The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-25 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

DANGER TO PORTSMOUTH DOCKTARD..-011 MOH-
day night about ten o'clock, one of those dangerous
machines, a fire-balloon, descended in Portsmouth
dockyard. It fortunarely fell on the new ground,
and was seen by one of the policemen. The tow or
hemp, which had been saturated with turpentine,.
was still on fire, and when touched the balloon again
inflated, but the fire was immediately extinguished,
and the balloon conveyed to Lieut. Hall's (the direc-
tor of the police-office). Had the balloon accidentally
fallen unperceived amongst the light wood, chips,
oakum, or shavings, or amongst any of the inflam-
mable stores which abound in all parts of the yard,
the consequences might have been dreadful. On the
balloon was a written intimation that any person on
finding the balloon, and conveying it to the Royal
Clarence Gardens, would receive a reward of half-a-
crown; it is therefore to be supposed that it was sent
up from that place, which is about a mile from the
spot where it fell. We believe there is
no law prohibiting the exhibition of these
dangerous machines ; but the sooner some
enactment is passed the better, as in the
thickly-inhabited district of Portsmouth a fire-balloon
could scarcely descend without endangering the
houses, the dockyard, and shipping. The balloon
(which is a large one of the sort) has been sent to the
office of the Admiral Superintendent of the yard, and a
report of the circumstance has been forwarded to the
Admiralty.
THE RAMPTULICON TARGET.—The iron butt, lined
with kamptulicon, was practised at, at the distance of
450 yards, from the Excellent, last .week. The butt
was regularly riddled, but in consequence of a small
portion of the butt about the centre having been lined
with this substance, two shots only struck it, one of
which separated a large portion of the kamptulicon
from the iron work. In consequence of the smallness
of the portion lined no correct idea could be formed as
to the prevention of iron splinters from flying off, or
as to the prevention of the shot fracturing. The butt
has therefore been landed, and whether the parties
interested will go to the expense and trouble of lining
a butt properly is as yet. uncertain. However, this
has been no test, for the lining merely formed a cen-
trical bull's eye in the butt that has been recently
fired at.

Blonde, old frigate, fitting for a receiving bulk in
Portsmouth basin, has been hauled under the stern of
the St. Vincent to receive the poop of the latter ship,
which, being removed from her, will be put on the
Blonde.

Caradoc, packet steamer, has received orders to
prepare for paying off at Falmouth. She is returning
stores, &c.

Poi, 42, Commodore Lambert, for the East Indies,
and Thetis, 38, Captain C. Kuper, C 8., for the south-
east coast of America, arrived in Plymouth Sound on
Monday afternoon, en route to their respective desti-
nations.

Hercules, store-ship, Master Commander Fulton,
sailed for the river, from Portsmouth, at 4 P.ar. on
Monday.
Portland, 50, Captain 11. Chads, flag-ship of Rear-
Admiral Moresby, C. 8., for the Pacific, was taken
out of No. 5 dock at Devonport yesterday, and will
now be prepared, with all dispatch, for sea.
Rolla, apprentices' brig, Lieutenant Commander
Fenwick, with his crew of naval apprentices, was
under weigh at Spithead this afternoon, exercising
great guns.
Widgeon steam-vessel, Captain Bullock, left New-
haven on Saturday, to resume her survey on the coast.
Mr. Samuel Paramore, a clerk of Devonport, who
has been a very long time in the service, has been
recommended for superannuation.
PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 24. The Hecate steam-
sloop, Commander Hand, hoisted the pendant yester-
day. She will be employed on the home station.
The Apollo troop-ship, Commander Rawstorne,
sailed from Spithead for 13arbadoes with Royal Artil-
lery yesterday morning.
The Dragon steam-frigate, Captain Giffard, re-
mains at Spithead. The reason her assistant-surgeon
has no cabin is, that the Admiralty have not ordered
one to be constructed for him, and the dockyard can-
not build one without such orders. Captain Giffard
has no it,fluenee in the matter. The Admiralty
yielded submission so reluctantly to the justice of
the case of the assistant-surgeons that we are not
surprised they retard the fulfilment of the order as
much as possible.

The Retributitn steno-frigate, Captain Warden,
bent sails to-day, and will be at Spithead by the end
of the NA eek.

The Furious steam-frigate, jury-rigging in the II
basin, mill be ready i❑ a few days to leave for the
river to get her engines. She has topgallant masts
up and lidded, and is rz.ttling down. She is a remark-
ably handsome-looking ship.
CHATHAM, SEPT. 24.—The Albatross, 12 guns,
Acting Commander Elliott, arrived here yesterday
from Singapore ; she was towed up the river by the
African steam-vessel. It is stated that her number of
men on board, including marines, consists of 130.
She is expected to be paid off on Thursday next.
The Rattlesnake surveying-vessel, on her passage
home from Sydney, Acting Commander Yule, is or-
dered to be paid off here. Her arrival is expected
next week.

