The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

THE PERMANENT BARRAcIiS AT
ALDSRSIIuT.

About four years ago grouse could have been shot
on tl.• middle of Aldershot-heath, -where now a
town is springing up with all the rapidity of c. 10..
nial enterprise. Drapers' :hops and general trades-
men, flaring taverns all gilt and stucco, streess and
rows of houses will soon cover the spit where a few
months-since the errant 'waggon stuck fast in ruts
from which not. Jupiter nor all•Olyinpns could have
moved it. Allowing for the natural iticreae of
population, it is a simple matter of calculation to
find in which one out of a few years helic3 Aldfr-
shot, according to our modern notions, w;11 he
striving for its corporate rights and looking out for
an eligible M.P. to contest the new-formed borough.
The permanent barracks in course of el eclin are
in themselves sufficient to form a hands )nie and
populous town, and whin to these are added the
many buildings which a large military depot natu-
rally draws around it, it is easy to see that the day
is not remote when the camp will be lost in bricks
and mortar, and Aldershot have as little r,sem-
blauce to a "tented field" as Portsmon•h, Winches-
ter, or Chatham. A btief description of their na!ure
and ex'eut may nrit be without its interest.

The main portions of the new buildings, then,
extend in two long lines from the Farnham-road
to the old village of Allersh et in the south camp.
Between them is formed the chief parade-ground
for the infantry. This parade- is levelled, gravelled,
and complete-I. Though only intended for the
evolutions of 4,00 J men, more than double that
number could easily be drilled on it, for it is
wards of three-quarters of a mile in length by 400
feet wide. The permanent ba-racks enclose the
north and south sides of this fine space, those on
the north being intend( d for infantry and field
batteries, and on the south for the cavalry. In all
they would accommodate 4,000 infantry, 1,000
cavalry, and two batteries of artillery, with
engineers, milita'y train; staff, and el,partmcntei
officers, about 7,000 of ail arms. The inf entry
barracks are divided into three blocks, form.',ng
etch a spacious quadrangle, wdh a ccurt-yard in the
centre. Etch of these quadrangles is in itself a com-
plete barrack with all the out offices, store rooms,
school-rooms, eze., for a regiment of 1,300 men.
The officers of each r. gimeut have distinct
buildings to themselves, which are placed so as to
separate the larger blocks cent tining the men.
The fronts, therefore, of all the infantry buildings
abut di, ectly on the north side of the parade, as
those of the cavalry do on the soul. It is difficult
in these architectural matters to convey a clear idea
of the position and arrangement of edifices by mere
description. We shall therefore only say that the
rqouwa dorfanbguli sd
buildings
sinfantry ai)raercomposedf
form ao
ndouble
of the square, and are for the use of the privates.
The quartermaster's store-room, tailors' and shoe-
makers' room, staff-sergeant's quarts] s and mess-.
rooms, and the infant school rooms form the second
side. The canteens for the men and non-commis-
sioned officers, with adult school room, library, and
reading room, make the third, and the quarters
allotted to the married men of the regiment
the fourth. There is a gnarl house at the
end of each block, and small stable s for
the horses of infantry officers in the rear.
Such is the general arrangement for the foot regi-
ments, and the manner in which the details
are carried out will, when finished, make the whole
beyond all companion the most complete, airy, and
commodious barrack yet erected in the kingdom, or
even in Europe. The two front lines of buildings
for the privates are divided into a series of spacious
chambers, 55 feet long by 22 broad, and 12 high.
Each of these will contain beds for 23 men, wish
small apartment partitioned off in the corner for a
non-commissioned officer. A scut iron shelf rack
is fixed round the chamber, on which the knapsacks,
&c.' ate to be stowed, and the musket placed in the
rest at the head of each bed. On the ground floors
are the cooking rooms, four in number, each of
which will cook for 350 men ; and next to them
are the washing-rooms, fitted with !tout, serviceable
apparatus, and ample in accommodation. A lift,
worked with an ordinary crab, is placed inside the
main entrances fur raising coals, baggage, &c., to the
two upper stories. As we have said, the two lines of
barracks for the men in each block are placed one
behind the other and 80 feet apart, and, in order to
render this at all times a dry playground and drill
yard, a roof of glass and iron stretches between the
buildings covering the intervening space. It is on
the old ridge and furrow principle of the Exhibi-
tion, and, while admitting as much light and air as
if the men were on the open heath, it is of course
at all times a complete protection anainet unfavour-
able weather. The space thus secured for exercise
to each regiment is 80 feet broad by 240 long—
quite enough for all purposes of recreation, or even
of common drill. The inner &des of the barracks
face towards this enclosure, and a covered balcony,
11 feet broad; is constructed outside each story of
sleeping chambers, in which the men can sit and
survey at their ease whatever is wing forward in
the yard beneath. The canteens are spacious and
comfortable. Those for the privates are on the
ground floor ; for the non-co:: missioned officers
superior accommodation is provided on the upper
story. The school-rooms, staff-sergeants' quar-
ters, and regimental store-rooms are all well
placed and substantially fitted up, while the
reading-rooms and library attached to each block
are as comfortable and as well adapted to their
purpose as the most studious could desire. Her
Majesty has already signified her intention of pre-
senting 250 volumes towards the formation of the
library of each barrack.
The married men's quarters form, as we have
stated, one whole side of the infantry quadrangles.
Each couple is allowed one room, and to a certain
number of rooms a washhouse is attached with all
the requisite conveniences. This is a great imp: ove-
ment on the disgusting and immoral custom of com-
pelling the married men and their wives to sleep in
the general barracks, with their beds only divided
from those of the private soldiers by a small cur-
tain of baize or calico.

