The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-09-19


A Hungarian officer has succeeded in swim.
ming across the patien Sea, distance Of twenty
English miles. The tlwe was seventeen hours.
An English traveller who has visited this
country urges the English railway companies to adopt
the American system Of collecting and delivering bag
gage.
The British government is now building at
Chatham - naval monster called the Polyphemus.
This vessel, says correspondent, which Is utterly I'M
like anything previously seen IN the royal navy, Is tie
signed arnOred sheet plated ram Of ., 6i0 tons
aud 3, 500 horse power She Is built almost entirely
Of steel, aud rs torpedo she viii be the most
formidable vessel In the world. and the opinion has
been formed that there Is no vessel anoat, no matter
of what description which could survive after
two blows from her ram
A correspondent writes in an English Jour
nal concerning Engand's native Indian army as fol-
lows; "Ibe native recruit IL no longer 50 easily To be
found before. Years ago the pay was the same as
native soldier and his family at least three times
ms cheap. Now things are "a much changed, and
money has lost 50 much Of Its value, that common
aborers are beginning to earn more than soldiers while
the latter find great dinculty In supporting their
families In a few years this dimcuty viii he In
| supeIablc. -
The first of the 50 ton guns was recently
lifted board the nho Nbe At Portsmouth and dep0s
tied In It's place In the after tstarb0ar) trret without
hitch Of any kind, and with scarcely more dinculiy
than would he experienced In transporting asNy four
FOUNDER. The extreme length Of the gun itself, with
out measuring the cascade, WAS 20 feet inches or
Within ot three inches of the entire inner diameter
of the turret II will thus he that considerable
SKIN was required Ia manage the gun IN IT'S descent
Tackle and blocks, the sheayes Of which had been
previously tested Ia bear strain Of SIX tons were at
iaced To the bTCec aud the fore part Of the gun car
rod wlncles the deck, for lie purpose of adjust
ing the position Of the mass, while the ship Itself was
capable Of being moved sstein by means 81 pnen-
matte Capstan alOngslde. As soou rs the gun had been
poised above the turret the forward falls were lowered,
~ that the gun descended obquely and the moment
the mulze was found tn be opposite the gun port the
breech gently lowered, ,lie ship bong at the same
time drawn by the stern. In other words, while the
gun hung ~ mla,r, the ship was pulled astern, and
| 30 hoatod the port past the run. The meihod was
similar To putting collar on horse
The Woolwich correspondence of the Lon
don Telegraph, OF the 2sth ultmO, writes as follows:
The frst battery Of the bfeech- loading field guns
win he ready Issue IN few DAYS. The guns have
all been finished aud proved at the butts, aud only
| upiIe to he provided with the hIal httngs and
| gun OF the series returned 10 Woolwlch yesterday
| morning from shoeburyness, whei" II has passed
| through must satisfactory course oi tfials The
hreeeh action, which Is NEE essaflly The most critical
feature Of the system, has been pronounced per
feet aud the improvements Introduced Tor the sake ui
range and accuracy have been thoroughly chectnal'
In rapldity U Ie the gun leaves nothing TO he de-
| sired, hut this quality, though expected OF bfeci-
loader Is not held Of such Importance NOW as fuf-
merry II has been decided 10 Issue with each OF the
guns three metal cups, one oi when WIN occupy Hle
haze of the powder chamber al each discharge an sonu
protection 10 the bieec arrangement and these cups
ate to be tI. subject al some special expefnentsM the
WOnlwich proof ground The larger bleech- leaders,
desgned both fO naval and land service, are advancing
Of the pattern VIII lie completed Ia octobefoi NoNen-
Der. The larger gun Of ioiytree tons rs not no for
ward aud no date eau e at piescn. assigned FOR ~
| completion All the guns OF the present. bIcorh-
loading type appear To he of very great longih In cont
aIisOn with the service guns TO which they respect
yey correspondence extension of the breeeh end and
sumption OF large charges having both Contributed tC
Tits result, ~