Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-25

HghtlnS was lighting indeed. You will |
secure willing and taleful guide TO
Chelsea Hospital, And above all you will |
learn how u British pensioners pride in
his own and his country's achievements
may be mingled, in the same breath, with
his own everlasting discomfort and CON
tempt.
You will find Chelsea Hospital dark
and imposing structure, possessing that in
detnable gloomy grandeur which its
builder, Sir Christopher Wren, gave as a
marked characteristic to all his architec-
tural creations. Indeed one may well say
Wren seems to stare at YOU from out the
facades OF all great London buildings. But
the grounds are wide and ample and the
noblest trees in London everywhere flank
the fine old building, far enough away to
give Hoods of sunshine in the courts and
large parade grounds between the hospital
and the Thames embankment. The build
ing comprises three huge courts, the larg-
est facing the south, the Thames and the
masses of foliage of Bsttersea Park, across
the river
The wings of the great southern court
are 3G5 feet long, aud are 40 feet wide. In
these arc found the pensioners wards.
Each one is about 100 feet in length
Twenty-six compartments are situated on
each side of division partition running
along the centre Of each ward. These par
titions are open at each end, where the
ward officers have rooms; and as the pen
sioners' compartments or rooms face the.
outer walls, which are provided with huge,
closely clustered windows, each ward in
itself provides about 500 lineal feet of
spendidly lighted and ventilated prone
made floor, for use during Indictment
weather.
These pensioners rooms within the
wards are tight little cubby holes indeed,
| almost as tiny and snug as The hunks OF n
l
| feet long and six in width, but are given
| the entire height of the ward room. A
| curtained entrance is in the centre. At
| either side is a large sliding window, its
| sills ut the height OF AN ordinary table top.
| ~ the lett OF each door. as you enter, is u
folding, or falling, table, for books writ
| ing and the like. Opposite and of pre-
cisely Of the same size and pattern is the
| little table where the pen4iuncr takes his
| solitary meal. His bunk is on u level with
the window sills and tables Below it is
his trunk, or box, and M shelves above
are any nicknacks he may possess A sort
Of privacy may be enjoyed, but doors and
windows remain open, under the rules, so
That even unexpected inspectors may oh.
serve the condition of everything in each
compartment, prison like, at Il glance.
II the allowances to the Chelsea pen
sloners in the matter of clothing, food and
lta money are somewhat meager, their
duties and restrictions are exceedingly
light ON entrance to the hospital lie
pensioners previous total government
allowance of one shilling per day is
entirely relinquisllcd. This refers cXcli.
sivcly to private soldiers, of whom there
are over $40 among the about $50 inmates
Of the hospital
In lieu Of this shilling per day pension
they receive each a room such as pre-
lnusly described 4 yearly allowance OF
two pairs Of trousers one cap and fatigue
Jacket and four complete suits of uudui
clothing with a flaming red Prince ALBERT
coat, decorated with blue cuffs and huge
brass buttons with the monogram, At. II
Z. P'-Eoynl Hospital of Chelsea Pen
sinnerS once in three years.
; Their food consists of half a loaf of
bread ana an ounce of butter daily pei
man; with bowl of cocoa for breakfast
soup, mutton or beef and potatoes for din
ner, and'a bowl Of tea at $50 for tea
, which is the last meal of the day. Besrle.
thls they are each paid one penny pel
day for ale and tobacco money, and eacl
, also receives Il quarter of pound OF
! tobacco every three months
There are practically no restrictions
upon these old wards of Chelsea. They q
aud come at will aud punishments fo
lntfnction of always lenient discipline ART
confined to the wearing Of black cap fol
extraordinary revolt against good order
pensoncr taken red-handcd in battle witt
John Barleycprn ut the ale house The,
are royal grumbleis all. 70 them thei
clothing is "shoddy,n sOup is "swill, :
cocoa and coffee are ''p1en,n butter i
: Thames sklmmn's," aud, in scornful in
, ,ima'ion oil the officers appropriatng al
the JOINTS of mutton while leaving then
=. but hc ribs and brsketS they stouty as
! sert that Every sheep killed for Chplsr
, has nine brcasties ~ But believe the,
are, On the whole, very comfortable an,
? CONSIDERABLY treated, and fully as wei
served and cared for as are the veterans 0
Ourown soldiers Homes.
= The most interesting places in Chelse
Hospital are the ward rooms, the kitchen
= when tile noon day meal is nearly ready
2 the chapel and the great nall. III the war
: rooms discovered one clipper old felloy
. who Will be ~ years old III October II
IS William Merrill, late Of the 3lst Foot, /
, a native Of Bedforishire enlisted III ISIS
Il and has seen over 40 years Of actual service
My companion said he WAS tho tslye,
9 rogue nnd joker III No 10 wardn Cav o,,
, William also has the record of 1ountles
/ ilrtatinns over the area ratings u
! Chelsca's mansions. Carlyle chased hin
7 ali the way back to the hospital one du
r for too vigorous badinage with the serv
!, ing-maids Of the philosopher 5 family il
y Chcynr Row.
9 Any sunday forenoon you may see 50
$ or 400 of these grl2zlcd pensioners .
chapel. They are not very reyerentia
:, and are uneasy us children III the prws
y They shuttle their feet, get INTO complies
tons with their wooden legs, canes I'm
erutcheS, and there is much suutNin.
y clearing Of thruats and hard asthmtti
y breathing. liut llrrkumerS great pain
T ing does not cNagEerate the pallus Of tie
: collective and individual aspect. So man
D." of these white heads and battle.searrr,
y bent frames together look very pititul il
y deed when all are bowed aud still at Cinl
i Of prayer and bencdctiOn.
a." The great han is Il spaciuns, lofty pancle
room ~ which arc famous fIp,rues an
y paintings, many tattCrcd battle flags,
h raised daIs Tor the Queen, i good lfOTar,
;, many newspapers and periodicals, and iii
~ benches anu tables where the p.uslunpt
u may come aud tight their battles over
= draughts and chess. Wellington lny !
! state here and Nell Gwynne is not forge
y ten la one corner Ut the hugu paul
= allcgorical tresco she is depicted ii Ii,
y; first and most honest vocation, Il i.Ondo
y orhugGgirl
y What interested me mo,t in the erei
10 Hall was large glass ease Of medals. nm
ic drrds upon hnmlrclis Of them, stained AN
y grluS, attached tu vari CUlurri riiihJus-
n the magenta plain iur good C0nluu
"a ma.ania and yellow stripes for hero,
y ~ lnEa, rpSe rcd for special valnr
~, Turkey the blue aud yellow stripes REGAL
w ing the horrors uf rimru, aud man
- others "t whose significance was iglio
T. ant asked my companion how 50 Iuar
" came Ia be collected here
III Well, he replied i'll "a scared sort of
I way llngei with Il bravala that LA
: pathos III 1t won see when Little 10
= and Harry Mcl1uh lthe old fiirr and ,irur
= mcr Ol chelsea, heads procession here
y tnero's hundred y that 5url d wear IA
~ the old boy III the bnX that's booked 1,