The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-19 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

On the " Affairs of the Navy," our able weekly contem-
porary, the Plymouth Times, of Saturday last, contains an-
other forcible article. Speaking of the late experiments on
board the Scourge steam-sloop at Portsmouth, it observes, in
corroboration of our own statements:—

•" This important step in naval warfare certainly origi-
nated with Sir George Cockburn, always actively engaged
in forwarding the interests of the country in various ways,
but more especially in the department of its navy, with the
whole routine of which he is most thoroughly acquainted.
His view of the propriety of giving steam ships a mortar arma-
ment cannot but be considered a wonderful advance in steam
warfare. And here we may remark upon the great import-
ance to the Government of having about them well-educated
men to carry into certain operation any comprehensive view
which the heads of its naval department may entertain from
great personal experience in the navy, of the construction,
armament, &c., of its ships." . . . . . .

It is a poor satisfaction that the country is indebted to the
blunders of the Navy-office for those experiments. But for
the failure of the Scourge, a steamer of 1,124 tons burden, to
carry an armament commensurate with her great tonnage,
these important results would not have been ascertained, at
least for some time. The Scourge was designed by the
surveyor as a powerful steam-frigate; but the Cyclops,
Gorgon, and others, proving inefficient, in consequence of
the mistakes committed in calculating their displacement,
weights, &c., the somewhat more indefinite term of " steam-
vessel" was given to her—postponing the classification until
they ascertained her real draught of water when launched,
when they could call her a " frigate" or a " sloop," as their
inaccuracies would allow them. Unfortunately, she did not
prove an exception to the general rule, and even as a
" sloop," she was deemed inefficient, and was thus selected
to ascertain the capability of steamers to fire shells from
mortars. The Plymouth Times gives the credit of furnish-
ing all the plans and caleulations for this experiment, to-
gether with the working out of the details, to Mr. Watts,
the master- builder's assistant, at Portsmouth (a member of
the proscribed School of Naval Architecture), " who stands
highly distinguished al' sound judgment and mathematical
and mechanical ability."
The vilifiers of the School of Naval Architecture, who say
that "it is an insult to common sense to talk of these school-
men as qualified ship-builders, versed in the routine of the
dockyards, as we have daily proofs of their total inefficiency,"
in almost the same breath, speaks thus of Mr. Watts, in no-
ticing the exercise of his professional skill on one of the sur-
veyor's other blunders:—
"The sliding step of the Vangtisrd's mainmast was
moved forward three inches, without lifting the mast, which
Mr. Watts, a most active and talented officer, proposed to
execute, for the purpose ' of saving time and trouble in
shifting the mast. To all the uninitiated, aye, and to some
of the supposed initiated, this appeared an extremely bold
proposal, on account of the very confined space in which
the operation was to be performed ; but Mr. Watts's ar-
rangements and calculations were so complete, that IX) the
surprise and delight of all those who witnessed it, the mai3o
top, and cap, rigging, and stays, the whole weighing up-
wards of thirty tons, were moved by only eight or ten me-
chanics, with screw and wedges—displaying a beautiful ex-
position of the facility of moving the greatest weight by
these modifications of the inclined plane."
From so polluted a source even this testimony to the truth
is deprived of half its force. The same parties, after having
heaped the utmost opprobrium on the members of the
School of Naval Architecture, have not hesitated, on occa-
sions on which such pretensions could not be disputed, to
claim credit for a connexion with it, and to seek advice and
assistance from its distinguished members.
The men who have by extraordinary assiduity and great
practical experience in naval architecture attained high
positions in the building department of the Government
service, and those who have, to a regular course of
scientific instruction, superadded a thorough practical ac-
quaintance with the details of ship-building, are alike the
objects of the vituperation of the Navy-office—all are pro-
scribed and denounced as inefficient men who do not admire
the " happy intuitive" principles of the surveyor and his man
Friday; their virulence increasing in proportion to their suc-
