The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Yesterday the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty paid their first official visit to Chatham
Dockyard for the purpose of making an in-
spection of that establishment. The members of
the Board, on arriving off the Commissioners' stairs,
proceeded ut once down the river for the purpose
of inspecting the works which are now being
carried on at the extreme east of the dockyard,

at St.7Mary's Island. These works are of kreat
magnitude, and will be in progress for several
-years, the plan proposed, and which there is every
probability will be carried into effect, being the
construction of a large steam basin for the reception
of a reserve fleet of steamers. Several hundred
convicts have been employed on the island for some
time past on the construction of a river wall, and
in making preparations for commencing the foun-
dations and excavations for the basin. Their lord-
ships spent some time in inspecting the progress
made with the works, over which they were con-
ducted by Colonel Greene and Mr. Macdonnell, the
latter gentleman having the superintendence of the
undertaking. After inspecting the other works,
which are also in progress at the eastern end of the
yard, for improving and deepening the harbour,
and extending the dockyard, their Lordships re-
turned to the yard by the eastern entrance,. and
commenced their tour by inspecting the gunoats
which are now laid up, and various line-of-battle
and other ships under construction and in various
stages of progress. They first visited the Severn,
51, which is in dock, being converted from a sailing
into a screw steam frigate. Their Lordships went
on board this vessel, over which they were con-
ducted by Mr. 0. W. Lang, the master ship-
wright. - This vessel was built at Chatham a few
years ago.from the designs of Sir Baldwin Walker,
but never left the harbour, and has recently
been docked, cut asunder, lengthened, and other
alterations effected to adapt her for a screw
steamer. After spending some time in going over
the Severn, their Lordships inspected the Atlas,
91, screw steamer; the Bulwark, 91, screw
steamer, recently commenced ; and the Irresistible,
80, screw steamer, which is finished and waiting
to be launched, that ceremony being fixed for the
29th of October. The other vessels on the stocks
which were inspected were the Undaunted, 51,
screw frigate ; the Orpheus, 21, and the Rattle-
snake, 20, screw corvettes. Their Lordships also
inspected the sailing ship Rodney, 91, in dock,
undergoing the process of being converted into a
screw steam steam-ship and fitted with engines of
500 horse-power. The shipbuilding department is
now in active operation, and their lordships were
evidently much satisfied with this portion of their
inspection. At 2 o'clock the members of the Board
adjourned to the residence of Captain-Superinten-
dent Goldsmith, in the yard, and partook of lun-
cheon, after which they continued their tour of
inspection by visiting the ropery, where they wit-
nessed the process of making the large ship cables.
From the rope-house they continued their inspection
of the various factories and workshops, but were
unable to go through the whole of them, and were
therefore compelled to defer their visit to some of
the establishments until this morning, when the
inspection will be resumed. The battalion of Royal
Marine Light Infantry were drawn up in the bar-
rack square, expecting that their lordships would
inspect them, but an intimation was given to Cot
Rea, the commandant, that the inspection would
take place this day. Their lordships were several
hours in the dockyard, the inspection being a very
close one. The men being absent at their dinner
at the time their lordships'arrived the usual mus-
ter and half-holiday did not take place, but
it is understood that the holiday will be
granted this afternoon. Their lordships were
to sleep on board their steam yacht, the
Black Eagle, last night, the steamer being moored
close to the dockyard for their accommodation.
Previously to their L3rdships leaving the dockyard
they transacted some Admiralty business at the
office of the Captain-Superintendent.
Sir William Armstrong, Superintendent of the
Rifled Ordnance Department at Woolwich, has suc-
ceeded in accomplishing the method of rifling the
whole or any requisite number of the guns employed
in the service which present a surface at the bore
fit to secure and maintain the grooves, and which
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They were transported from the department in

The screw steam despatch vessel Flying Fish, 6,
Commander C. Hope, arrived at Plymouth on Mon-
day, from the Channel fleet.
The screw steamship Caesar, 90, Captain T. H.
Mason, got up steam on Monday morning,, and in
the afternoon left Plymouth Sound to join the
Channel fleet, which, it is said, will cruise as far
west as Ushant.

