The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-01-03 00:00:00

lamp anb //Tabu.

FATAL RIOT AT ALDER/MOM—WO regret to learn
that • serious riot took place at Aldershott on the even-
ing of the 215th ult., between some men belonging to the
2nd battalion of the 24th regiment and • oompany of the
King's Own Light Infantry (Tower Hamlets) Militia,
and which was unfortunately attended by the loss of
one life, besides three men being wounded. It is the
custom in most regiments for the officers of each com-
pany to subscribe • certain sum to provide their men
with • Christmas dinner. This has tended to promote
and keep up the good feeling and sympathy which
should always exist between the officers and their men;
but, unfortunately, in the present case it has been dis-
torted into the absurd cause of getting up • row between
the above-mentioned corps. The 2nd battalion of the
54th Regiment occupy the permanent barracks of the
west block in the South Camp, each side of which con-
sists of three storeys opposite to one another joined at
the top with a covering of glass. waste admit of • whole
regiment being formed for parade on the space below in
case of rainy weather. According to the usual fate
which seems to regulate all projects undertaken by
Government, these barracks or blocks as they are
termed, are too large for any one regiment, but not suf-
ficiently capacious for two. One company of the Tower
Hamlets Militia was quartered in the upper story of the
west block, with men of the 24th Regiment living under
them and exactly opposite to them, the interval between
the two buildings being about 15 yards, while the re-
mainder of their own regiment occupied huts some
little way off. After partaking of • hearty Christmas
dinner, it appears that some of the Tower Hamlets and
2nd battalion of the 24th betook themselves to the can-
teen of the latter regiment, where an argument began,
mooted originally, it is said, by the men of the 24th, as
to which regiment had had the best dinner provided for
them by their officers. This took place between the
hours of 7 and 8 p.m., at which time the canteens are
closed. As far as we can learn, a great deal of bitter
feeling had now arisen, and on leaving the canteen the
men of the 24th went upstairs to the rooms occupied by
the Tower Hamlets, and commenced a warfare with
mops and brooms. So far, though it was a case of going
to war for an "idea," the combat did not assume much
more serious proportions than "Molly's" tattle royal, as
described by Fielding; but both parties appear to have
become gradually more exasperated, and at length the
men of the 24th Regiment betook themselves to their
own quarters in the opposite gallery, and began to had
their rides with ball cartridges. It seems astonishing
that the officers were not summoned from their mess-
hones, which was close by, before things arrived at this
pass; but when they were sent for rides had been already
discharged by the 24th rioters against their opposite
neighbours. It was some time before the officers could
quell the tumult, and when they did so, it appeared that
four men of the Militia had been wounded, and, from
the marks left by the bullets, several shots must have
been fired. We cannot hear that the Militia fired at
all; at any rate, if they did, they did so without effect.
Of the wounded men, one expired after great suffering.
at 8 o'clock on Monday morning; the others are said
to be progressing favourably. The colonel of the 24th
Regiment has been telegraphed for, and all the officers
who were on leave have been recalled. A searching
investigation has, we hear, been already instituted into
the origin of these disgraceful proceedings, and the
wagons of the Military Train were waiting to receive the
baggage belonging to the 24th Regiment, which corps
will, on dit, be reruoved to the North Camp, pending
instructions from the higher authorities. Any one who
has seen the window frames riddled with bullets must
have wondered that many more lives were not sacrificed.
Strong pickete belonging to the other regiments in the
South Camp were stationed on the spot all Monday
night, and were again on Tuesday evening for fear of
any further collision. As far as we could learn, not a
single man of the 24th Regiment had received any
serious injury. Forty-seven men of that corps are in
confinement in the guard-room for having taken part in
the riot. Up to the present time the conduct of the
troops in camp had been so exemplary and the diminu-
tion of crime so marked, when compared with regiments
quartered in other places, that great regret is expressed
at this unfortunate affair. We, however, feel bound to
state, from inquiries made in all quarters, that the
Tower Hamlets Militia were not only not the aggressors,
but that they, on the contrary, behaved with the greatest
forbearance. We are the more constrained to say this,
as we believe that from their previous history they had
not been in great favour with the higher authorities.
FORTIFICATION OF THE RUMBLEIL—The important
work of the defence of the Mumbles, commanding the
roadstead at Swansea Bay, has been undertaken by
Government, and the first steps for the erection of an
efficient defensive work have just been taken. A bat-
tery of heavy guns is to be erected on the Lighthouse
Island, which is completely inaccessible to an enemy,
the water at half.fiood surrounding it with • strong
current. The wet of this work will be from £6,000 to
EB,OOO.
New STEAM BATTERIES.—The new steam batteries,
tenders for which had been Limed by the Adiniralty,
have been awarded, one to Mr. Palmer, of Jarrow, the
other to Messrs. Westwood and Baillie, of 51illwall.
The former has been allowed 15 months to complete his
contract, which has been taken at 1:43 per ton ; the
latter have agreed to complete their vessel within 12
month', the price being £44 per ton. The tonnage of
each vessel is 3,668 tons, builders measurement. This
will enable us to forum some estimate of the enormous
cost of theme vessels, since the former will cost £157,724,
and the latter £161,392. This, it must be remembered,
is for the mere bull of the boat; and as her equipment
will necessarily be very expensive, and her engines of
immense power, we shall take • low estimate of the
cost when we assume that each vessel will, when ready
for sea, cost about a third of • million of money. This is
purchasing vessels at the rate of about three for every
£1,000,060 sterling. These, however, are only the
smaller steam batteries ; those already building of 6,000
tons will cost upwards of a quarter of • million, or
£264,000, for the bull alone, and when fitted for sea
will not cost less than half a million of money each, so
that for more than • million and • half of money John
Bull will have paraded before his eyes four ships of
large tonnage, of unquestionable !strength, and of very
questionable utility, seeing that their success is an ad-
mitted problem.
Telegraphic messages have been despatched from the
Admiralty to Woolwich and Gravesend, containing
orders for Her Majesty's ship Himalaya, Celt. John
Seacombe, to return forthwith to Portsmouth, at which
port she will embark for conveyance to Queenstown the
2nd battalion of the 24th Regiment, consisting of 27
officers, 900 men, 62 women, and 60 children.