The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-03 00:00:00

22,000 barrels. Powder is stored in Tipnor in five
descriptions of packages, from which the common
powder barrel used in private magazines is rigidly
excluded, powder being received from the private
manefecurers only in barrels made by them spa.
cially under the terms of their contract. This barrel
stands lowest in grade of excellence in Government
magazines, and is termed "common" powder barrel.
Next stands the Government improved barrel, suc-
ceeded by the metal lined improved barrel, which
latter is about as near to perfection of security as a
wooden powder case can well be devised. In addi-
tion to these wooden receptacles are two descriptions
of sectional metal cases stored for magazine service
in her Majesty's ships, and their presence in the
midst of the numerous wooden barrels surrounding
them strongly suggests the security that would be
at once gained if all magazines stored powder only
in similar metal coverings, and discarded the use of
wood, or at least of unlined wood cases, altogether.
There is nothing apparently which can be sup
Bested to add to the efficiency of the care and
supervision bestowed, under the existing regale.
tiona of the War Department, by the officials at
Tipnor upon their magazine for its safety and
preservation ; yet there are four alterations which
might be at once carried into effect, which would
certainly add to the present security of the build-
ing, and one provision for the future that would
perpetuate its present admirable isolation from
other buildings. The alterations relate to the office,
the cooperage or shifting-room, the lightning-con-
ductors on the outside of the building, and the pre-.
eence of small-arm cartridges inside. The provision
for the future relates to the purchase of a strip of
private land within a short distance of the magazine.
The office stands within 60 yards of the south
windows of the magazine, and necessarily has a fire-
place fitted for the clerks' accommodation in cold
weather. In the daytime, in dry weather, the glass
windows round the magazine are opened, as well
as the ponderous inner and outer shutters, and all
that then separates the contents of the magazine in
a line with the windows with the outer world is the
ordinary stout, wire blind. With a wind from S.W.
and sparks from the office chimney—and sparks
will sometimes issue from the best regulated chim-
neys—the latter, if blown against the wire blind,
would enter the magazine, and might settle upon a
wooden barrel of powder. The spark, in 999 cases
out of 1,000, might probably go out of life innocently,
or the barrel of powder, and the magazine with it,
might go up. There is plenty of spare land, 200
yards further distant to that where the office now
stands, and it would be as conveniently placed as
now, if removed. The lightning-conductors on the
side of the building are affixed to the roof of the
magazine at their highest point, when they would
be more efficacious and safe if fixed round the en-
closing wall at a height exceeding the present posi-
tion. So far for the outside of the building. As
regards the inside, the presence of the shifting-room
in such close connection as a 65-foot passage with
the magazine is decidedly objectionable. It is not
denied that a barrel of powder might explode while
under manipulation in the shifting-room, as to
meet some such event the doors have been
erected in the passage to cut off commtwication
with the magazine itself. No sane person, how-
ever, would volunteer to stay inside the magazine
while a barrel of powder was exploded experi-
mentally in the shifting-room, and this is as
strong an argument as can well be urged for the re-
moval of this shifting-room to some position at a
greater distance from the magazine, and where it
would not be connected with it by any covered pas-
sage. The only fact remaining to notice in connec-
tion with the arrangements of the magazine itself
is the storing of small-arm cartridge in it. We
have already expressed our grounds of objection to
the presence of this material in the Put-fleet maga-
zines, and the same argument will apply with equal
force to the magazines at Tipnor. The provision
for the continued isolation of the magezino now
only remains to speak of to conclude our notice of
Tipnor. The magazine and its surroundings stand
on the western edge of some 10,000 acres of land
belonging to the War Department, but into this
largo tract pierce some narrow strips of land which
are private property. One of these, of small extent
and value, actually extends along the foreshore to
the cu er boundary paling of the establishment,
and on the shore line close to the magazine. This
land ie announced for sale, and already a large brick
kiln, the property of some enterprising speculator,
is erected and busily at work turning out mounds
of bricks for the erection of buildings. The land.
may now be bought without these buildings, and
the iso;tion of the magazine thus cheaply pre-
served. A few months more, and the expense of
such a course will be doubled or trebled.
The Marchwood magazines are situated on the
western shore of Southampton Water, the megazlne
pier being about two miles distant from the steam-
boat pier at Southampton. The village of March-
wood, the nearest part of which is about half a mile
distant from the magazines, has a somewhat scat-
tered population of 1,200 persons. The magazines
stand on about 17 acres of ground, and the entire
establishment is in form as near an equilateral tele
angle as is possible, the base of the triangle being
occupied by a barrack for the accommodation
of a company of infantry that is constantly
stationed here on detached cltiny, for the protection
of th© magazines, from some regiment in the dis
trict, the necessary guard.house, entrance-gates to
the storekeeper's residence, cffices, labourers' cot-
tages, &c., this base of the triangle resting upon the
Government road which leads from the shore line of
the river to the village of Marchwood. The right
face of the triangle rests, with its dwarf sea-wall,
upon laigli water mark of the river, and comprises
the pier and landing stage, the cxamining.house,
the shifting-house, and A B C and I) magazines.
The left face of the triangle inclines in the direction
of the village of Marchwood, arid is, therefore, ad•
ditionally protected by an outer wall 65 feet distant
from the walla which enclose each magazine. It
contains E F and G magazines end the cooperage.
Along the lire of magazines on each angle, or face,
is a timber-laid and pegged road, or "roller.' way,
over which the barrels of powder are wheeled three
at a time in magazine barrows on gun metal wheels.
Throughout this roadway, which is, in fact, a con-
tinuation of the landing stage and pier, the plank-
ing is fastened down with wooden trenails, and not
a particle of iron has been used in its construction.
Parallel with this roller way is a small canal, which
gas formerly used to float boats np to the door of
each magazine to deliver or receive its freight of
powder. The substitution of the roller way and
pier has, however, superseded this tedious process
by another more suitable to the present age. The
peculiar features in the Marchwood magazines,
and one in which they differ from all others, is their
method of construction, which appears to reduce
the chances of damage from an explosion to the
minimum point attainable, and so to protect each
mag7xine that its explosion shall not necessarily
destroy its fellow. This is accomplished by building
each magazine as a square of massive side walls,
covered in with a light titober and slated roof, and,
in addition to enclosing each magazine with
its own independent outer wall and courtyard—the
distance between the walls of the magazine and the
wall of the courtyard being about 20ft—each ma-
gazine is isolated from its next fellow by a traverse
of earth 40ft in breadth.of base, and 21ft in height.
Should a magazine at any time explode, the least
resistance offered to the expansion of the gases
generated would be' in the slight rooting of the
building, and the main force of the explosion would
therefore be expended upwards instead of laterally,
the small portion of the force that would be thrown
laterally with the magazine walls would be met by
the outer enclosing walls and the eartt.en traverses,
which it is calculated would suffice to throw it
off and upward, and effectually protect the adjoin-
ing magazines. The actual position of the maga.
zines, examining house, shifting house, cooperage,
ike.,:with the pier and landing stage, is in this wise:
—The pier runs out into the river 150 yards to the
landing stage, where the vessels discharge or receive
their cargoes. If powder is being received, three
barrels at a time are placed on the barrow and
wheeled to the examining house, which is the first
building on the shore line at its junction with the
base of the triangle, and there the casks aro care-
fully examined. If found tight and perfect in all
respects they are then stowed away in one of the