The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-13 00:00:00

211 E NAVY

Commander H. R. Raby, V.C. (Victoria Cross),
yesterday went down to Woolwich and took up
his commission to command her Majesty's iron
paddle-wheel steamvessel Weser, 6, ordered for ser-
vice to the River Plate.

Her Majesty's iron paddle-wheel steamvessel An-
telope, 3, Lieut. Commander J. W. Pike, front the
West Coast of Africa, basin., returned stores and
dismantled, was yesterday paid off at Woolwich, and
is ordered to undeigo the necessary survey with a
view of being repaired and recommissioned.
One of Bray's traction engines, denominated the
"steam horse," manufactured by Mr. Taylor, of
Birkenhead, for special use to supersede the em-
ployment of teams of horses in the removal of tim-
ber and other materials, ordered by the Board of
Admiralty for service in the dockyard, Woolwich,
steamed down from London yesterday morning and
reached the dockyard at half-past 12, having started
from London-bridge at 11,. The committee of offi-,
cers, appointed to receive the engine on behalf of
Government, accompanied by Mr. 11. D. Davies,
Mr. C. Osborn, Mr. C. Simeon, directors, and Mr.
Hanson, secretary of Bray's Traction Engine Com-
pany, having assembled in one of the unoccupied
areas selected for the trial ground, the " steam
horse" was brought forward under the perfect con-
trol of the helmsman and engineer. It was then
tested at various rates of speed, and was driven re-
peatedly round, forming a circle of about 60 feet in
circumference. It afterwards proceeded along the
principal thoroughfare of the yard at a speed of eight
or ten miles per hour, and was subsequently handed
over to the authorities. The engine, unlike any, for-
mer one, is fitted with carriage springs, to reduce,
the amount of friction, which would otherwise be.
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. .
of trucks, intended to be attacb:l to the en,,ine,,
are in course of construction, and ,tvhen.-compreted
will be applied to the daily *we of the-yard.
- The following. line4)f-battl.: and othervesSelk-arel
now attached to the reserve ordinary in the Mcd2
way, not including the steam reserve sqaddrAin at
Sheernes' and Chatham—viz,, the Monarch; 84
the Superb, 80 ; the: Coiling wood, 80; the Lean-
der, 50 ; the Warspite, 50 ; the President, 50 ;. the
Winchester, 50 ;• the Vernon, 50; the Nankin;
o 0 ; the Gloucester, 50 ; the Is 1, 44 ;• the Me r-

eury, 42 ; the Diana, 42 ; the. Latona, 42.; the

Active, 40 ; thu ea,-,to;:, 36; the Diattiond, 27 ;

. , . .
the Cleopatra, 26.,; the Vestals 26 ;
,the
ecmalee, 24 ; the Brilliant, 20; the Ikedalus, 20
the Terpsichore, 18 ; the Daphne, 18 .; the Frolic. 16;
the Jumna, 16; the Con- us, 14; the Electra, 14;
the Kangaroo, 12 ; the Mariner, 12 ; the Fantotne,
12 v the Despatch, 12; the Daring, 12 ; the Albal.
tress, 12 ; the Childers, 12; the Arab, 'l2 ; the
Belleisle, G ; the Scorpi )n, 6 ; the Tyne, 4-; and the
Dolphin, 3.
The Turkish line-of-battle ship Shadia, 90, Capi,
Mustapha Bey, which arrived at Plpnouth in the fall
of last year, for the purpose of being supplied with
steam machinery and a screw, has just been com-
pleted at Keyham yard, and is now nearly ready to
return to Constantinople. Her engines, by Messrs R.
Napier and S6ns, of Glasgow, were erected in the
ship by Mr. Geo. Brown, they are what are termed
horizontal trunks in condensers, and are of 650-horse