cessive failures. But such a state of things cannot last. The
Admiralty must see the advantage of altering the constitu-
tion of the present Navy-office, and of rendering full and
ample justice to the distinguished members of the late School
of Naval Architecture. Thus says our contemporary :
" We are firm in our conviction of the absolute necessity
which exists, more especially in the present state of the
Government ship-building, for resorting to some good and
well-ordered national establishinent, by which the great
master minds of the country may be enlisted and brought
forward by a proper course of education in the science of
naval architecture, as applied to the Government service,
and in the meantime, to put into responsible official situa-
tions, men such as Mr. Watts, Mr. Peak, Mr. Chatfield,
and others, who have been educated upon the faith
of an absolute contract with former Governments, signed by
the King in Council, pledging the Government to that effect,
and who have evinced capabilities and talents elicited by that
education worthy of encouragement. Is it not really painful
to see the son of a gentleman seventeen years a surveyor
of the navy, and who entered the service upon
the faith of a solemn compact with the Govern-
ment, kept down in a subordiate situation, after thirty
years' service, upon no fair pretence whatever, but
merely to suit the purposes of party political views, and
gratify the prejudices of certain interested persons; whilst
men of little or no claim to consideration as men of educa-
tion and professional attainment, have been promoted over
his head ? Verily, the Reform Admiralty of 1831 have much
to answer for. This was reforming abuses with a vengeance.
It was, however, understood, from a statement made in the
Devonport Yard by a certain leading man at Somerset
House, that not one of those gentlemen would be promoted
whilst a joint of the surveyor's tail remained in power;
but nous verrons We consider such an abuse as this a blot
on the escutcheon of the Admiralty, which we scarcely think
the present Board will like to see remain.
" We need only refer to the report of the Commissioners
of Naval Revision, to show in what a wretched low state
the education and attainments of the old class of ship-
wrights, who fancy themselves qualified for the highest de-
partments of the service, generally rests ; and hence, as
stated by those same Commissioners, it is imperative to
put an end to that want of foresight which may lead to so
much danger to the country.' Will any one believe if such
men as Creuze, Bonnycastle, Parsons, and others, who have
been fairly driven out of the service by disappointment, bad
been allowed to have taken their fair place in the ship-
building department of the Government, as guaranteed to
them, the Admiralty would have experienced the vexatiousexpense and failures they have encountered in the construc-
tion and armament of its ships and steamers? Should
we have had various ships set up in batches, at_ a ruinous
cost to the country, without a good scientific determina-
tion of the merits of one of their class, and a sound know-
ledge of what was requisite to ensure perfection in all the
others? ' We had only a short time since no less than six
iron steamers built in private yards, from drawings furnished
by the surveyor's department of the Admiralty, not one
which bes realised the intended design. No sooner
of • first of them in the water and tried, than they
were tt.„ • plete failures, and they underwent all
were fount.to be coo
—one was paid off in despair. Never was
of people
suck tinkering--alt sorts were consulted. We
believe the cutting down the .71
sorts of change.'
asts of the Jackall and Blood-
hound, and substituting short knole gear with four and aft
sails, was recommended by the ;':/ileen's Harbour-Master,
Mr. Walker. When this state of ati,„'irs became public, the
surveyor's department threw the blame on the Admiralty,
and on Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, the contractors, and
pleaded as an excuse that they-were only asked. for hand-
some lady-like drawings, without reference to particular
weights : this, however, was evidently an excuse. Certain,
however, it is, that no less than six steam-vessels were built
by the Government, of little or no use to the country, whose
Treasury paid the piper, to the tune of at least 50,0001. For
this expenditure no one appears responsible, the surveyor's
department having, like the scuttle-fish, when disturbed,
thrown out a cloud of dark inky matter, and run off in the
midst of its own confounded confusion. Now, if we had a
good Board of Naval Construction and Revision, composed of
properly educated and aualified men, such monstrous absur-

