1909 Iron and Steel Institute: Visits to Works
Note: This is a sub-section of the 1909 Iron and Steel Institute
MESSRS. SIEMENS BROTHERS & CO., LTD., WOOLWICH.
About 70 members visited the works of Messrs. Siemens Brothers & Co., Ltd., at Woolwich, on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 28. Mr. P. B. Brown and Mr. O. A. Malmberg, members of the Reception Committee,
acted as stewards. The party travelled by special train from Charing Cross, and on arrival at Charlton Junction were met and conveyed to the works in brakes kindly provided by the management. On reaching the gates they were received by Mr. Alexander Siemens, Director, who, in company with Miss Siemens, had journeyed with the party on the train from Charing Cross, and by Mr. Dieselhorst, the General Manager, Mr. Laukert, Mr. Forrest, and Mr. Jacob, managers of various departments, who, with the assistance of other members of the staff, conducted the visitors through the works. After the inspection had been completed, refreshments were served in the cable warehouse. Before leaving, Mr. G. C. Lloyd, Secretary of the Institute, expressed the thanks of the members to the Company for so kindly throwing open their works.
The Woolwich Works were established in 1864, and now cover an area of about 15 acres. The dynamo and motor part of the business was transferred to Stafford in 1904, and the works are now principally engaged in the manufacture of electrical cables, signalling and measuring apparatus of all descriptions. The works are equipped with an extensive and up-to-date plant for the manufacture of submarine cables, including high-speed cable-making machines and large tank-houses. Besides many other cables, these works have turned out nine cables across the Atlantic. The company own the cable twin-screw s.s. Faraday, 360 feet long and 52 feet beam, 10,000 tons displacement when fully loaded.
The shops for the manufacture of electric light and power wires and cables are equipped for turning out every description of rubber, fibre, or paper insulated conductors, the rubber being received in the raw state and undergoing all the necessary processes at the works.
The paper cable shops in particular, where telephone cables of the largest kind are made, are arranged in the most modern way, and fitted with special machinery for stranding, twinning, and lead covering.
In addition to rubber for cables, the company make ebonite sheets and moulded goods for batteries, &c.
The battery and line material department include shops for the manufacture of fluid and dry batteries of all descriptions, carbon plates, and telegraph line material.
Situated close at hand are the extensive wood-working and cabinet shops, which make not only the wooden parts required for the various apparatus, but also public telephone call-boxes, office furniture, &c., on a large scale.
The apparatus department occupies a building of three floors, comprising tool, machine, and fitters' shops, as well as the railway signalling shop. These are provided with modern machinery, and are engaged in the manufacture of telegraph, telephone, and electrical measuring instruments, projectors, torsion meters, and signalling apparatus of all kinds, with the attendant processes of lacquering, tinning, plating, polishing, etc. 86c.
On the other side of the yard are the instrument calibrating and testing departments, which are equipped with special testing plant and switchboards.
The whole of the machinery in the works is electrically driven, power being supplied by a station containing five 300 horse-power high-speed engines direct coupled to Siemens dynamos.
Goods are conveyed between the line department and the wharf by electric telpher, and elsewhere by narrow gauge tramway.
ROYAL ARSENAL, WOOLWICH.
