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

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24, 1859.

THE LONDON.—The attention of Gentlemen
Is especially drawn to the advantages offered in these
elegant and spacious Saloons, which fulfil all the require-
ments of a West-end club of the most aristocratic and exclu-
sive character.
L'on trouve dans la Salle de Lecture non. seulement les
meilleurs journeaux Anglais, mais aussi Allemand, Francais,
et Belge.
F. SAWYER, Proprietor, 191, Fleet-street.

TH'i.ONDI,ONONDDINNNER, coSnAsisWtingYofE
tßwo' Ssoupfas,mot%uvos
fish, two entreesjoints, two sweets, cheese, and salad, at a
fixed charge of 2s. 6d. (attendance, 3d.), is served from Two
till Eight in the spacious Saloon.
In the Coffee-room, Dinners from the joint, with vegetables,
cheese, and salad, ls. 6d. (attendance 3d.), and soup, fish, en-
trees, &c., a la carte, are served from One till Nine o'clock.
Ladies' Private Rooms and Dining Saloons. Spacious and
well-ventilated Wine, Coffee, and Smoking Saloon.
An extensive and carefully selected stock of Rhenish, Mo-
selle, and other Wines, imported expressly for the London
Dinner. 'Open on Sundays from Four till Nine.
F, SAWYER, Proprietor, 191, Fleet-street.

V. R.—Sale of Lead. Ashes, Serge, Cuttings, Paper, Junk,
' Wool, Harness, Clothing, Leather, Iron, Zinc, Tin, Wood,

and Old Stores: '
BY Order of the SECRETARY OF STATE
for WAR.—TO BE SOLD BY PUBLIC AUCTION,
at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, on MONDAY, the 29th of
August,'lBs9, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, precisely, the
following stores :—Lead, Ashes, Junk, Paper, Wool, Har-
ness, Serge, Clothing, Miscellaneous Stores, Iron, Wood, &c.
May be viewed from 10 to 1 o'clock, and from 2 till 5 o'clock,
on the three working days previous to the sale, and Cata-
logues obtained at the War-office, Pall-mall; at the Tower ;
and Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Woolwich Arsenal without preliminary proof or
test, as the most implicit confidence is placed in the
judgment of Sir William Armstrong, and were
fired over a range of 3,400 yards. The result ex-
ceeded the general anticipation. The target was
six feet square, into Which dvery shot—namely, six
rounds from each gun—penetrated with terrific and
certain The energy and diligence displayed in
the present restricted limits of the establisment pre-
sent ample evidence of Sir W. Armstrong's stipula-
tion to furnish 100 guns for service during the pre-
sent year being fully and faithfully performed.
The whole of that number are already in form, and
will be completed and delivered under ordinary cir-
cumstances long before the prescribed period.
At half-past 6 o'clt:ek ortfaturday evening her
Majesty's ship Nile steamed; out of Cork harbour
with the intention of joining the Channel squadron
at Spithead. It is thought likely that she will
henceforth form a portion of the squadron, and that
the Hawke will continue for some time longer to
hold the post of guardship in Queenstown.
His Netherlands Majesty's frigate Admiral Van
Wassenaer, 40, left Plymouth on Monday for Lis-
bon..

The screw steam despatch vessel Flying Fish, 6,
Commander C. Hope, arrived at Plymouth on Mon-
day, from the Channel fleet.
The screw steamship Cesar, 90, Captain T. H.
Mason, got up steam on Monitay 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, theirnperieuse, 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-
gton, to the Cambridge ; 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 8. Collins, paymasters, to the Dauntless ;
William E. Kelly, Thomas W. Wells, and Thomas
Goodman, additional paymasters, to the Dauntless;
Richard Curgenven, paymaster, to the Arrogant;
William H. Richards, payrna-..ter, to the Pearl ; D.
Martin, assistant paymaster, to the Arrogant ;
Francis Oliver, assistant paymaster, to the Pearl ;
Win. 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 poouliar
advantage is, that with about the same tonnage as
an ordinary ship ofloo 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. The 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. Gin. ; length for tonnage, 264 ft. 41in ;
breadth moulded, 50ft. Bin. ; depth of hold, 19ft.
10in ; tonnage, 3,727 tons.

She has considerable sheer (rise of deck) forward,
more 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 9711. 9in. long,
and 37in. diameter ; the foremast, 93ft. bin. 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.

Her armament consists, on the main deck, of 38
guns, 65 cwt.-e-acliTt-ineh bore, for discharging
hollow shot and 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
I.oft. 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. 6in. ; diameter
of screw, 20ft.; length of fans, 4ft. 6in. The pitch
of the screw can be altered from coarse to fine—that
is, from 29ft. Gin. to 35ft. 6in. ; weight of fans
(metal) 17 tons 16 cwt. ; bangs, frame, and bearings,
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; 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 gn 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 fur 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, firecla.y, &c. 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-

graph (fitted. by Allen), and is furnished with
speaking tubes, bells, &c., for ready communication
both below and on deck. Between the engine de-
partment and the aides of the ship there are wing
passages, 3 to 4 feet wide, and 5 to 6 feet high, con-
taining'a line of shot'on iron rods throughout. The
floor consists of hatches easily removed, and, as the
passage is at the line of floatation, between wind
and water, it offers every facility for plugging an
enemy's shotholes when in action. Under other
circumstances the space is sufficient for stowing 125
tons of coals in hags readily transferred to the stoke-
hole through the bunks, which form the inner sides,
and are fitted with doors for that duty.
The Orlando was designed by the Surveyor to
the Navy, Sir Baldwin Walker, and was built by
Mr. Oliver Laing at Pembroke.
Having been 11 months in Keyham basin it was
necessary for her to be placed in dock to have her
bottom cleaned—an operation which might make a
difference of a mile an hour in her speed. This was
done on Friday. "

Her estimated draught was aft 23ft., forward 21ft.
and it will be found that this estimate was very
correct. Her present draught is, aft 22ft. Bin., for-
ward 2lft. All the spars, rigging, guns, shot, coal,
and water, 150 tons, are on board, but no provisions
or crew. Four of the main-deck bow guns are
moored aft for the temporary purpose of regulating
the trim...

