The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-04-17 00:00:00

LORD WOLSELEY ON THE ARMY

The thirty-third anniversary dinner of the London..
Association of Foreman Engineers was held on Satur-
day evening at Cannon-street Hotel. Mr. J.
Thornycroft presided. The company numbered about.
300. Lord Wolfs°ley, replying for the army, could
not help saying without any wish to flatter, that the
little army of Eneland would not be a particle of use e
in these days of great armaments and great arrniee
all over the world, were it not for the assistance re"
ceived upon all occasions when England sent tro4)P9
into the field from the civil engineers of the country'
He had always studied to compare the conditions 0f...
warfare of the last century, and even of this century..
with those of the present moment. In days gone l;Y",
not only was the mode different to what it was noir. .
but the implements were different. In fact, there
was as much difference between the implements •
of the past and present as between the lora
and the spinning machines working at Manchester.'
at the present day. He thought it was worth
any one's while to study. the --condition of that
little army which was recently sent out from'- this ,
country for the purpose of saving the -life of one
England's greatest soldiers—(cheers)—be was. goihg •
to say one of the brightest and most interesting hefnes
of which England had to be proud. (Cheers.) U.
they were to look at the various implements made
use of, and the manner in which all.the latest inven-
tions were called into play, it would be interesting for
all classes who attempted to make the study. Not
only did they make railways,'and erect telegraphs,
but they employed balloons; in faot,, it was difficult.
to say what branch of trade they did not bring to
their assistance. At any rate the• class of civil.
engineers had played a prominent part. In addition
to this every head of science had been called to their
assistance. Besides 800 row boats, beautifully con-
structed, and carefully carried out in this eountry,
they had made use of the great steamboat firms, fore-
most amongst them that represented 'by their chair- :
plan. In fine, if it bad not been for the various pro-
fessions, and especially that to which those presenD
belonged, and the assistance the army had received
from home in the way of, implements', it would
not have been able to accomplish' what it had '
done. (Cheers.) He was glad to have the oppor-
tunity of meeting for almost the first time a member
of
,the engineering profession who had so greatly dis- ,
tinguished himself upon that occasion, he alluded to ,
Mr. Henry Benbow, who, he was bound to say, was s'
credit to the, profession. If they read the story of
how he obtained so much fame, it would compare '
favourably with the heroic actions of ancient and,
modern times. The shot which did damage upon
that occasion not only went through the side of tbe
ship, but pierced the boiler, and under the most
trying circumstances Mr. Benbow repaired that ~
damage, and by his ability, energy, and courage. -
saved the whole party upon the boat. (Cheers.) ,
Soldiers had a great many things to be proud of-
They were proud of the fact that wherever English-
men assembled they were never forgotten. They-were
proud that when returning from service abroad they ,
always received a cordial greeting at home, and they
could not help feeling proud of themselves because
whenever called upon to de their duty abroad they
were always willing to do it to the best of their •
ability. Whenever summoned to represent, the-
English nation in any part of the world, he, the noble.
lord, thought they did it with credit to their-Country,
Mr. H. Benbow, replying for the navy, said every°
body would join with him in wishing to promote the
welfare of the Foremen Engineer Association. - -For
now that our
.ships had assumed such 'huge propor- •
Eons, it was absolutely essential that the machiuerY
should be perfect in all its details, and that the work-
manship should be perfect.• By special request •'he ,
then narrated how-j he repaired the boiler. of Abe '
iitea,mer which was damaged by a shot from the
enemy up the Nile, and' was listened to with great;
attention and frequently applauded % Lord Violable/
responded to "The House of -Lords." Sir George, ,
Campbell, speaking to, "The House Of Commons,
said no class of men deemed more sympathy than the
members of the House of Commons. for none worked- .
harder or received less pay. (Laughter.) In times
like the present their work was severe and most ,
serious. He was obliged to confess that the present
' moment was one of extreme anxiety to him. Other
toasts followed, including ", Prosperityto the Aisonier
tion," by the claiiirriaan:

•

•
WAS r.1.,4V14
w _A clergyman-who tnarried fon* course In 4 one
he other, evening remarked to a friend that it •
"piett'y fast work." "Not very," responded the
friend, "only four knots an hour.'
"I want an honest dollar," ',exclaimed the politicis&
"Go to work then," cried one of his hearers.
"Es formally expired in the presence of hie
family," is a New *York paper's way of announcing
the death of a citizen. It is a melancholy comfort.te
know that deceased °beer red all the formalitio4.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1886.