power. The screw is two bladed. On the 6th inst.
she went from Plymouth Sound to the Eddystone
and back, when the machinery worked very satis-
factorily. On Monday she took her official trial trip
under the supervision of Mr. John Trickett,
chief engineer at Plymouth. The ship was in
charge of Mr. W. 11. Thompson, the Queen's Har-
bourMaster. She ran over the measured mile eight
times at an average speed of 10 knots, revolutions
57 per minute, pressure, 201 b. ; pitch of screw, 23
feet, and indicated power exerted, 2,300 horses.
The engines continued to work satisfactorily, and
there was no exhibition of got bearings. Mr. John
Campbell will be her chief engineer. Mr. Eyres,
upholsterer, of Plymouth, has been some time en-
gaged in &ting a magnificent saloon on board, for
the Sultan and his suite. •
The following screw steam-ships, forming part of
the Channel fleet, in Plymouth Sound, were ordered
on Tuesday to prepare for sea immediately, viz.
the Donegal, 101, Captain William F. Glanville ;
the Emerald, 50, Capt. Arthur Cumming ; the Mel-
pomene, 50, Capt. Charles J. F. Ewart ; the Mersey,
49, Capt. Henry Caldwell, C. 13. ; the Algiers, 91,
apt. George W. D. O'Callaghan ; the Hero, $l,
Capt. George H. Seymour; and the Aboukir, 00,
Capt. Charles S. Sehomberg. The Nile and Mel-
pomene will probably go to the West Indies, and
the Hero to Vancouver's Island.

The screw steam-corvette Pearl, 21, Capt.Boilase,
C. 8., left Plymouth on Monday night for. China.
As she passed through the Sound her crew was
cheered most lustily by the crews of the Channel
fleet.

The screw steam-frigate Imperieuse, 51, Captain
Maguire, left Plymouth on Tuescby for China.
The lighter Tortoise, J. Head, master, from Kings-
town, arrived oa Tuesday at Plymouth, and the
lighter Devon, Bowett, master, sailed therefrom for
Pembroke.

The` screw steam-frigate Topaze, 51, Captain
Spencer, left Plymouth on Tuesday for Vancouver's
Island.

The screw ste m-ship Revenge, 91, Chief Engi-
neer Frederick J. Pope, will go into Ke3 ham basin,
Plymouth, to-day to have her fan shipped.
The gun-boat Redwinii went outside Plymouth
Sound on Tuesday for shell practice.
The gun-boat Weasel, at Plymouth, took in her
powder on Wednesday.
The Adelaide screw transport, Captain Bowen,
sailed from Spithead with the 60th Rifles on board,
for Waterford, at 7 a.m. yesterday.
The Bacchante, 51, new screw frigate, at Ports-
mouth, has been placed in No. 8 dock,for copper • -
&e.
he Mars, 80, screw, Capt. J. N. Strange, at Spit-
head, got under weigh yesterday morning for a
cruise in the Channel, and proceeded as far as the
Warner light vessel, but the wind falling light
with thick weather, and the tide setting in against
her, she put back and brought up again at Spithead.
A division of gunboats consisting of the Brazen,
Beaver, Partridge, Rainbow, Snapper, and Travel-
ler, under command of Capt. A. Farquhar, of her
Majesty's ship Victory, proceeded out of Portsmouth
harbour yesterday under steam, and after steaming
through Stokes' Bay and down the western than-
, nel, returned to harbour again in th afternoon.
The Beagle, 6, Commander E. Hay, proceeded to
the measured mile in Stokes' Bay to test her speed.
She realised 91 knots. At the conclusion of the
trial she steamed into Portsmouth harbour and
berthed alongside the Blonde bulk.
The Odin, 16, paddle, Capt. Lord J. Hay, C. 8.,
steamed out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday to
test her machinery. She will require some slight
alterations. Her stokehole, we understand, was
fearfully hot during the time she was under steam,
the thermometer ranging over 130.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander H. J. Ruby,
to the Weser, commissioned; J. Pyper, master, ad-
ditional, to the Cumberland ; and R. Winkfield,
acting naval instructor, to the Britannia.