Against the general plan of these infantry bar-
racks only one objection can be urged, but our readers
will be inclined to agree with us in the opinion that
it is a most serious one. In the centre of the quad-
ran2le.=, and not more than 100 feet from the sur-
rounding buildings, the expen,e magazines of
each regiment are fixed. It is true that they are
brick buildings of great strength and thickness
of wall, but they of course have both a door and a
window in them, and where men can enter, and
must daily enter, fire can easily penetrate also. As
a general rule many cartridges will not be kept in
them, but occasions must often happen when they
will contain at least 70 rounds per man, or upwards
of 2,0001 b. of powder. To keep such a mine of ex-
plosives in the centre of a crowded barrack-yard,
exposed daily to all the chances which must arise
from casual neglect and unavoidable accident, seems
a literal "tempting of Providence." The engineers
who devised this plan know well that if any unfor-
tunate accident should occur the explosion of such
a mass of powder confined in a strong small build-
ing would have the effect of a gig-antic mine, and
level the whole of the surrounding quadrangle with
the dust. We believe we are correct in stating
that some c f the highest military autherities in our
service have expressed their most decided disappro-
bat'on of this arrangement, which seems the less
excusable when other and actually more convenient
localities in the rear of the buildings were at the
disposal of the engineers.
The barracks for the infantry officers are of course
light, handsome, and commodious. The stables
are perfect models. The infantry barracks are
quite fin'shed, and each day the order to furnish
and fit them for the reception of troops is expected
toarrive. The
buildings will not be ready
before the
spring
evfanlry ext
year.
About two monthsago batween 17,000 and 18,000
men used to muster in the long valley on a field-
day. Now the number is lit le more than 4,000,
—viz., the 15th, 22nd, and 96th Regiments, the
4th Light Dragoons, and 6th Enniskillens, with
one troop of Horse Artillery, two field batteries,c°mpanitzs of Engineers, and a battalion of
Military Train. But even this small remnant
thet
is to ebo still further reduced, for the troop of Horse
Artillery, with
will leave h
camp fo
two companies
India o
ranies of then
and the remaining company follows the
ows
Monday next,
on Wednesday.
The 6th Enniekillens ate also under
ready to leave camp at a moment's notice.

TIM NAVIGATION OF THE NEVA.—The following
notice, issued by the Russian Ministry of Marine, rela-
tive to the navigation between Cronstadt and St Peters-
burg, was yesterday posted at Lloyds: Russian Consu-
late General, London, 17-29 August, 1857. Notifi-
cation. —Captains of merchant vessels of a great
draught of water having notwithstanding the injunc-
tions to the contrary of the competent authori-
ties of the ports of Cronetadt and St. Petersburg'.
and even without pilots, entered the channel of the
and run aground, causing thereby great obstruction to
the navigation of the channel, the Imperial Ministry of
the Marine has issued the following regulations :—The
captains of merchant vessels are enjoined : 1. To con-
form themselves strictly to the directions of the coax..
manders of the guard ship and light vessel. 2. Not to
enter the channel unless they have a pilot. 3. Not to
attempt the passage from Cronstradt to St Petersburg,
or vice versa, if their vessels when loaded draw more
than eight feet, and in the contrary case, either to
lighten the vessel or to come to an anchor upon the first
requisition to that effect made by the commanders of the
guard ship and light vessel.... 4. Any vessel of whatso-
ever nation or dimension which, notwithstanding the
injunctions of the competent authorities, shall infringe
the above mentioned regulations, will be liable to pay
tine of 25 silver reales.