The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-28 00:00:00

One of these drums is built opposite each cradle—
the chains to be used between them and the cradles
are the chain cables of the Groat Eastern itself,
which are 2; inch in diameter, or about 6 )lb. the
link.

These are the appliances for preventing the mon-
ster running down too fast ; but a powerful appa-
ratus has also been devised to act in a contrary man-
ner—namely, to pull her off the " ways" in case of
the cradles sticking fast on them through any
unforeseen contretemps. For thiA purpose three
large lighters are moored in the tideway about 100
yards from the shore, which are fitted up with the
crabs and sheaves used by Mr. Brunel in the recent
raising of the viaduct over the Tamar at Saltash,
and in building the celebrated railway bridge at
Chepstow. Each of these crabs worked with a
windlass gives a strain of 60 tone, and this force of
240 tons, if necessary at all, is to be applied amid-
ships. Two lighters will also be moored at the stem
of the ship and two at the stern. The chains passing
from the ship to these latter will return again on
shore so as to be worked with a double purchase.
Small stationary engines of 20-horse power will be
used to haul in these chains, so as to make the
force available to pull the vessel off upwards of 600
tons. The process of knocking away the shores from
under her has proceeded rather extensively, and
will be entirely completed on Saturday, when the
vessel will rest only on the two cradles, fore and
aft. Before the last of these, however, are removed,
care will be taken that the massive check tackle to
hold back the ship is properly hauled taut, for
when the vessel is left on the cradles, and the
cradles on the sloping ways, the launch might take
place at any moment in the most abrupt and unex-
pected manner. The way in which the supporting
shores and struts have been removed is as peculiar
as all else connected with the monster. It is nearly
four years since these beams were put to support
the sides, since which the iron shell has grown into
the dimensions of a city, and pressed its supporters
so firmly to the earth that it was found almostim-
possible to remove them. The difficulty has been
overcome by employing hydraulic jacks, of 60 tons
power, by applying which to the beam or strut the
earth in which it rested was compressed by im-
mense force till it sank some two or three inches,
when the beamwasloosened and quietly withdrawn.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The general court-martial for the trial of Lieut.
G. W. V. Yule, Royal Engineer; re-assembled at
Chatham barracks yesterday morning. The evidence
for the prosecution having been concluded, the pri-
soner proceeded to address the Court. He began
by entreating the indulgence of the court on account
of his youth, the short time he had been in the ser-
vice, and his consequent want of experience, and
the fact that he had been unassisted during the
trial. With regard to the second charge against
him—that of having made a false statement to Col
Sandham to the effect that he was out all day on
Sept. sth, and therefore could not answer the letter
addressed to him by Major an-1 Adjutant Nugent
—he should be able to adduce satisfactory evidence
to prove that he was out during a considerable por-
tion of that day ; and although he might havemade

use of the words stated—for remembered being
in a very nervous state when spoken to about it—
yet it was never his intention to deceive Col. Sand-
ham. With regard to the first charge and the in-
stances of absence there adduced, he respectfully
submitted to the Court that, inasmuch as he had
been publicly reprimanded for these offences by
Gen. Sir J. Burgoyne, Inspector-General of For-
tifications on the 27th July last, in the presence
of his brother-officers, it would be unfair to punish
him a second time. On the other charges, of being
absent from early parade, he stated that the 23d
of August was a Sunday, and the two following
days he was absent from sickness. On his going on
parade on Wednesday he had entirely forgotten he
was ordered early parade, as he had not even seen
the memorandum to that effect, which fact he
trusted would lead the Court to exonerate him from
all culpable negligence. On September 7th, the
day he was required to attend the court-martial,
he was on survey duty. The order for the court-
martial was not read out, and he did not see the
order-bock or receive any memorandum • and under
these circumstances he trusted the Court would