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, wf 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, masterattend-
, 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 4-10ths' 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 21 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 steerinc, 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, gild 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 A.,
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 ; Pers'a, 376 ft., 3,300
tons ; Great Eastern, 697 ft., 18,915 tons.

THE LOSS OF THE ALMA,

(From thf Shipping Gazette.)

The following is the report of Mr. James Miller,
late first officer, and others of the ship Alma, 1,187
tons (Captain Munce, late master), of Belfast, from
Calcutta for Mauritius, which was wrecked on the
sth June on the middle ground, eastern or Saugor
Channel of the River Hooghly, the captain, his
wife and child, Lieutenant Ruck and lady, and his
servants (passengers), Mr. Lang, a pilot, and 14 of
the crew, drowned:—

" The Alma left Calcutta on the sth, in a tow of
a steamer, Mary Stuart. The Alma's crew num-
bered in all 32 hands. It was a very wet, dirty,
thick morning, the wind N.W., fresh. The steam
tug towing was plunging very much, and the Alma
also had a great deal of motion. The tug left them
about half-past two p.m. She was not cast off, but
the ship's starboard hawser parted, and she shot
away to windward of the steamboat. The sea
was all this time increasing, and the ship was
pitching heavily. When they parted with the
steamer they had topsails set, with foresail, jib, and
spanker. The floating light was riding to the ebb
tide, but the master could not tell how long the ebb
tide had run. The wind, which had been westerly
when the tug parted, was now southerly, so that
from laying down the channel, the Alma went off
across it, being obliged to tack to the westward.
Upon this tack they continued about 20 minutes,
during which one foretopsail burst, a staysail was
carried away, and another staysail burst. The ship
was in charge of the pilot, Mr. Lang, who at this
time was aft, on the poop. The sea hit the ship on
the bowsprit end, and the inner jib was disabled.
so that they had nothing forward but the foresail.
They managed, however, to get the ship round on
the starboard tack, stood across the channel, but was
not going much through the water. The floating
light was still in sight, its position being about N.W.
of the ship. The Alma, about half-past 4 p.m., when
still on the starboard tack, struck heavily about the
mainrigging abaft the beam, and she lodged upon
the bank. She several times lifted and struck
again. Mr. Lang, the pilot, then shouted to put up
the maintop-gallant-sail, to assist the ship across.•
She continued to strike, and was soon completely
fixed. He tried several times to get her before the
wind, but failed. When she was settled on the
bank, the pilot gave orders to sound the pumps,
which the carpenter, however, had not time to do,
and he (witness) received orders to clear away th*
boats, as this would be quite as much to do as there
was time for. He set to work to get out two small
boat= ; the lee boat on the port side was the pin-
nace, which, with the assistance of 15 or 16 men,
was, after great difficulty, launched. At this time
the captain was aft on the poop, about the mizen-
mast, and his family, consisting of a lady and one
child, were with him. The pilot was also on the
poop. By this period the ship.had sunk up to the
poop deck, so that all communication was cut off
between aft and forward. There were a number
of men aft in the poop, and they could not get for-
ward, The ship was going over on her port beam
the whole time. She did not roll, but settled over.
It was about 20 minutes after the ship struck that
they succeeded in getting the first boat out, which
they attached to the ship by a rope. Five men got
into her, with directions to take her aft, for the
purpose of saving those who were on the poop.
The boat was sheltered to leeward of the ship
against the sea, but there was a strong tide setting
down against the boat, which, driving it against
the ship, obliged the rope to be cast off, and thus,
in consequence of the heavy weather, it was found
impossible to get the boat aft, as had been endea-
voured. The boat drifted away to the S.E., clear
of the ship altogether. There were six oars in her,
but no thowells ; she was therefore unmanageable,
and was never nearer the ship than half a mile
after the line had been cut. Sho was riding the
sea quite light, being very buoyant. He could see
three oars pulling. He thought if the boat had
been possessed of thowells, and otherwise prepared,
she could have taken the people off the wreck. Ile
could give no reason for the absence of the thowells,
except that they were seldom kept in the boat, but in
a locker in the fore cabin. The part of the crew then
on the forecastle now commenced to launch the other
small boat, which was the jollyboat; they would not
have got it off, but she went off the forecastle head
herself, going to windward. All who were forward,
excepting three men who were up in the maintop,
got into her. The jollyboat had five oars, but no
thowells ; however, one of the men had five or six
thowells in his jumper pocket, and these, with some
others made out of a camp stool which floated by,
served them to pass their oars. He shortly after.
wards saw the longboat, which had been floated off
the ship's lee before they got the second boat over,
in the water near him. Ho secured it to his own
boat, and prevailed on four in the jollyboat to take
charge of it, but no others volunteered tot get in.
It would have held 20 persons. The wreck at this