the minute. The draught of water forward was
14ft. 3in. ; aft, 18ft. Sin. The wind was in the east
with a force of two to three. The ship is fitted with
a Griffiths' propeller, the diameter of which is 18ft.,
the pitch 21ft., length Mt 6in., and the immersion
of the upper edge lft. Gin. The trial was, in con-
sequence, not considered satisfactory, and will be
repeated in the course of a few days.

THE VOLUNiEERS.

The regulations and prize list of the forthcoming
gathering on Wimbledon-common have just been
issued by the National Rifle Association, and while
the regulations have received such improvements as
experience has shown to be necessary in regard to
sights, ammunition, and " ties," the prize list has
been so drawn out as to give greater encourage-
ment than has hitherto b
bodygiven to the weapon
in the hands of the great
long Enfield. The camp of Volunteers—the
open on Saturday,
the 7th of July, and the shootingwill commence on
of importance the 9th. The first prize is the
14 Queen's," and this will be fired for under the re-
gulations of last year. The prize Is £250,
and is
shot for in two stages. The first stage is open to
two efficient Volunteers of every company of a Volun-
teer regiment in the kingdom, the entrance fee for
each competitor being £l. There is generally a
sharp competition for the honour of representing the
regiment at Wimbledon, and the entrance fee ispaid
by the corps where a corps desires to maintain its
character as a practical body. This stage is shot
with the long England, at 200, 500, and 600 yards,
and the highest 30 receive £5 each, a badge, and
stonall-bore rifle, value £2O, and the highest a silver
medal in addition; the second 30 having the money
al
the badge. These 60, forming the " Queen's
Sixty"for the year, shoot up the second stage for
the great
being prize with the small-bore rifle, the ranges
g 8()°, 9(10, and 1,000 yards, and the winner
receives the gold
enoledal of the Association. The next
prize is the St.
the St. George,,, Corps f
ge'sehallenge vase, presented by
n to one selected man
the profit of the Associa-
tion,•ope
ta
both shan of each company, and
this has two stages,
given
are
numerous ot for with the Enfield.
The prizes
the distinctions to be won in thisand valuable, and
contest are only
p"
given
razes
for to those in the ‘; Queen7a.,,
T izes
Willhe
riflemen
for the encouragement of the
~
Enfield"
deserve especial mention. Sir lam Martio has
given a £5O challenge cup, with £5O added, and
divided into seven prizes to be shot for by marks_
men" of 1865 only,- with seven shots at 6 0 0
yards,rks
.
the entrance fee being ss. The director of the London
and South Western Company have given a 2,50 prize,
with £25 added by the Association, for volley firing
by ten men from each battalion, the entrance fee of
the ten being £2 10s. Mr. Bass, M.P., gives £5O
in 13 Prizes, for competitidn among efficient Volun-
teers who have never won a prize at Wimble-
don or at a county association meeting , the com-
petition is at 500 yards, five shots, and the entrance
fee is ss. The " Alexandra" prize is an all-comers
prize, restricted to the rifles of bona fide Government
pattern, as used by the rank and file of Volunteer
corps. The prizes amount in value to 1500—Viz.)