Of the 325 members who travelled down to Woolwich by the special train leaving Charing Cross at 1.30 P.M. on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 29, nearly 200 had chosen Woolwich Arsenal as their destination. Mr. W. G. Kirkaldy and Mr. Septimus Young, members of the Reception Committee, accompanied the party, which detrained at Woolwich Arsenal Station, and was escorted by members of the local constabulary, under the superintendence of Inspector Mott, from the station to the main gates of the Arsenal. On arrival at the Arsenal the party was received by Mr. H. F. Donaldson, C.B., Chief Superintendent of the Ordnance Factories, and was divided into seven groups, one member of each group signing the official visitors' book on behalf of the contingent to which he belonged. The first party was personally conducted by Mr. Donaldson, and included Mr. A. T. Tannett-Walker, Vice-President, and Mr. George Ainsworth, Member of Council, and thereafter the remaining contingents followed in quick succession, each member being provided with an itinerary showing the route and the times for arriving at the different points of the tour. The inspection commenced with a visit to the Main Factory of the Royal Laboratory Department, which contains machine tools for the manufacture of fuse parts, and their assemblage, and the members subsequently proceeded through the various factories and workshops. Much interest was evinced by the visitors in the Tropenas process as conducted at the Arsenal, and some time spent in witnessing a blow in the Shell Foundry, in which the converter plant is housed, and in which the whole of the crane equipments for ladles, moulds, &c., is electrical. The Tropenas process was adopted in the Shell Foundry in 1897, the installation being one of the first of its kind in this country. The charge is about 2 tons, and the molten pig iron used contains from 4 per cent. to 5 per cent. of carbon. Blowing occupies from fifteen to twenty minutes, the particular point at which the whole of the carbon is burnt out being very well marked. The converter is then turned down and the required additions made according to the particular nature of steel it is desired to produce. It is then turned up again, and when the additions have been thoroughly incorporated and combined with the molten metal, the converter is again turned down and the charge poured into a ladle, whence it is taken by electric crane to the casting pits and poured into the moulds prepared for it.
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, occupies the site of an ancient Roman settlement. In later times a large and important dockyard existed in the locality, and during the reign of James L many of the largest warships of the British Navy were built at Woolwich. The dockyard, however, ceased to exist as such in 1869. As early as the seventeenth century the Royal Carriage Department and the Royal Laboratory were in operation, and ordnance was proved at Woolwich, but the establishments were not officially described as the Royal Arsenal until 1805. Up to the year 1856 convict labour was largely used in the extension works, and the remains of prisoners have been found in the course of excavations, in some cases with their shackles still attached.
The chief military and naval establishments located within the boundaries of the Royal Arsenal are the Army Ordnance Department, the Army Inspection Department, and the Naval Ordnance Department; the Ordnance Factories being the most important portion shown to visitors.
These comprise the Royal Laboratory, the Royal Carriage Department, the Royal Gun Factory, and the Building Works Department, which, together with the Gunpowder Factory at Waltham Abbey and the Small-Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, are collectively known as the Royal Ordnance Factories.
The Arsenal is over 3 miles in length and a mile broad, the total area amounting to about 1285 acres, of which 407 acres are contained within the boundary walls, and 89 acres are covered with buildings. The total horse-power available is 9700. There are 15 miles of broad gauge railway, served by 19 locomotives and 300 waggons, and 32 miles of narrow gauge railway with 40 steam locomotives, 5 oil locomotives, and 986 trucks. The properly organised passenger service is a feature of this railway system, there being 14 trains daily in each direction, from end to end of the Arsenal, stopping at 10 stages en route, and running at regular times. The main avenues within the Arsenal are laid with asphalt tracks for cycle traffic.
While the number of persons employed varies considerably, according to circumstances, the average during the ten years ending 1906 has been roughly 16,000.
The chief buildings and workshops are as follows:—
ROYAL LABORATORY.
Main Factory, for the manufacture of ammunition of all kinds. This factory contains 600 machine tools, amongst which are 80 automatic machines of the most modern type.
Pattern Room, containing an interesting collection of warlike stores dating from early days of ordnance manufacture.
Small-Arms Bullet Factory, for the manufacture of rifle bullets, consisting of a soft lead core and an envelope.
Quick-firing Cartridge Factory, in which several operations are conducted, such as mixing and casting ingots of special composition, rolling these ingots into strips and punching the strips into blanks, the conversion of the blanks into cups and the elongation of the cups by drawing, and finally the formation of shoulders on the drawn cases with the subsequent minor machine operations. The machinery is mostly hydraulic, the pressure employed ranging up to 3 tons per square inch.
Shell Foundry.—In this establishment the bodies of the various natures of shot and shell are produced and manipulated previous to being filled with explosive charges, or fitted into quick-firing charges. The equipment comprises eleven cupolas for the production of iron castings and molten iron for conversion to steel, underground furnaces for the production of crucible cast-steel shells, and three Tropenas converters for the production of the larger sizes of cast-steel shell.