The screw steamships Aboukir, 91, the Topaz,
51, and the Melpomene, 51, left Portland harbour
on Sunday, to join the Channel fleet, which was
cruising a few miles from the harbour. The Edgar,
91, the Imperieuse, 51, and the Blenheim, 60, re-
main in port.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Robert Knox, master, to
the Dauntless ; J. E. Scudamore, master, to the
Arrogant ; J. J. C. Webb, master, to the Pearl ; W.
'Lowey, surgeon, to the Dauntless; Hart Gimlett,
surgeon, to the Arrogant ; Frederick F. Morgan,
surgeon, to the Pearl ; George B Hill, surgeon, to
the Alert ; W. S. Roche, surgeon (additional), to
the Tortoise; Willoughby Montgomery, acting
second master, to the Clio ; Gerald Molloy, assist-
ant surgeon, to the Diadem ; Richard Ratcliffe, as-
sistant surgeon, to the Melpomene ; Thomas R.
Taylor, assistant surgeon, to the Agamemnon ;
Michael W. Cowan, assistant surgeon, to the
Emerald; Edward M'Carthy, assistant surgeon, to
the Victory ; Edward B. Broste, assistant surgeon,
to the Imperieuse ; C. H. Slaughter, assistant sur-
geon, to the Cambridga ; Emilius W. Dubuc, act-
ing assistant surgeon, to the Cyclops; Richard F.
Bridgford, acting assistant surgeon, to the Arro-
gant; J. W. Dobbin, assistant surgeon, to the
Dauntless ; Thomas Kipling, acting assistant sur-
geon, to the Pearl; William W. Anderson, mas-
ter's assistant, to the Amphion ; Henry Higgins,
master's assistant, to the Vulcan ; T. J. H. Rapson,
master's assistant,' to the Scout ; B. J. Sims, mas-
ter's assistant, to the Clio; M. P. Haynes, master's
assistant, to the Donegal ; John J. Hoskyn, mas-
ter's assistant, to the Pearl ; James J. Phillips and
Harry S. Collins, paymasters, to the Dauntless;
William E. Kelly, Thomas W. Wells, and Thomas
Goodman, additional paymasters, to ie Dauntless;
Riehard Curgenven, paymaster, to the Arrogant;
William H. Richards, paymaster, to the Pearl ; D.
Martin, assistant paymaster, to the Arrogant ;
Francis Oliver, assistant paymaster, to the Pearl ;
Wm. Crump, clerk, to the Dauntless ; Philip W.
Rouse, clerk, to the Arrogant ; John Chambers,
clerk, to the Pearl ; and W. B. Jennis, assistant
clerk, to the Arrogant.

THE NEW STEAM FRIGATE ORLANDO.

Considerable interest has for some time past pre-

vailed among the naval community, the engineers
especially, in reference to the complete equipment
of this large frigate, which is the first of her class.
She was, it is understood, brought into existence in
imitation of the Niagara and similar ships by the
Government of the United States. Their peculiar
advantage is, that with about the same tonnage as
an ordinary ship of 100 guns, having auxiliary steam
power, they possess superior means of propulsion,
which counterbalance to a great extent the diffe-
rence of armament, while the extra speed gives
them many advantages over other ships, although
carrying more metal. In the British navy the nearest
approach to the Orlando is the Mersey, which has
equal steam power, 1,000 horses, but has only 40
guns, the Orlando mounting 50. Tho increased
steam power in both is, however, obtained only by
a great additional outlay. It is difficult to form a
comparison, but it may be stated that formerly an
ordinary sailing
frigate carrying 50 guns would
cost £50,000, being at a rough estimate £l,OOO per
gun. The cost of the Orlando will be four times
that sum, or £200,000. Her construction involved
an outlay of upwards of £90,000, and her machinery
and outfit will absorb the remainder. _ _ _

