The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The large military gymnasium recently erected at I
Chatham, is now complete, and only awaits the formal
order from the War-office for its being taken over by the
military authorities of the garrison. In future the exercises
of the gymnasium will form a daily portion of the physical
training of every officer and soldier at Chatham, they being,
in short, incorporated with his daily drill. Although the
gymnasium at Chatham is the eighth of these establish-
ments already erected and in full operation, yielding
daily bodily training to several thousand men, it is, in
fact, the parent of all the others, every portion having
been constructed from the designs submitted to the autho-
rities three years since by Mr. A. Maclaren, of Oxford. The
whole of the others, with the exception of that of Alder-
shot,which is on the plan of the Oxford gymnasium, are but
modifications of the establishment just completed, altered to
meet some local or exceptional requirement. The main
structure consists of two large divisions, each in the present
instance 1001 t in length by 50ft in breadth. The primary
object of this form of building is to insure perfect supervi-
sion and inspection, every portion of either part being over-
looked from the other. The first division consists of the
school of arms, and is appropriated to the introductory
course with the movable apparatus which experience has
shown to be so valuable in the training of recruits between
their earlier drill and regular training in gymnastics proper.
Here will also be carried on every kind of defensive exer-
cise, including fencing, sword exercise, and bayonet drill,
which together form the supplementary part of the system.
This division is therefore without fixtures of any kind, and
presents a clear floor throughout its entire surface, its lon-
gitudinal shape offering various advantages for the most
judicious distribution of men under training. The second
division includes the gymnasium proper,and is appropriated
for every variety of exercises with the fixed apparatus com-
prised in the system; while on nearly every foot of the floor,
walls, and supports of the roof are appliances for carrying
out the training of the pupils. In this department the floor
is formed of a soft elastic substance, so that from whatever
height a fall should occur comparatively little injury should
be the result. This division is also oblong to permit of the
erection of apparatus worked by large numbers of men at
the same time; as, for instance, the elastic ladder and row
of rings, both valuable inventions of Mr. Maclaren for de-
veloping the muscular powers of the upper limbs, and the
corresponding regions of the trunk, and for restoring the
equilibrium of the right and left sides where the right,
as in many instances, preponderates over the left. The
lofty lantern tower which surmounts one portion of the
building has been appropriated for the apparatus for high
climbing, and these being placed vertically are closely
grouped together. The two end walls are also devoted, in
like manner, to strictly military exercises, one of them being
fitted with every variety of surface likely to be met with in
a wall or other perpendicular erection, in order to accustom
the soldier to depend on his hands and feet in escalading
operations, while on the opposite side the various ropes and
poles are placed in a slanting position. The roof is also
brought into service, multitudes of planks and ropes tra-
versing the tie beams, thence passing to the escalading walls,
and finally communicating with the central group of climb-
ing apparatus. It is in this department that there is ob-
viously greater fear of accidents from falls, but these are
rendered absolutely impossible by an almost invisible net-
ting of fine wire rope placed immediately below every por-
tion of the roof, planks, &a. The lower end of .the School
of Arms terminates in a series of rooms, inclu ding the offi-
cers' fencing room, instructors' rooms, dressing rooms, &c.
The officers' fencing school is itself the largest building of
the kind yet erected, being 50ft in length by 25ft in breadth.
The most ample arrangements are made for light and yen-
tilation, the necessity for a constant supply of pure air being
especially required in a building where so many as 300 men
will be engaged for several consecutive hours in active
bodily exertion. The gymnasium has been inspected by
Gem Eyre, in command at Chatham, and by the commence..
ment of the'new year it will be handed over for the purposes
for which it has been erected.

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