value £250, at 200 yardrislatlnh,
edfit fh
Windmillr soert , for
45 prizes,
at 500 yards, the entrance fee being
range. There is a second. stage . prize c f £5 O each
samef
or
competition among the winners
which no entrance fee is exacted. fhe
entrance
eo
fee7o
of bond fide Government pattern.
prize is an all-comers', but restricts
TlhleovloalnugeEisnifi3eoo,
lds
dernat';
prizes, and at the
and divided the samseamasethraen'g'eAs,letxhae
being ss. each range.
There is a second stage cup
of £25 value for competition among the winners of
the first stage. The Earl of Ducie has given £25,
to be shot for with the Enfield under peculiar and
trying circumstances. The competitor is allowed
five minutes, and after every shot he has to run
round a post 50 yards distant, carrying with him
his rifle, ammunition, and everything he uses. The
entrance fee is 2s. 6d., and, unlike most other prizes,
the competitors are allowed to enter as often as they
like. There is a similar prize for any muzzle-loader
to be loaded with the powder flask. The short five-
grooved Enfield is encouraged by prizes amounting
to £3O, and restricted to efficient Volunteers armed
with that weapon, and an entrance of ss. The sum
of £5O, divided into 13 prizes, is given for the en-
couragement of efficient members of Volunteer Ar-
tillery corps, being restricted to the regulation
carbines, and the entrance fee is also ss. One series
of prizes will be very welcome to Volunteers and
visitors to Wimbledon—viz., the institution of carton
prizes, on the Swiss principle, at 6d. a shot for rifles
of Government pattern, at 200, 500, and 600 yards.
This is the first time the 6d. has been recognised
at Wimbledon, and it is further recognised by the
sighting shots in the Queen's being reduced to the
same price. There will be shilling Swiss carton
targets for any rifles, and at the same distances.
One of the chief prizes open to any rifle is the " Al-
bert," in which the large sum of £620 is given in
upwards of 60 prizes—namely, 15 at 200 yards, and
the same at 500, 600, and 800, with prizes for
highest aggregate scores at combined ranges. In
the competition for these prizes the " fancy, and
expensive mechanical bullets are disqualified. The
entrance fee is £1 each range, or £3 10s. the four.
There is a second stage prize of £lOO, to be shot for
at 800, 900, and 1,000 yards, without entrance fee,
by the winners in the first stage, and with any am-
munition. This is, of course, only a bare outline
of the attractions to the meeting, to which it is be-
lieved not only Volunteers from all parts of the
country will flock, but many foreign marksmen,
and among them the Belgian riflemen, to whom the
Volunteers, and Englishmen generally, will give a
cordial welcome in return for the kindness shown
during the last two years at Brussels to the repre-
sentatives of the English Volunteer regiments. It
may be mentioned that the National Rifle Associa-
I ton, in consideration of there being no county as-
sociation in Middlesex, has reduced the annual sub-
scription to efficient Volunteers of the county to
10s. Membership of the Association gives many
privileges, and it is expected that many Volunteers
will avail themselves of this reduction. His Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge is announced to
take the chair at the " May meeting" of this Asso-
ciation to-morrow at Willis's Rooms.

The Duke 'of Cambridge has consented, at the
request of the commanding officers of the metro-
politan Volunteer regiments, to hold a Volunteer
review in Hyde Park on Saturday, the 2d of June.
The force is to be in position in the park shortly
after 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Those corps only
will be allowed to attend whose presence there
shall be sanctioned by the War-office, and this sanc-
tion must be applied for early. The 19th Middle-
sex, which is commanded by Colonel Hughes, M.P.,
and is- principally composed of members of the
Working Men's College, passed a very satisfactory
inspection the other evening before Colonel Wright,
the Deputy Inspector-General. Colonel M'Murdo
was also present and subsequently expressed his
admiration of the manner in which this smart corps
had mustered and drilled. The muster was highly
commended by the inspecting officer, for there were
upwards of two-thirds of the enrolled strength pre-
sent. The members of the Finsbury Rifles have
just completed a very trying competition for the
honour of representing the regiment at the coming
Wimbledon meeting, and the following have won
the right to shoot for the Queen's prize as the first
eight, and to be as well the representatives for the
St. George's challenge vase competition :—Colour-
Sergeant White, Private Pride, Captain Heslop,
Corporal Yokes, Corporal Janowsky, Colour-Ser-
geant Smith, Sergeant Pratterton, and Corporal
Harling. The order in which the representatives
are placed shows the position they have won in the
firing. The first two, besides winning the right to
shoot for the Queen's and St. George's attendedalso
for the Middlesex medal competition.
Yesterday the review of the Volunteer Corps
who responded to the request of the Cambridgeshire
and Essex Regiments to join them in a field-day at
Cambridge took place there. The review had been
announced to commence at noon, but it was close
upon that hour before the Inns of Court Corps
reached Cambridge. Immediately on their ar-
-1 rival, however, they marched off to the review
ground, where the forces were paraded into
two brigades as under :—ln the first brigade
were the first Huntingdonshire light horse,
the 3d Cambridge (University) Ilifles, the
Ist and 2d. Administrative Battalion Cambridge-
shire Volunteers, and the 23d Middlesex (Inns of
Court). In the Second Brigade were the 3d Ad-
ministrative Battalion, Essex ; Ist Administrative
Battalion, Beds; Ist Administrative Battalion,
Herts ; Ist Huntingdonshire ; sth, 7th, and 23d
Norfolk ; and 2d Administrative Battalion, Herts.
In all there were present about 2,300, who were sup-
plied with 15 rounds of ammunition per man. The
.21st Middlesex, or Civil Service, had promised their
attendance, but some trifling difference in the corps
prevented their presence. Colonel Erskine com-
manded as Inspector-General, supported by Lieut.-
Colonel Ellis, Inspector of the District. The Brigade-
Majors were-1, Captain Turner, of the South
Middlesex ; 2, Captain Jones, of the 7th Middlesex
Administrative Battalion. Captain Bax, Adjutant,
of the 3d Middlesex, was attached to the Staff. The
University Corps was under the command of Vis-
count Royston, and the Cambridgeshire 2d Ad-
ministrative Battalion under that of Major Barlow.
The first brigade was under the command of Col.
Sargent, C. 8., and the second under Earl Colonel
Cowper, K.G. The University corps was attended
by their chaplain, the Rev. J. W.- Taylor, of St.
Peter's College. About a quarter-past 1 the review
commenced, and at this time the grand stand was
crowded withladies, among whom were the Countess
of ITardwicke, Ladies Osborne and Lady Adeane.
The several corps first received the Inspector-Gene-
ral in line of contiguous columns, then marched
past, and at fluarter-distance. The usual evolutions
of a field day then commenced with the Duke of
corps advancing at the
Manchester's
full charge in
attack. Next there was skirmishing, and
nt off
ea retreats,yalrcavalry
nt latterhesquares,
sautptapcokrtsedbyb,
by cavalry,
receiptretirements
and all the
cavalry, open file and volley firing,
These sweore
manoeuvres incidental to a field day.
performed generally with success, and at the
conclusion, the troops being ranged in square, the
Inspector-General said he was much gratified with
what had taken place. The 2d Huntingdonshire
were not alert enough in clearing the line for cavalry,
which was a great defect in skirmishing, and the Ist
Hertfordshire made a mistake in the echelon move-
pay
had to
eoxnptroe
stsh
hisa nheixgtht time
they They should
they are together. He
miration of the Duke of Manchester's corps. Pass-
ing on with Lord Royston to the Camloridg
etTni-
versity Corps, whose half-yearly periodical
inspec-
tion day it was, Col. Erskine said he had been much
pleased with their appearance. The various corps
then marched off the ground.