The dimensions of the Orlando are-length, 337 ft;
between perpendiculars, 300 ft. ; breadth, 52ft. ; for
tonnage, 51ft. bin. ; length for tonnage, 264 ft. 4iin ;
breadth moulded, 50ft. Bin. ; depth of hold, 19ft.
10in • tonnage, 3,727 tons.
She has considerable sheer (rise of deck) forward,
mere than usual in ships of war ; possesses great
length between decks, and through her extreme
length there is ample space for working the guns.
The mainmast of the Orlando is 97ft. 9in. long,
and 37in. diameter ; the foremast, 93ft. Gin. by.24in.;
main and foretopmasts, 65ft. by 22in ; the bowsprit
62ft • mainyard, 96ft. ; and topsailyard, 71ft. The
weight of all her spars is 80 tons 2 cwt. The lower
rigging is of wire, the use of which has been re-
cently introduced into all steamships in her Ma-
jesty's service.
Tier armament consists, on the main deck, of 38
guns, 65 cwt. each, 8-inch bore, for discharging
hollow shot acid shell; and on the upper deck, 12
of 95 cwt., 8-inch bore, for solid shot.
In order to distribute the weights and avoid un-
necessary strain on any one point the engines of the
frigate are placed just abaft the mainmast, the chief
body of the coal next, and then the boilers, To
afford the non-professional reader a better idea of
the position and extent of the machinery it may be
stated that the screw-shaft, 86ft. Bin. long, reaches
from the stern to the engine-room; that the engine-
room is 30ft. 9in. long ; coal bunks 39ft. 2in. ; with
a passage 10ft. wide to the stokehole, which is also
loft. wide and 60ft. long, having beyond it more
coal bunks 3ft. 9in. long, so that the total length
for machinery, coal, &c., is 219 ft. 9in. When ear-
nestly engaged in examining this department of
the Orlando the spectator imagines himself in
some extensive manufactory, and for the mo-
ment forgets that he is afloat. Her pair of
trunk engines, by Messrs. Penn and Son, of
Greenwich, are of 1,000 horse-power ; diameter of
cylinder, 100 in. ; diameter of trunk, 38in. ; length
of stroke, 4ft. ; pitch of screw, 32ft. Gin. ; diameter
of screw, 20ft. ; length of fans, 4ft. Gin. The pitch
of the screw can be altered from coarse to fine-that
is, from 29ft. bin. to 35ft. bin. ; weight of fans
(metal) 17 tons 16 cwt.; bangs, frame,andbearings,
5 tons 8 cwt. 3 qr. ; total weight for lifting, 24 tons
4 cwt. 3 qr. ; boilers, eight, tubular, 168 tons 4 cwt.;
contents of boilers (water) 164 tons I tubes, 21in.
diameter (number), 3,520 ; length of each tube, 6ft.
Bin. ; furnaces (number) 32 ; bars, number in fur-
naces, 1,854 ; diameter of telescope funnels, two, 6ft.
Bin. ; height from deck, 30ft. ; coal in boxes, 886
tons; estimated consumption when exerting full
power, nearly six tons per hour, or per day 150 tons,
being fuel enough if under full steam for-say six
days.
The thrust of the screw, instead of being inside,
as customary, is taken from the outside, and the
cheese coupling pushes against lignum vitae fitted
in a brass washer, and secured to the sternpost.
This alteration has been adopted successfully in
several smaller ships fitted by Messrs. Penn and
Son, the patentees, as it prevents the necessity of
internal bearings, and economises much internal
timber and iron.
The coal boxes in the wings are 135 ft. long, and
are furnished inside with railways for despatching
the contents. Overhead, each side the stokehole,
there are also single rails which receive wheels at-
tached to iron buckets for transmitting fuel to the
fires. Without appliances of this kind it would be
impossible to keep up the powerful heats required
to drive the Orlando's engines.
Besides the main engines the frigate is provided
with three others-viz., two auxiliary, in the stoke-
hole for feeding the boilers, and a small auxiliary
(donkey) in the coal bunk passage for clearing the
bilge water when the main pumps are " standing,"
or for discharging water into any part of the ship
in case of fire, &c.
The space under the shaft in screw alley is
economically fitted with iron tanks for tallow,
lime, fireclay, &e. Before the stokehole there is
a spare fan with connecting rod, and air pump-
rods conveniently stowed ; an extra piston is close
before, and a cylinder cover close abaft the engines.
The quantity of oil which will be required for six
months consumption is estimated at 1,000 gallons,
and the amount of tallow at 53 cwt. The engine-
room is supplied with Capt. Crispin's patent tele-