ROYAL GUN FACTORY.
North Boring Mill.—This is one of the older sections of the factory wherein guns of all classes and calibre are manufactured, except small-arm rifles and machine guns. There are in the department about 180 electric motors with an aggregate horse-power of 2800. The current is supplied from the Central Power Station for the Arsenal generally, and a considerable use is made in this factory of magnetic clutches.
Field Gun Section.—In this section are manufactured the lighter mobile guns used by the Horse and Field Artillery. The other departments of the. Royal Gun Factory consist of the main turnery shops, the forge, and the South Boring Mill, where the rifling of large guns is carried out.
ROYAL CARRIAGE DEPARTMENT.
Main Machine Shop.—The tools in this section are among the largest of their kind in the Royal Arsenal, and many of the operations performed approximate more to ordinary engineering work than in other shops through which the visitor has passed.
Wheel Factory.—In this factory will be seen some of the most modern and ingenious machines in use in this country for wheel construction. The various parts of the o heel are assembled by means of hydraulic presses. This machinery is also used for making heel-pegs, tent-poles, and mallets.
Carpenters' Shop.—This contains the felloe bending machine and the hydraulic presses for clamping together boxes and chests.
Wheelers' Shop.—In this shop will be found, in various stages of construction or repair, examples of many military waggons, carts, and limbers.
Wood Machine Shop.—This shop contains a number of wood-working machines. In accordance with modern practice these are driven from underground, and shavings, chips, and dust are also drawn away underground by means of exhaust ducts.
WOOLWICH TOWN HALL.
On the conclusion of the visit to Woolwich Arsenal, the members proceeded to the Town Hall, where they were received by His Worship the Mayor of Woolwich (Mr. George Whale), who was accompanied by his Mace-bearer and by Mr. Arthur B. Bryceson, the Town Clerk, and Sir A. Brumwell Thomas, the architect of the Town Hall, who explained the chief architectural features of the building. The party was conducted round the principal rooms and the gallery surrounding the Entrance Hall, and were entertained at tea in the suite of Committee Rooms situated over the main entrance, when the Town Clerk imparted some interesting details concerning the history of the borough. At the conclusion of the repast a cordial vote of thanks was, on the motion of Professor Thomas Turner, seconded by Mr. Joseph Harrison, unanimously passed by those present, and suitably acknowledged by the Mayor, after which the visitors departed for the station, to join the special train which was to take them back to town.
The Town Hall, Woolwich, is situated in Wellington Street, in the immediate vicinity of the chief public buildings of the locality. Its principal facade is 114 feet long, and the depth is 230 feet. It was built from the designs of Sir A. Bramwell Thomas, the architect, and the foundation-stone was laid on 13th May 1903, the building being opened on 13th January 1906. The Entrance Hall is 100 feet long by 40 feet wide and 45 feet highs, and is surmounted by three domes enriched with plaster decoration. In the centre of the Hall stands a statue of Queen Victoria, executed by Mr. Frederick Pomeroy, A.R.A., which was erected by voluntary public contributions. The window over the staircase is a fine piece of stained glass, illustrating a visit of Charles I. to Woolwich, and Phineas Pett, Master Shipwright, presenting the monarch with plans of the great ship Sovereign of the Seas. The inscription is as follows:- "Here, in the month of October 1637, Phineas Pett, the master ship-builder, having fixed the rigging and sails at the yards, conducted King Charles Ist on board H.M.S. Sovereign of the Seas before her final departure from Woolwich & the King is mightily pleased. H.M.S. Sovereign of the Seas, whose burden was 1637 tons, being the very number of the year of her launching, was 127 feet long by the keel and 47 feet broad by the beam. Her building lost the King the affection of many of his subjects who rebelled against the levy of ship-money."