///
dities could not occur, and the Treasury would b 4 licher by
hundreds of thousands a year."—lfforning Heral47
Captain Henry Byam Martin, C.8.,-serrof Admiral Sir
Byam Martin, has been appointed to the command of that
noble 50-gun frigate the Grampus, razeed at Woolwich by
Mr. Oliver Lang, the master shipwright. She will have a
complement of 500 men, and when ready will proceed to
the Pacific to join the squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir
George Seymour. Captain Martin was posted in 1828, for
his services at Navarino, in which battle he commanded the
Musquito sloop. The pendant has been hoisted on board.
We were sure that a young and smart officer would have
this splendid ship.
Mr. Thomas Pidcock, clerk in charge of the Lizard, has
been appointed acting paymaster and purser of the Alecto
steam-sloop.
The Retribution steam-frigate, Captain Lushington, will
most probably, when ready, proceed to the Pacific, to join
the squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral Sir G.
Seymour.

THE RUSSIAN MEN OF WAR AT PLYMOUTH.--The Inger-
mannland line-of-battle ship, with the flag of Vice-Ad-
miral Lulka, with the 30-gun corvette Prince of Warsaw,
have arrived at Plymouth, with the Grand Duke Constan-
tine. The 80-gun ship remains in the Sound, but the cor-
vette has gone into Barnpool. They have suffered much in
the passage frgin Cronstadt. The corvette is large for the
name; she has no poop, but a flush deck. She has been
examined by the dockyard officer, and her defects
have been found so numerous that they will occupy
a month repairing. It was proposed to take the liner from
the Sound into Ilamoaze, alongside a hulk, to facilitate
her repairs, and hoys were sent out to take out her
powder, according to the established rules of the port; but
the Russians obstinately refuse to part with their powder, so
if they do not alter their decision they will remain where
they are. Many of the seamen have been ashore, but their
appearance and their habits do not recommend them.
The Netley tender has arrived at Devonport from Ports-
mouth.

FRENCH RAILROADS.
It became known on Thursday that a fusion had been
effected between the companies proposing to bid for the Stras-
burg line, represented by Messrs. Ganneron, Hinguerlot,
Gentil et Fol, Bechet, and two or three minor ones. The
three leading companies are to receive each one-fifth of the
capital, and the remaining two-fifths amongst them. Messrs.
de Rothschild are to be the bankers. One company alone,
known as Anthouard's Company, was not included in the ar-
rangement ; the required deposit of share lists, &c., was
made by that company before midnight on the 14th, but it
was not deemed certain on the Bourse that that company
would persist in its proposition to bid for the line.
After long and laborious discussions a fusion was effected
between the several competing companies for the Tours and
Nantes line, and who were no fewer than eight in number.
The following are the proportions in which the capital of
40 millions is to be subscribed by them :
Francs.
Mackenzie's Company ... ... 8 millions.
Carette and Minguet ••• 6 „
O'Neill ••• ... 5 „
Drouillard (Nantois) ... 5 „
Raigecourt 5 „
Lefevre 5 „
Delamarre 4i
Basse Loire ... vy

Total ...

... 40 millions.

The Siècle observes, that " the coalition amongst the nu-
merous companies which were formed for the construction of
the Paris and Strasburg and Tours and Nantes Railroads
demonstrates the impossibility of competition when colossal
enterprises which require 100,000,000 and 200,000,000 of
capital are to be executed. We return by a perilous and
lengthened course to the system of a direct concession by
the State. Those who dreaded the application of the system
of adjudication had foreseen but a part of the evils which it
has produced. What have we seen in fact? The formation
of a multitude of societies, the object of the greater part of
which was to make the others pay by compelling them to
enter into a coalition ; the useless appeal made to the public
to repeat their subscriptions 10 and 20 times for the same

line, so as to cause a commercial crisis by the locking up the
ordinary means of circulation; in fine, manoeuvres of every
nature, which have thrown discredit on the morality of the
country and on public credit, and all to conclude with having
but one company to bid before a Minister to whom the Jaw
delegates the power of fixing the definitive terms of the
concession."

