The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-14 00:00:00

REMARKS.

Iron plate, one-eighth, all passed through, making
holes 9 inches.

Oak plank, one inch, all passed through; the hole
closing up. 3-16th in the thickness of the hatchets
set down, but it is of harder iron than the iron plates ;
the hatchet is herewith returned.

Iron plate, 3 -16 ths, all passed through, making very
jagged holes of 1.2 inch in the inner part.
Iron plate, 2-Bths, four in six just passed through ;
two stuck in the plate; jagged in the inner par!.
Oak plank, 2-inch, four in six passed through, and
dropped; two did not; holes closed in front; small
splinters at the back.
Iron plate, iths, oak plank, 3-inch, both musket
proof.
ver
Canister at 100 yards from 32-pounders,
holes
charge :
of the
Iron
e size of the sometimes
azte,
!t hs,all edthrou h
very makingjagged
within.
Oak plank, 3,inch, generally passed through ; par-
tially closing at the front, and slightly splintered at
the back.
Iron plate, 4.Bths ; oak plank, 4-inch ; canister
proof.
Grape at 200 yards from a 32-pounder, GILs.

charge :
Iron plate, 4 Bths, ditto iths, all passed through,
making holes the size of a shot; jagged within.
Oak plank, 4-inch, ditto 5-inch, all passed through,
partially closing on the front, with small splinters
within.
Iron plate, 6-Bths, all passed through, making
holes the size of the shot; jagged within.

----
Oak plank, 6-inch, generally passed through, par-
tially closing in front, splintering much at the back.
The specific gravity of iron and oak is nearly as 1
to 8, and it will be observed that the resistance to
shot is as near as possible in the same ratio ; the shot
making jagged holes of its own size on the iron, the 1
oak partially closing up on the front, with splinters
at the back.
The inferences to be drawn from the foregoing
practice, and against iron plates in 1842, and the
Ruby iron steam-vessel in 1846, are-
1.
makeSh such l
Shot ofevearryge bolesdescri hpttioant t
on Passing through
iron his
material is im-
proper for the bottom of ships.
2. Iron and oak of equal weight offering equal re-
sistance to shot, that iron for the top sides affords
better rotection o men than v, as the°a-
from i tare not sot destructive. splinters
3. Iron offering no lodgment for shells on passing
through the side, if made with single plates, it will

In conclusion, it appears that the combination of
wood with iron does not remedy the evils experienced
in the former experiments, that of endangering the
iron vessels from the large holes made by the shot
on passing through, and when they meet with resist-
ance, their splintering into small numerous pieces,
that would prevent men standing at their quarters.
From these circumstances, I am confirmed in the
opinion that iron cannot be beneficially employed as
a material for the construction of vessels of war; the
only exception may be in slight vessels exclusively for
river service, where the shot may pass through with-
out resistance, making few splinters, and when pass-
ing in or out so as to endanger the vesssl, it may be
run on shore, and, being wholly of iron, would not
be susceptible of fire.
For mercantile purposes, where the vessels are not
liable to be subject to the fire of an enemy, iron may,
be very desirable, require less repair, and when so re-
quiring it may be more readily performed than in
•essels of timber.

The builder's description of the butt is also enclosed.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) H. D. CHAD9' Captain.
Admiral the Hon. Sir T. Bladen Capel, K.C.8., &c.
These experiments may, under these circumstances,
be fairly deemed to set the question at rest.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, RUDA:T.—The Blenheim, GO, Cap-
tain Henderson, CB. ; Fox, 42, Captain Lambert;
Thetis, 38, Captain Kupar ; Dragon steam•frigate,
Captain Gaud ; and the Rolla exercise brig, remain
at S pithead.

The Stromboli steam-sloop, Commander Lord
Ame Hug Beauclerk, will be paid off early next week.
The Retribution steam frigate, Captain Warden,
will be at Spithead in a few days. She will bend
sails to-morrow. She is a very fine looking ship
now, and very much resembles the Sidon in her war-
like appearance.
The Adventure store-ship, Master-Commander
Peter Wellington, arrived here this morning from
Deptford, with stores, after discharging which she
proceeds westward.
The Britannia, 120, Captain Yates, is fitting and
rigging with dispatch.
The Dauntless screw steam-frigate, of 1,569 tons
and 520 horse power, Captain E. P. Halsted, went
out of Portsmouth harbour on Thursday, with all her
weight on board, to test her engines, and to try her
speed along the measured mile in Stokes Bay. Very
great interest was attached to the trial, consequently
there was a large number of officers on board, includ-
ing Rear-Admiral Superintendent Prescott, C. 8., the
builder of the Dauntless (Mr. Fincham), Captain
Chads, C. 8., Captain Henderson, C. 8., Commodore
Lambert, of the Fox, Captains Woodford J. Wil-
liams, Lewis, T. Jones, W. Warden (of the Retri-
bution), Ryder; Professor Mayne, Mr. F. P. Smith,
&c. The object of this trial was not so much to de-
termine the ship's capabilities of speed, as the effec-
tive power of a new screw which had been provided.
In an experiment made in May, the ship had a mean
speed of 10.265 knots an hour, with 30 strokes of the
engines in a minute. On Thursday the mean speed
was 10.044 knots an hour, with 30 to 31 strokes a
minute, the strength of the current, which varied
considerably in the course of the trial, being taken
into account. There was a• strong breeze nearly in
the line of the ship's course • and the strength of both
the wind and tide, in these fast experiments, was such
as to place the results under a measure of uncertainty
as to the exact character of the performance. 'lhe
new screw is of the same diameter, and of about the
same pitch, as the screw with which the ship was
previously tried. Mr. Grant's apparatus worked won-
derfully well, making upwards of forty gallons of
fresh water per hour with the same coal that was ne-
cessary to cook the ship's company's dinner. Provi-
sions will be put on board, and in another week the
Dauntless will be ready for sea.
Fox, 42, Commander Lambert, has not yet sailed
from Portsmouth ' • she and the Thetis and Dragon
are all waiting at Spithead Admiralty orders,.
Furious steam-frigate was masted at Portsmouth
on Thursday, and will be forthwith jury-rigged, for
the purpose of proceeding to the river for her engines
Hecate steam-sloop will be commissioned at
Ports-
mouth next week.
Stromboli, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Lord A.
Beauclerk, is returning stores at Portsmouth, and
will be paid off on the 19th.
Teaser screw gun-vessel, Lieut.-Commander
coastr
f
Sel-
wyn, put into Queenstown on the 11th from the