In the Council Chamber are three other windows, the centre bearing the present Royal Arms, and the other two representing Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth respectively. It is interesting to note in connection with the historical associations of Woolwich the inscriptions on these two windows which commemorate the building in 1512 of the Great Harry, which conveyed Henry VIII. to the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and the launching of the Elizabeth in 1559 in that queen's presence. This vessel was afterwards commanded by Sir Robert Southwell against the Armada. The historical associations of Woolwich extend, however, to much earlier days, and the window in the Central Committee Room commemorates Eltham Palace, in which, as far back as 1364, King Edward III. entertained John, King of France, David Bruce of Scotland, and Waldemar of Denmark, at a banquet. The celebrated Samuel Pepys for some time occupied a residence in Woolwich, and, as Secretary to the Admiralty, was closely connected with the Dockyard and Ropehouse.
The Public Hall can accommodate 850 persons, and is admirably designed from an acoustic point of view. It contains a memorial window to Richard Lovelace, the cavalier poet, who was born at Woolwich in 1618. Among other memorial windows is one to Henry Maudeslay, who invented the Slide Rest, and to General Gordon, who was born at Woolwich.
MESSRS. FRASER & CHALMERS, LTD., ERITH.
Notwithstanding the unfortunate weather, 50 members of the Institute paid a visit to the works of Messrs. Fraser & Chalmers, Ltd., at Erith, and spent a pleasant and profitable afternoon inspecting the various shops. The visitors travelled by special train from Charing Cross, and were welcomed at Erith by Mr. Walter McDermott, the managing director, and were afterwards conducted in small parties through the works by various members of the staff. In the machine, erecting, and boiler shops the visitors found much to interest them, but the chief attraction was the turbine shop, in which several turbines were in course of erection. During the afternoon a practical demonstration was given of the economical firing of the "Bettington" boiler for burning dust fuel. At the conclusion of the visit tea was served in one of the large rooms adjoining the turbine shop, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the company on the motion of Mr. F. W. Harbord, member of the Reception Committee, who accompanied the party on this excursion. Mr. Walter McDermott having replied on behalf of the company, the visitors returned to London by a special train leaving Erith at 5.12 P.M.
The works of Messrs. Fraser & Chalmers, Ltd., are situated on the Thames at Erith, Kent, with wharf for river shipment, and connection with the lines of the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway. The shops were begun in 1890, and have been gradually enlarged and added to until now a force of over 1400 men is employed. Up till 1901 the company also owned works in Chicago, and shipments were made partly from America and partly from Erith. At present the whole of the company's manufacture is concentrated at Erith. The English company was formed for the purpose of establishing in England the manufacture of high-class modern mining machinery, and as a first step thereto the then well-known American business of Fraser & Chalmers was bought, and later was sold when it had served its purpose of building up the English trade. The shops are fitted with modern tools of the best types built in England, United States, and Germany, and special provision has been made for the erection and testing of large engines, pumps, and compressors.
The tools and testing floor for the manufacture of high and low pressure steam turbines of the Rateau type, put down in 1905, have produced over forty of these machines which are now in use. The large area of the boiler shop allows of the complete erection under cover of the largest size of gold dredges. Among the great variety of machinery which is made at Erith, the following may be mentioned as receiving special attention and representing special experience in manufacture. Driving engines, compound hoisting engines, Whiting hoists, Riedler and Gutermuth pumps and compressors, crushers, stamp mills, grinding pans, tube mills, cyanide plants, concentration mills, Wilfley tables and slimers, frue vanners, smelting furnaces, Bessemer converter plants, roasting furnaces, Blaisdell excavators, continuous filters, coal screening and washing plants; coaling plants, conveyor installations, boilers, Ratean steam turbines, Rateau centrifugal pumps and turbo compressors, ventilator fans, diamond washing plants, heavy American type of gold dredges, and the necessary accessories for the various plants.
A new type of boiler for burning dust fuel, known as the Bettington boiler, is in use at the works, and is now being introduced elsewhere. Its high efficiency and power of using inferior slack with as much as 30 per cent. of ash, marks out a special field for its employment.
LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION, GREENWICH.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 28, a party of members and ladies accompanying them assembled at the Westminster Bridge end of the Thames Embankment, in order to 'participate in the visit to the London County Council's Electric Generating Station at Greenwich. Mr. Matthew Murray, member of the Reception Committee, and Mr. W. F. Cheesewright acted as stewards for the party, which was conveyed by special tramcars to Greenwich, where it was met at the Generating Station by Mr. A. L. C. Fell, chief officer of the tramways. After inspecting the plant and installation at the Station, the cars took the members on to the Central Repair depot at Woolwich, at the conclusion of the inspection of which they were entertained to tea and light refreshments. Before leaving, Mr. Matthew Murray proposed, in suitable terms, a vote of thanks to Mr. Fell and to the Council for their kindness in inviting the members, which was acknowledged on behalf of the County Council by Mr. Fell. The visitors were then re-conducted to Westminster Bridge by the special cars.
The Greenwich Electricity Generating Station, which was opened on May 26, 1906, has been designed to supply sufficient energy for the whole of the tramways worked by the London County Council. It will be one of the largest generating stations in the kingdom, and will ultimately have plant amounting to about 52,000 horse-power. The general arrangement of the generating station was designed by the Council's architect in consultation with the tramways electrical engineer, and the building was erected under the supervision of Mr. W. E. Riley, the Council's architect, and equipped under the supervision of Mr. A. L. C. Fell, the Council's chief officer of tramways, and Mr. J. H. Rider, the tramways electrical engineer. The pier and condensing water pipes were designed and erected under the supervision of Mr. Maurice Fitzmaurice, the Council's chief engineer.
The site is on the bank of the river at Greenwich, about 250 yards eastward of Greenwich Hospital. There is an area of approximately 31 acres. The boiler-house contains twenty-four water-tube boilers of the five-drum Stirling Company's type, and twenty-four boilers of the Babcock & Wilcox Company's type, arranged in pairs in two rows, with a firing floor between. Each Stirling boiler has an evaporate capacity of about 16,300 lbs. of water per hour, while the Babcock boilers will evaporate 18,200 lbs. per hour. Each boiler works at 200 lbs. pressure, and is fitted with chain grate stokers.
The engine-room contains four reciprocating engine sets of 3500 kilowatts normal capacity each, and two turbine sets of 5000 kilowatts each. Two other sets are in course of erection. The engines are by Messrs. John Musgrave & Sons, Limited, of Bolton, and are of the vertical-horizontal type. Each engine comprises two complete half-engines, one on each side of the generator, consisting of a vertical high pressure cylinder 330 inches diameter, and a horizontal low pressure cylinder, 66 inches diameter. The stroke in each case is 4 feet, and the two connecting-rods on the one side of the engine work on to a common overhung crank pin. The engines run at 94 revolutions per minute.
The generators were built by the Electric Construction Company, Limited, of Wolverhampton, and are mounted directly on the engine shafts, each generator being erected between the two half-engines of each set. They are all of the revolving field type, and deliver three-phase current at 6600 volts between phases, at 25 complete cycles per second. The normal output is 3500 kilowatts, or 306 amperes per phase, and 4375 kilowatts on emergency overload.
The turbines now at work were made by Messrs. Willans & Robinson, Limited, while the generators were made by Messrs. Dick, Kerr & Co., Limited. They run at 750 revolutions per minute, and will give 6250 kilowatts on emergency overload. The switch-gear is of the remote control electrically operated type. The circulating and feed-pumps are all electrically operated. When completed, the Station is estimated to cost about £800,000, and the total cost of the pier condensing water pipes, and a wharf wall about 260 feet in length, is about £53,000.