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RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

WATERFORD AND KILKENNY:

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the London Tavern—Mr. C. R. Cole-
man in the chair.

1 Mr. Williams, the secretary, read the report,
which stated that the works of the Kilkenny Junc-
tion Railway, though nearly finished to Marybo-
rough, had not progressed much during the half year,
but they had been recommenced, and were expected
to be finished in a few months. The benefits of
this extension could not be properly felt until its
completion to the Dublin and Cork line, when a new
traffic, never before reached, would be developed.
The directors had endeavoured to promote a further
extension of the system to the north by the forma-
tion of a line from Maryborough toMullingar, a dis-
tance of 36 miles, and a bill for this great object was
now progressing through Parliament. This exten-
sion, when made, would at once make the investment
of the company remunerative, as a large share of the
traffic from Galway, Ca,stlebar, Sligo, Londonderry,
Belfast, and the intermediate towns and dis-
tricts would be brought over the Waterford
and Kilkenny line to South Wales. The working
agreement with the Waterford and Limerick Com-
pany having expired on the 28th of January last,
the directors had deemed it expedient to renew the
working for a term determinable at any time upon
a six months' notice. The receipts for the half-
year ending the 25th of March last amounted to
£10,704, and working expenses to £5,378, leaving
a balance of £5,327, against £5,303 for the corre-
sponding half of last year. The directors recom-
mended that a dividend at the rate of 24 per cent.
per annum be paid on the preference stock of the
company for the half-year, leaving a balance of
£177.

Mr. DELAHUNTY, in moving the adoption of the
report, said he believed that in a few months the
junction of the extension line with the Great
Southern and Western would be completed, which
would make a great difference in the receipts on
their line. He was certain that the increase would
be followed by something better. Since the last
meeting they had taken steps to complete the line,
and he was happy to say that it was on the eve of
completion. The connection with the Midland
Great Western Railway at Mullingar was a step
which was being promoted.
After a few observations the report was adopted,
and a dividend at the rate of 21 per cent. per an-
num on the preference stock for the half-year de-
clared, payable on the 2d of June next.

On the motion for the re-election of Mr. C.
Whetham, Mr. THORNTON moved that Mr. Adams
be elected in the place of Mr. Whetham.
After much discussion, Mr. Whetham was re-
elected, and a vote of thanks to the chairman ter-
minated the proceedings.