The Presse publishes along article in defence of the coali-
tion of the companies formed to bid for the Paris and Stras-
burg and the Tours and Nantes Railroads. "In order to con-
struct railroads," says the Presse, " there are three systems—
that of monopoly, when the Government retains the railroad
under its own management; 2, privilege, when the State
concedes the road directly; and, 3, competition, when the
State adjudicates publicly. Of these three systems the first
is undoubtedly the best, and the Government will not fail to
regret having inconsiderately abandoned it. It has been
asked, where the State would have found the twelve or
fifteen hundred millions necessary for the construction of
the French railroads? We answer by the emission in suc-
cession of railroad bonds bearing an interest of three francs
sixty-five centimes. We believe the Government would
have without difficulty found the requisite capital, particu-
larly if in place of presenting to the Chambers a real house-
keeper's account-book, under the title of a budget, the Go-
vernmennt had placed under the eyes of the nation a budget
such as it ought to be, presenting a real account of its receipts
and expenditure, of its resources and its debts—resources which
are every day increasing, and of which no notice is taken :
but both the Chambers and the Government were agreed
not to increase the number of public services, and to add a
new and immense force to all the forces at the disposal of
the State. There is one serious objection to the mode of adju-
dication by public bidding applied to the great railroad lines,
an objection without reply, and which alone would be suffi-
cient to enrol us amongst the adversaries of the system.
The objection is this :—The companies who have the least to
lose are those who can afford to risk the most. The more a
company is strongly constituted, and the better guarantee it
presents, the less chance it will have of obtaining the adju-
dication. We must therefore applaud, and we trust that
what has taken place with respect to the Northern and to
the Strasburg line will take place for the Paris and Lyons
road, even at the cost to the State of a longer lease by some
years."
The National says, "That which we foretold this morning
has come to pass. The companies which had been formed
for the purpose of bidding for the railroad between Tours and
Nantes combined this mdming. The following are said to be
the conditions of the contract :—The capital to be 40,000,0004
divided into 80,000 shares. The company of Mackenzie had
for its portion 12.521,776 f. ; the company Carette and Min-
guet, 8,347,826 f. ; the company O'Neill, 6,376,812 f. • the com-
pany Drouillard, 6,376,812 f. ; the company. iaigecourt,
7.376,812 f. Since the first fusion a fresh adhesion has taken
place ; it is that of M. Jacques Lefevre and Co.; this new
party taking for itself a figure of 6,376,812 f , which will be im-
puted' upon the lot of the two companies Mackenzie and
Carette-Minguet. Thus it will be seen that there will be
no more competition for the Tours line than for those of the
North and Strasburgh. We are very sure that this new coalition
has not been accomplished without difficulties. Some persons
who transact business seriously, and who do not wish to do
it at all prices, resisted to the last moment; but in this in-
stance, as in everything else, the majority of the weak and
the intriguing carried the day. And it ought to be so, for
hoi;,st men, instead of meeting in the Administration an able
support,
find but untractable ill-will.
is said that to-night a company, altogether left
out of the coain:L
on for the Strasburgh line, will present itself at
the adjudication ag,;:lnst the company of companies, Hinguer-
lot, Ganneron, Gentil-IN, Rothschild, Bechet, and others.
This company will hare for 1.6 patron M. Anthonard, a Peer
of France."

EARTHQUAKE IN SMYRNA.
(From the Impartial)
SMYRNA.—On the 15th of October the city of Smyrna wag
visited at about 5 30 A.m. by a smart shock of an earthquake,
which was repeated more violently at 11 20 A.M. A third
shock took place a little while after, and some other slight
ones in the course of the day. On the 16th some slight
motions were felt, and at 10 4() P.M. another severe shock
was felt, but this was nothing in comparison to the sad ac-
counts received from Mitylene, where the earthquake occa-
sioned great damage, and threw all the population into con-
sternation.

