The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-05
WOOIWICH ARSENAL.

The terrible accident at Woolwich Ar
senal, the seventh and worst that has
happened there within the last hundred
years, calls to mind the fact that but for
q grave disaster we should never have
had the great ordnance establishment at
Woolwich, declares the St. James Ga
zetts. When. in ZIG. it was discovered
by the military authorities that there
We're hut two 12-pounders and not one
IS or 24-pounder for land service" it was
determined to hastily make good the lack
of defensive weapons. BY way OF carry
ing out the scheme, it was resolved ito
Tecast certain old guns which had been
taken from the French by Marlborough.
The foundry for casting the guns, was
then in Upper Moorsfields, hard by Wes-
lye' Tsabernacle. As matter of fact the
evangelist preached at times to the work
men in their sheds. Here. for the remak-
ing of the guns, a great company OF nota-
bles was invited, galleries for their ac-
commodation erected. and elaborate prep
arations made for their entertainment.
One of the onlookers was Andrew
Schalch. a Swiss journeyman founder.
who was staying IN this country picking
I'D some information as was available
about our dockyards, even as more illus
trious persons than he had done. He
detected latent dampness in the Guilds,
and recognizing that there must be an
explosion. addressed himself to the first
person who could understand his French.
This happened to be Col Armstrong. sur
veyor-general of ordnance. The officer.
satisfying himself that the young man
knew what he was talking about, remov-
ed the members of his own family, and
as many about him as he was able 10
persuade to retire. The prophecy Of the
foreigner proved only too true There
was a terrible explosion; molten metal
scattered like spray on those around the
galleries were shattered, the buildings de-
stroyed, many lives lost, and a number
Of persons injured. The guns remained
uncast, and still England lacked adequate
weapons for land defense.
The tradition runs that Schalch, by way
of reward was appointed ythe ordnance
department TO select a site for, and erect
and equip, an arsenal that he chose
Woolwich and lived happily afterwards
turning out the best possible ammunition
in the best possible ways. That he did
become. with credit TO himself. and profit
TO the country. master founder, at sal
airy of e5 per day. is beyond dispute OUT
the selection of the site did not lie with
him. woolwich has been our chief naval
and military repository since the time
OF Henry VIII Prince Rupert command
ed a battery Of sixty guns there and ships
Others
placed on guard to defend the London OF
those days from invasion by the Dutch
Under Schalch the new foundries were
esta bIished, the site added TO that occu-
pied by the then existing stores being
known for a great number Of years as
The Warren, from the fact that 1t was IN
reality p rabbit warren before conversion
10 its present use. Convict labor butt the
new works. Huge melancholy three-deck-
er huIks were moored in the river and
were the homes Of the shsckied sinners
who toiled in the arsenals, the foundries
and dockyards-
We spend roughly IS a minute day and
night throuehout the ordinary year upon
our ordnance factories The explosives
come from Waltham. the small arms from
Enfield and Sparkbrook- Fifteen thousand
men ind employment at Wooiwicn' and
with their families. make up a popuia-
ton eauaning that Ct a f2ir-siz@d pro-
c,ncfaI city. The staff can turn out -
100 tons OF shot and shell each year. not
an extravagant total when & Is remem-
harrd that the Allies threw b so tons o.
these projectives into 6ebssiopol n the
course Of the siege Of that pace SUI Ia
addition 10 shot and shell the Royal Ar
senal has reputed capacity for the sup
plv OF l5a.cn.cje cartridges annually
number much more than sufficient TO OBJ
l!;erate TIE male population OF Europe
As 70 guns OF heavy czlibre. an output OF
ter thousand tons per year = mentioned
IS With nthe capacity of the arsenal