On Monday morning the Orlando made an expe-
rimental trip outside the Plymouth breakwater.
The Earl of Morley, the Hon. George Edgecumbe,
and a considerable number of visitors, WE re on board.
The experiment was conducted under the personal
supervision of Admiral Superintendent Sir Thos.
Pasley, by Captain Robinson and Commander Risk,
of the guardship of steam ordinary Welling-
ton, 72, who are at the head of the steam
reserve at Plymouth. Mr. Brown, master attend-
ant, piloted her from Hamoaze to the Sound, where
she was placed in charge of Mr. Thompson, the
Queen's Harbour-master. The engine department,
supervised by Mr. Trickett, Chief Engineer of Key-
ham, was in charge of Mr. Buchan, the ship's engi-
neer. Mr. Wigzell attended on the part of Messrs.
Penn and Son, the manufacturers. The weather
was extremely fine, and the results of the different
trials at the measured mile were as follows:—First,
4 min. 26 sec., 13.534 knots ; second, 4 min. 46 sec.,
12.587 knots ; third, 4 min. 30 sec., 13.333 knots ;
fourth, 4 min. 48 sec., 12.500 knots; fifth, 4 min.
27 sec., 13.483 knots; sixth, 4 min, 33 sec., 13 187
knots. Average rate estimated by the engineer, 13
2-10ths ; revolutions 50 per minute; pressure, 201b5.;
indicated power, 4,200 horses. The rate of speed
is not equal to expectation ; it is very possible
that when some alterations are made in the screw
131 knots may be obtained, but her sanguine
admirers calculated on much more. The ma-
chinery worked extremely well, and there is
no heat in the bearings, At the first trial
of the Mersey she made 13 4.loths when the 'en-
gines exerted an indicated power of 4,000 horses.
While under steam the Orlando shook and
twisted considerably, especially in the extremities,
and her topgallant masts and bowsprit were vibrat-
ing constantly. Under steam and canvas combined
these movements will be compensated. In steering
the frigate has a considerable tendency to port.
The Mersey on her first trial had the same
tendency, which was obviated, by cutting off a
corner of the fan. The Doris on her trial carried
her helm 2 points to port, but when the fore cor-
ner of the fan was removed she carried her helm
much better. Nearly all vessels propelled by the
screw would describe a circle when under steam
only, if left to themselves. There is some difficulty
in steering the Orlando under full steam, and many
hands are then necessary; if the helm is placed
hard a-port it takes 12 minutes to put her round
three-quarters, and 16 minutes to complete the
circle. Under half steam she went round in half
the time, and in less than half the distance.
The Orlando will now be placed in the first-class
steam reserve in Hamoaze. In order to estimate
her size and capacity, the length and tonnage of
several other large ships are appended :—Orlando,
337 ft.; 3,727 tons ; Duke of Wellington, 240 ft.,
2,400 tons ; Niagara, 375 ft ; Great Britain, 274 ft.,
3,509 tons ; Royal Charter, 306 ft., 2,720 tons ;
Atrato, 335 ft., 3,476 tons; Persia, 376 ft., 3,300
tons ; Great Eastern, 697 ft., 18,915 tons.