The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-20
A RAMBLE ROUND THE ROYAL
ARSENAL.

longed breakfast at my club in ST. James. help
ing my digestion with the morning paper, when
my eye was attracted by grand description of
the visit to Woolwich OF some distinguished
foreign princes wh1 were the 'rlionsr of the
season, pro tenn.
There was the usual grand review, and intr-
cate man9uvring, helped out have no doubt,
by clouds of smoke. General This took the
command, ably assisted by Captain That, with
half dozen letters after his name. Splendid
sight galloping of horse artillery firing of big
guns thousands of spectators! aud so on, fol
lowed by a swell lunch at the X. A. mess and
afterwards minute inspection (that was the
term) oil the Royal Arsenal.
Now, had often wished 10 see the wonderful
machinery, and the other attractions of that
remarkable place; and, curiously enough, | had
that very morning received a most pressing in
yitaton from my old College chum, Bob =,
now quarteTed at Woolwich, TO nav him a visit
himself, do the thing entlrely.p He begged
me to lose no time, as he was about to retire
from the service, but TO take the one o'clock
train from London Bridge that very day. No.
thing 10th, after good lunch to prepare me for
The labors before me, took my ticket for the
Arsenal Station, by the North Kent rail way,
and was soon looking down chmneys and
passing through many unpleasant odors, sea ted
IN not over-comiottable carriage.
The open county we never reached; and all
the way down the line the natives seemed TO be
H.
don were not large enough, and no time should
be lost IN doub ing its size. Arrived at my des-
unauoD L met my spruce military friend,
whose warm greeting was rather too much for
my lavender kios, the pipe.clay from his regi-
them.
Query, why do military men still so delight
IN plpe-clay ?-can no substitute be found Tor
that obnoxious dust y
As we emerged from the station, stream
Of men and boys were all hurrying in one
direction; these were the workmen going back
to the Arsenal after their dinner. We Joined the
crowd, which was increasing every moment
sronl every by-street, like river making its
way to the sea; and proceeding in the direction
OF bell which was loudly ringing, we found
ourselves In a wide open square, covered by q
mass OF human beings steering for pair of
large IRON gates. Loud cries from itinerant
venders of apples, nuts, etc, rang through the
air; and my irlend seizIng me by the arm, we
were carried by the throng through the gate
way and emerged almost breathless on
the other side. Here we paused TO re-
cover. Bob ARRANGED mis- uniform, and agreed
with me that another time, perhaps it would
be better to enter either before or after the
We saw the crowd inside dvergng in opposite
directions, taking the various roads which led
10 their several workshops; and, whilst waiting
Tor the men to commence their work, Bob gave
me the history OF the spot upon which we stood.
Long, long ago. dense forest extended
1rom SHOOTERS Hill down to the river, close
to the fishing hamlet of Woolwich, part OF
which was, by some ancient speculator turned
into rabbtwaTren (the street close by is still
called Warren Lane), and no one seems to have
mad any ldea as to Its future greatness till the
year l7l6, when sad accident occurred at the
Royal Cannon Foundry at Mooreields, in Lon
don. Some captured French guns were being
melted down and recast: and O short time previ.
ous to the furnace beng tapped Swiss German
officer named Schalch that the moulds were
damp, and informed the superintendent of
LINE IL; ne was, vas, M however, only laughed at for his
was DlOWn IN every direction; the building was
destroyed, and several of those present per-
1shed at the time. Schalch was now inquired
for by the Government and requested to select
site for a new foundry further from towns
and he pitched upon the Warren. at Woolwch.
successful Schalch placed in charge, where he
remained for many years. Such was
the BEGINNING. OF the Royal Arsenal,
which has gradually grown so as to cover
300 acres of ground, and to give employment to
5000 men and boys, assisted by the labors of
upwards OF 100 steam-engines 1t was the Cri-
mean war, however winch extended the
Arsenal to its present size. Economy had
duced our warlike stores to the lowest possible
ebb, and therefore, when the emergency arose,
the augmentation was all the greater, and
10000 men aud boys worked day and night to
supply the missiles for Sebastopol.
'Mr. Gladstone has now brought the numbers
down to barely 1000, many OF whom are pen
stoned soloiers. They are a well-conducted and
orderly body OF men, never having strike or
combination against their employers, and earn
ing good average wages, mostly by piece-work.
Iney are drawn from all parts OF the country:
the common laborers being principally Irish,
and the more skilled artisans Scotch. They are
obliged 10 be under forty years of age before
their admission, and are kept very strictly down
TO certain rules and regulations. For instance,
man may absent himself from his work for
twenty hours in month, without any fault
being found with him; but if he takes
mole he is liable to be discharged. They
have hity-six working hours in the week;
and when from pressure of business these
are extended, they receive half as much pay
again Tor the overtime. During the CrImean
war, they often worked throughout two nights
IN the week in ADDITION 10 the usual day labor
"As soon as a man is engaged three metal
tickets, with number upon each, are given him.
The first one having only his number upon it:
the second one mark additional; the third two
marks; so, on coming TO his work at six in the
morning, he leaves his first ticket: ON his re-
turn after breakfast, the second; after dinner,
Ihe thlId; and before going home at night boy
comes round and restores his three tickets
again.
"Ibe ticket-clerk keeps o record of each man;
ann In this manner late-comer, oran absentee
is easily detected"
By this time there were only few strag glers
10 be seen; we followed the direction of the
larger stream, and saw them pouring through a
doorway into their factory, each man deposit
ing, at little pay wicket, the aforesaid ticket.
We first looked into an old-lashioned building
the delight of our friend Schalch, MANY wears
ago (where the brass guns were cast before
Armstrong was heard of; and beautiful sight
il must have been to see the bronze metal pour
ing and seething into the upright moulds,
changing its color every minute! Now, alas
the glory OF this building is departed. Brass
has gwen way to steel, and nothing but few
insignificant castings mark the spot so much
esteemed in bygone days.
Passing on to the next doorway which was
opened TO us by one-armed pOrter) this other
a having hpen severed nv q shell in tho