take a favourable view of what was more an error
of judgment than culpable negligence. He again
bugged to assert his entire innocence of any wilful
intention to disobey orders. He admitted that his
conduct had not been correct, but he threw himself
on the clemency of the Court in the hope that they
would be disposed to take a favourable and mer-
ciful view of his case. The prisoner then called.
Ensign Peyton Phelps, East India Company's En-
gineers, who stated that the prisoner went into his
room between 1 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon of
the sth of September, and. remained there until 5
o'clock. About half-past 12 that day he went into
the prisoner's room to borrow a cloak, and found
him lying on a sofa partially dressed. He had no
recollection of seeing a letter on the table of the
room, and during the whole time the prisoner was
with him no allusion whatever was made by him to
his having received a letter "on service" that day.
Lieut. D. B. Burnes, R. E., was also called by the
prisoner, but his evidence was only to the effect
that the prisoner had questioned his servant Flan-
nagan in witness's presence relative to the letter
which bad been brought to his quarters on the sth
of September. The prisoner had also informed him
that he rose about 1 o'clock went to Mr. Phelps's
room, where he remained till 5, and then dressed
and proceeded to mess, and that he did not see the
letter until 5 o'clock that afternoon. This being the
whole of the evidence callel by the prisoner in his
defence, the Deputy Judge-Advocate intimated
that he did not intend to address the Court in re-
ply. The proceedings then terminated, the trial
having lasted a week, and the members of the Court
remained in deliberation for the purpose of agree-
ing to their decision, but the finding will not be
made known until it has received the sanction of
H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge.
The following officers have been granted leave of
absence from their respective depots at Chatham
previous to their embarkation for India—viz., Capt.
B. Howson, 51st Light Infantry ; Captain H.
W. P. Welman, 86th Regiment; Easign J. E. K.
Morley, 43d Light Infantry ; and Ensign H.
Chambers, 51st Light Infantry.
The Alban, 3, steam vessel, Lieut. the Hon. W.
B. de Maguire, left Portsmouth on Monday for the
eastward with supernumeraries.
The Spartan, 28, Capt. Sir W. Hoste, is hourly
expected at Spithead from the China station and
the Cape.

Souza of the officials of Woolwich Arsenal—
namely, Col. Tulloch, superintendent of the Royal
Carriage Department ; Col. Pickering, secretary
to the Select Committee ; Captain Boxer, Royal
Laboratory ; and Mr. Anderson, inspector of ma-
chinery—accompanied by Professor Wheatstone
and. Mr. R. Mallet, the founder, assembled at
Woolwich-marsh on Monday in order to inspect
the 36-inch mortar and examine the extent of the
injury sustained by the late experiments. After a
careful examination of the various compartments it
was discovered that, in addition to the rent found
in the chamber, a broad wrought-iron hoop attached
to one of the centre divisional segments had also
suffered. The hoop was y‘sterd.ty taken to the
foundry at Milwall to be repaired, and the damage
in the interior of the chamber is to be repaired in
the Arsenal foundry, after which the proof will be
continued. Lord Palmerston, Lord Panmure, and
Col. Boldero, M. P., have oxpressed a desire to
witness the future experiments. A garrison board
offield-officars commenced their sittings yesterday
ate Royal Artillery Hospital, for the purpose of
inquiring into the length of services and capabili-
ties
of the senior non-commissioned officers of the
Royal Artillery, a number of whom are about to b•
placed on the retired lists.
The Royal George screw steamship is ordered to
be immediately brought forward at Sheerness, and
rigged and stored in every respect as a steam line-
of-battle ship of the first division of the steam
squadron of reserve.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :

Assistant Paymaster—William Young, to the E lin-
burgh. Masters' A3sistants—John Richards, to the
Spitfire ; Charles J. Rigley, to the Triton.

THE MILITIA.

The sth West York Militia, having completed a
month's training and exercise at Knaresborough,
will ba dismissed this day. On Friday last• the
regiment was reviewed by Col. Douglas, Inspector
of Militia for the Northern Division. The men
went through the various movements with great
preci ion, and wera warmly complimented by
tho reviewing officer. At the close of the review a
great number of the men volunteer siintoregimeuti
of the ling—namely, tile 2J, or QuQea's Own ; the
36,h, and the 60th Rifles.

A. letter from St. Petersburgh states that the valuable
depot of maps and charts shall be no longer witbh 31d 'rpm
emu esoncluding
the inspectton of the public. They are to be all en-
graved and sold. Among other; there ia one of the
large scaly. pt.. ninety-three sheets, and laid dawn on a
—ere is also one of Poland,also on a large
1
, and one Of India, perfected up to the present
year.

- THE FATiaza
ItsiLwit.ls.--An address was on
Friday presented to M. Edward Pease, of Darlington,
as some sort of acknowledgment of the eminent ser-
vices he
ement odid to th
rais country and the world by his first
encouragf ilwaye. The
address
was
presented
by Mr. Meynell, chairman of the Stockton
and Dar-
lington Cimpany ; and, in addition to the names of
the principal men of Durham, bore also those of Mr.
George Stepheuaon and Sir W. Cubitt.