IRONMONGERS' HALL.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 28, over two hundred of the members and ladies accompanying them visited the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, by invitation of the Master and Wardens. The company assembled, under the guidance of Mr. A. C. Meyjes and Mr. E. F. Law, members of the Reception Committee, at the St. Ermin's Hotel, and were conducted thence to the St. James's Park Station of the District Railway, the newly covered way leading from the hotel to the station being on this occasion used for the first time. The party alighted at Mark Lane Station and proceeded to Fenchurch Street, E.C., where the Hall is situated, the City Police having made special arrangements to facilitate the conduct
of the large numbers attending. On their arrival at Ironmongers' Hall they were received by Mr. Walter T. H. Radford, the Worshipful Master of the Company, who was supported by Sir Ernest F. G. Hatch, Bart., Senior Warden, and Mr. Arthur Birkett, Junior Warden, wearing their robes of office, and by Mr. R. C. Adams-Beck, Clerk of the Company, by whom they were cordially welcomed. Mr. Gwyn Vaughan Morgan, Immediate Past Master, also attended and received the visitors, who were subsequently conducted over the premises. An interesting address was delivered by Mr. E. H. Nicholl, the hon. librarian, who dealt with the origin and history of the Guild and described the chief features of interest in the building and the portraits and exhibits. Tea and light refreshments were subsequently served in the Banqueting-hall.
The present Ironmongers' Hall is believed to be the third which has stood on the site, the first hall having been built somewhere about the year 1457, in the reign of Henry VI. The second hall, which was built during the reign of Elizabeth, in 1587, narrowly escaped destruction by the Great Fire of 1666. It was superseded in 1745 by the present hall, built in the Palladian style, with a vestibule with handsome columns and groined ceiling, and a beautiful banqueting-hall, which for general effect is not sur passed by any similar chamber in the city of London. The plate of the Company includes several specimens of interest, dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and the library possesses a fine edition of the "Compleat Angler," by Izaac Walton, a former warden of the guild, whose portrait hangs in the banqueting-hall.
The Company, of the origin of which there is unfortunately no record, is one of the twelve "greater" Livery Companies (there are altogether seventy-nine guilds in the city), and was probably a development of one of the many religious fraternities which flourished in the early Middle Ages before any of the charters or civic ordinances were granted. The first charter was given to the Company by Edward IV. in 1403, and in 1463 Edward III. confirmed the rights conferred upon the Company. The Company, which was frequently subjected to fines and other exactions on the part of the rulers of the land and other powerful personages, has but little antique plate, but among its treasures are two beautiful fifteenth-century "mazers" or maple-wood drinking vessels, silver mounted, of a kind of which only fifty examples are known to be in existence. The bulk of the plate is eighteenth century and later. The banqueting-room, in which the reception was held, is 70 feet long and 29 feet wide, and has a panelled dado 8 feet high, bearing the arms in proper colours of the Past Masters of the Company from 1351. Among other oil paintings of eminent " Ironmongers " of the past which adorn the walls is one of Lord Hood, by Gainsborough, and one of Sir Robert Geffrey, who bequeathed to the Company funds to purchase land for the erection of almshouses.
ARMOURERS' AND BRASIERS' HALL, COLEMAN STREET, E.C.
About fifty members and ladies visited the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 28, by invitation of the Court of the Company. The party assembled at the St. Ermin's Hotel, under the guidance of Mr. Harold Jeans and Mr. R. E. Commans, members of the Reception Committee, who accompanied them to the St. James's Park Station of the District Railway to Moorgate Street, whence they proceeded to Coleman Street, where the Hall is situated. The members on their arrival were received in the Drawing-room by the Master (Mr. George Wood), the Upper Warden (Mr. Sydney Pitt), the Renter Warden (Mr. Arthur Hill), and two Past Masters (Mr. Charles C. Graham and Mr. David A. Bomsted). After a few words of welcome from the Master, Mr. D. A. Bumsted read a short paper dealing with the history of the Company and other matters of interest.
After inspecting the pictures and other objects in the Drawing-room, which included some fine specimens of metal work, for which prizes were awarded at exhibitions held by the Company some years ago, the members were conducted into the Livery Hall, where various pieces of ancient plate, comprising loving cups, a mazer bowl, seal-top spoons, &c., were shown to them, and their principal features explained by the Master and Wardens. The ancient plate included the well-known "Richmond Cup," which was presented to the Company in 1557 by John Richmond, Master in 1547-48.