Mr. W. Saunders, supernumerary gunner, and Mr.
W. Roberts, supernumerary carpenter, both of the
Cumberland 70, ordinary guard-ship here, are super-
annuated on a pension of 501. per annum each.
Admiral Baron Mackau, the French ex-Minister of
Marine, accompanied by an interpreter, and another
gentleman stated to be a master shipwright of one of
the French dockyards, paid a visit to this dockyard on
Saturday last. An Admiralty order had previously
been received, directing the authorities to allow
the ex-Minister to view the yard, and to pay
every attention to the distinguished officer that is due
to his rank. The gallant admiral was received by
the captain-superintendent, Captain Peter Richards,
C.B , and Mr. Lair, the master shipwright, with
Lieutenant Wise, R.N., director of the dockyard
police, and they attended the visitors during their in-
spection of the yard. The Cressy, 84 guns, on the
stocks, and ready for launching, was the point of at-
traction ; the Admiral and party remained on board
above half an hour, having minutely inspected every
part of this magnificent ship. Afterwards they pro-
ceeded to the third dock, and went on board the Ho-
ratio, fitting for a steam guard-ship ; there they
remained on board tome time ; thence they proceeded
to the metal mills, also to the saw mills and the
ropery, and after viewing the new docks they returned
to the Government-house, and there they were enter-
tained for two hours by Captain Peter Richards. The
Admiral and his two friends left the yard and went
on board the Adder steam-vessel, and proceeded to
Sheerness Dockyard, to view that yard.

WOOLWICH, SEPT. 24.—The Jasper and Advice

steam-vessels left Woolwich yesterday afternoon for
the Downs, to tow the Hercules store-ship to Green-
hithe, where she is expected to remain and discharge
her cargo, her draught of water being so great. The
Hercules has brought home a detachment of Royal
Sappers and Miners from Gibraltar, and they will
join head-quarters at Woolwich.
The Bellerophon, 78, Captain Robert L. Baynes,
C. 8., is hourly expected at Plymouth from the Medi-
terranean station, and as she is to be paid off all stand-
ing, her Marines will be put on shore on their arri-
val, and their places filled up with officers, non-com-
missioned officers, and men of the Woolwich and
Plymouth divisions. A selection of 2 sergeants, 2
corporals, 2 drummers, and 80 privates took place this
morning on the guard mounting parade of the Wool-
wich division for service in the Bellerophon, and they
will leave Woolwich to-morrow morning, under the
command of Captain William F. Hopkins, and pro-
ceed by railway to Plymouth. A similar number
of non-commissioned officers and men will be selected

from the Plymouth dilision for service in the
Bellerophon. _ _

The Teazer steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Selwyn, was taken into the basin to-day, and will be
paid off there on Friday next.
The Firefly and the Monkey steam-vessels were
taken out of the basin to-day, and the former will
leave Woolwich to-morrow for Greenhithe, Plymouth,
and the coast of Africa.

The Marchioness of Douglas hired vessel left Moul-
mein in March last with a cargo of teak for this
dockyard, but she has not arrived at her destination.
Letters have been received from the Rosalind at St.
Helena, and she had not beard anything of the Mar-
chioness of Douglas, although she had left Moul-
mein about a month later with a cargo of teak for
Bristol.
The steamer Viceroy, which was recently wrecked
off Halifax, Nova Scotia, is likely to prove a profitable
investment for those who purchased her when she was
on the rocks. They paid about 2,000 dollars for her.
The engines have been taken out without having
sustained any damage, and it is now expected, as her
ponderous machinery is removed, that the hull will
be got off and repaired at a trifling expense. The
engines alone are worth 50,000 dollars.

DISCONTINUANCE OF THE ADMIRALTY
SEMAPHORES.
In consequence of the facilities now afforded to the
Board of Admiralty and all the Government depart-
ments in transmitting and receiving expresses from
one end of the country to the other by the electric te-
legraph, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
have determined upon discontinuing the old sema-
phores, which will be a great saving to the public, as
each of them was attended by a lieutenant of the
Royal Navy and assistants. The former have retired
on half-pay with an increase, and the latter have been
pensioned off. The great advantage of the electrio
telegraph over the old system is well known, as by the
present one dispatches can be sent off and received at
all times, night and day, and no matter what weather,
whereas the former telegraphs could only work by
day, and that in fine weather, which was a great in-
convenience to Government, especially the naval
department, which had only one line—from the Ad-
miralty, Whitehall, to Portsmouth ; whilst now ordets
can be transmitted in a moment to the Royal Ar-
senals of Woolwich, Chatham and Sheerness, Ports-
mouth, Plymouth and Devonport, Penxbroke, &c. ;
and no doubt, by the improvements making in
electricity, in a short time by a submarine telegraph
to Ireland. The following are the semaphore stations
which have been done away with :—That at the Ad-
miralty, Chelsea, Putney, Kingston, Cooper's-hill„
Ether, Chatley-heath, Cobham, Pewley-hill, Guild-
ford, Bannicle-hill, Godalming, Hasle-
mere, Halder-hill, Midhurst, Beacon-hill, and Comp-
town-down; Peterafield, Portsdown-hill, Bedhamp-
ton, and Portsmouth. Not only is the electric tele-
graph of great importance to Government, but to our
merchants and shipping interest in the announcement
of the arrivals and departures of the foreign and
colonial mails and vessels from all parts of the globe,
the last prices of the markets and stocks, Parliamen-
tary Bills, and every intelligence of what is passing
in both Houses of Parliament during the session,
courts of law, &c. On the continent the electric
telegraph is becoming more and more general, and
several contracts have been entered into for laying
down various lines so as to unite one country with
the other.