Mrna.r.NE, Ocr. 15.—0 n the 6th, at daybreak, two slight
shocks of an earthquake were felt in succession ; shocks,
more or less weak, continued all this day and .the following.
On the llth,'at one P.M., a strong shock was felt; at two, it
second stronger, followed by a third, very violent ; these
threw all the city into consternation. The inhabitants ran
in crowds to the marina, their hands stretched out to heaven
in the attitude of prayer, in such a state of fear as is difficult
to describe. It was expected the city would fall to the earth,
and, in fact, if the second shock, which was a short one, had
only lasted ten seconds longer, Mitylene would at this hour
have been a mass of ruins. We passed the remainder of the
day and night of the 11th and 12th in a state of great anxiety
—the shocks were repeated every half-hour. During the 12th
we felt four slight shocks. On the night of the 12th and 13th
five shocks, the last of them so strong as to shake the bed. On
the 13th we were free from them until two P.m., when we felt
two slight shocks. On the night of the 13th and 14th there
were five shocks. The 15th was quiet, but in the night we felt
continued shocks. It is to be remarked that the rain had not
ceased since nine A.M. of the 14th. Fear was at its height. The
shops were shut, prayers were offered up in the churches, and in
the mosques. The following is what we have been able to
ascertain respecting the damage done. In the city, a house
divided asunder, and several others, less important, half
ruined. The house 'of the English Consul very much do,-
maged. Two great walls of a coffee-house removed from the
rest of the building. In the village of Ploumari eight houses
have been overthrown, forty are much damaged, and the
church split. At Vibari several houses and a half of the
church in ruins. Two men and a woman perished. ~ onlyOf the
70 or 80 houses which compose the y village of Liskoli,
two remain. It is said that in Koh and Parakilla the
damage done is considerable. At the
imoment of
felt To gve you an ides
ing the shocks are :wail
of the force of the principal one of the 11th, I only
tell you that in the square of the arsenal there stood two
enormous trees, which are wholly thrown down, and their
branches broken and torn from the trunk. The spring of
Uth:eral water, which for some weeks had been dry, has
girpn water
i_in.a. grmeater quantity than formerlsmeltof all
around.
SMYRNA, Oct. 24.—Letters from Mitylene of the 22d men-
tion that the earthquakes have not entirely ceased, but that
they are much weaker. On the 18th we had a heavy rain,
which lasted a long time. The streets were two feet deep in
water. Many damaged houses fell down. A thunderbolt
grievously wounded a woman.

MR.
J. V ENIMORE COOPER'S NEW WORE, entitled
" The Chain Bearer," is this day published by Mr.
of New Burlington-street, and may now be had of all boo
sellers, and at all the libraries, in 3 vols. post Bvo. Mr.
Bentley has also just published the following new works :-
1. Memoirs of the Jacobites, by Mrs. Thomson, 2 vols. Bvo.
with portraits.-2. A World of Wonders, by Albany Poyntz.:
I. vol. Bvo.-3. Honour and Shame, a novel, 3 vols.
A DESPERATE LEAP.—...Abolit 12 o'clock last
night, a deserter from the 92d Regiment, named David Stra-
chan, a private, leaped over a window three stories high, in
Blackfriars-wynd, to escape from a sergeant and party who
had been sent from the Castle to apprehend him. He
was severely bruised about the head, but was able to walk
to the Castle with the assistance of his comrades.—Edin-
burgh paper.
THE FRENCH GAME-LAWS.—In March last the
carriage of the Marquis Aujorant was stopped and examined
at the Barriere du Maine, and six rabbits, which were found
in it, were seized. The coachman stated that they had been
shot in his master's park. The Marquis and his coachman
were both prosecuted for this offence against the game-laws,
and a fine of 50f. was pronounced by the Tribunal of Cor-
rectional Police against the coachman, for the payment of
which the Marquis was declared responsible. The Marquis
having lodged an appeal, the case was again heard yesterday,
when the sentence was confirmed.—Galignanes Messenger.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a meet-
ing yesterday at the office in Whitehall-place. There were
present the Bishops of London, Ely, and Rochester.