The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-29 00:00:00

The New Chelsea Model Barracks.

The new and extensive range of building, known as the
New Chelsea Model Barracks, which has been erected on
the eastern side of the road leading to Chelsea-bridge (having
previously been handed over by the contractor to the mili-
tary authoritio-), was oa Friday occupied by the Ist Batta •
lion Scots Fusilier Guards, Col. De Bathe commanding,
and twa companies of the Ist Battalion Coldstream Guards.
This magnificent building, which up to the present moment
has cost about £120,000, has been erected of polychrome
brick and stone, in the Romanesque style, by Mr. Higgs,
the contractor, Lambeth, from designs by Mr, G. Morgan,
the architect, and is fitted up with all the modern conveni-
ence, and replete with every arrangement calculated to en-
sure an amount of comfort never yet obtained by the British
soldier in the way of barrack accommodation. The barracks
have a frontage facing the grounds of Chelsea Hospital of
1,050 feet, with a depth of about 40 feet, the average height
being about 60 feet, while at each end of the main build-
ing, but detached from it, are wings, that at the north end
containing the officers' apartments, with cellars, &c., the
other at the south end being occupied by the non-commis-
sioned officers. In front of the barracks the ground between
the road end the building is protected by a lofty iron rail-
ing, broken in the centre by a noble gateway, entering
which, on the right, is the guard -house. The facade of the
building is broken by seven pavilions, the central ono being
pierced with a lofty and elegant archway, giving access to
the ground at the back of the main building, and flanked by
two lofty towers about 80ft. high, containing the clock and
wind dial, vane, &c. Over the archway of the central pa-
vilion is a noble lecture room, and in the building on the
left of this are the commanding officer's and court-martial
rooms, while the portion next the central pavilion on the
right is occupied by a splendid library. The barracks vary
in height, containing in some portions three and in others
four stories, the greater part of which consist of barrack-
rooms, with sleeping-quarters for the married sergeants
overlooking them.

The basement of the building has been so arranged that
it may easily be converted into a rifle gallery, with a range
of about 350 yards, though one would imagine that the con-
stant reports during practice would seriously disturb the
comfort of the inmates above. Along the back of the bar-
racks, facing the parade, a covered arcade gives shelter while
passing from one part to another. There are also, some
yards from the back of the barracks, two detached buildings
which will be used as dining•halls. These are each 100 feet
long and 50 feet deep, and are furnished with cooking-
houses and other conveniences. In the southern rear of the
barracks are the baths and prison—while a second contract
has just been entered into for the construction of quarters
for the married soldiers, canteen, with skittle alleys, ball
courts, covered gymnasium, chapel, and laundries—the
whole, with the, buildings already completed and oocupied,
covering a triangular plot of ground of about l 3 acres,
bounded by the road leading to Chelsea-bridge and the
Queen's and Commercial roads. When the new buildings
are finished the total cost of the barracks will be about
.1;180,000—money well spent, when our readers remember
the inconvenience formerly attending the married and single
life of the privates and non-commissioned officers of the
British army. That state of things has now been altered,
and with the occupation of the new building it is to be hoped
a new era in the life of our soldiers has been inaugurated.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

LYMI AID STITTOX.

lesterday the half-yearly meeting of the proprietors was
hold at the offices, Bridge-street, Westminster; Mr, H.
Tootal in the chair.

Mr. BOND, the secretary, read the report, which stated
that the works of the railway were now in rapid progress
under contract with Messrs. Waring and Eckeraley. Vari-
ous circumstances had contributed to the delay in givingeffect
to the act of incorporation. Among others was the necessity
of obtaining a revision by act of Parliament of the obliga-
tion which imposed on the company of building a new and
costly bridge at Sutton, and of destroying the existing one ;
and, secondly, some modification of the terms also imposed
on the company in purchasing the rights of the existing
bridge owners for £22,500. By the amended act of last
session, the obligation as to the bridge was repealed, and
the company was authorised to use the existing structure,
and, with the concurrence of the Cross Keys was proprie-
tors, £lO,OOO of the purchase money to them to be satisfied
in paid up shares of the company. The act also extended
the time originally granted for the purchase of lands and
completion of the railway, but the directors anticipated that
under the arrangements made by the contractors the rail-
way would be completed and ready for opening before Mid-
summer next, Terms had been made with the Great
Northern Company for the sale, under the sanction of Par-
liament, of this company's undertaking to them, at a price
equivalent to a clear net return of 4} per cent. on the ex.
penditure of £117,000, which it was believed would suffice
to cover all the liabilities of the Lynn and Sutton Com-
pany up to the completion and opening of the railway.
Since the company was incorporated various circum-
stances had tended to augment the value of the line, as
filling up an essential link in the communication between
east and west, and by the completion of the Norwich
1 and Spalding and Lynn and Hunstanton lines, and still
more by the granting last session of the line from Peter-
borough via Wisbech to join this company's railway at
Sutton-bridge, thus bringing the whole system of the Mid-
land Company into communication with the east of England
and the Lynn and Sutton route. NVhile, therefore, the
directors looked with satisfaction to the completion of the
arrangements with the Great Northern and this company,
they had confidence in the intrinsic capability of the Lynn
and Sutton line to realizi a satisfactory return from the
traffic which must inevitably flow over it.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
commented on its principal points, and after some discus-
sion Mr. J. Hunt was elected a director in the room of Mr.
Borthwick, resigned.
The meeting was then made special, and resolutions were
passed empowering the directors to borrow £33,000 for the
general purposes of the undertaking, and the meeting sepa-
rated after a vote of thanks to the chairman and directors.