The attention of the visitors was also directed to the numerous pieces of armour hanging upon the walls of the Livery Hall, including a valuable tilting suit, formerly the property of Sir Henry Lee, who was appointed to the office of Master of the Armoury to Queen Elizabeth in 1580, and was an ancestor of the present Viscount Dillon, Curator of Tower Armouries, and an honorary member of the Company. In the Court-room were seen a number of deeds relating to the Company's properties of ancient date and a portrait of Roger Tyndall, who was Master of the Company on three occasions, namely, in 1559,1567, and 1577, and one of Queen Elizabeth's Gentlemen-at-Arms.
At the conclusion of the visit the party was entertained at tea in the Court Dining-room of the Company, and before the visitors left a cordial vote of thanks to the Master and Wardens for their kind reception was unanimously passed by Mr. R. E. Commans.
The Hall of the Armourers' Company (known as "The Brethren of the Craft or Mystery of Armorers") was acquired in the seventh year of the reign of Henry VI., A.D. 1428, and comprised "The Dragon" and five shops in Coleman Street. The Hall escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666, and subsequently in 1750-77 (additional property having been purchased in London Wall abutting upon the Hall) the premises were much enlarged. The amalgamation of the Brasiers' Guild with the Company of Armourers took place in 1708, the names of the Masters since that date being recorded on the panelling of the Livery Hall.
The entire premises were taken down and rebuilt in their present form in 1839-41; but most of the internal arrangements, including the Livery Hall with its adornments and decorative features, were remodelled in 1872, and the paintings and many interesting specimens of the armourers' craft were rearranged as we now see them. The names of the benefactors from the time of Eborard Frere, Master of the Company, 1454 and 1455, were also recorded on decorative shields in the main cornice.
The principal objects worthy of special notice are the engraved suit of armour, on a bracket on the right of the chair, worn by Sir Henry Lee, Master of the Armoury, to which reference has already been made, a portrait of George I., by Vandrebank, a painting representing fine pieces of armour, with assumed portraits of the Earl of Essex and General Monk; Northcote's largest work, representing the entry of Bolingbroke into London prior to his coronation as Henry IV. ("King Richard II.," Act V. Scene 2), the arms of Edward VI. in the wood panel of the chimneypiece, and those of William and Mary in the bronze plaque of the buffet.
In the Court Dining-room the grant of arms to the Company in the reign of Philip and Mary, 1556, is worthy of notice, especially on account of the sovereign titles accorded to this ill-starred couple. More interesting, perhaps, are the full-length portraits in the Drawing-room of George II. and Queen Caroline by Shackleton, the Court painter of his time. They are replicas of the state portraits in the National Portrait Gallery. In the same room are two celebrated English pictures, purchased by the Company at the sale of the Boydell Shakesperian collection in 1805. Both these works, as well as the Northcote picture already mentioned, which was purchased at the same time, have been engraved.
On the walls may be seen a few notable specimens of blades and other weapons, as well as the processional axes of the mediaeval Electors of Saxony, as Masters of the Mining Guild; and in the case at the end of the room are a variety of modern specimens of the brasiers' and metal-workers' crafts, obtained by the Company in 1889, 1890, and 1891, when exhibitions were held in the Hall for the purpose of promoting the brasiers' art, and giving encouragement to apprentices and craftsmen.
In the Court-room is a portrait of Roger Tyndale, bequeathed by his will in 1587. As Master of the Company in 1559, 1567, and 1577, and one of Queen Elizabeth's Gentlemen-at-Arms, this picture possesses an historical interest. In the cases on the walls are a few manuscripts worthy of notice. Many of them relate to the conveyances of lands and tenements to the Company in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY, BUSHY HOUSE, TEDDINGTON.
Over three hundred members and ladies had signified their intention of participating in the visit to the National Physical Laboratory on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 29, but owing to the inclement weather experienced this number unfortunately shrank to about one-third. A. special train conveying the visitors left Waterloo at 2.25 P.M. and Teddington was reached at three o'clock. Mr. Cyrus Braby, member of the Reception Committee, travelled down with the party to Teddington, and acted as guide from the station to the Laboratory, . where the visitors were met by Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, F.R.S., the Director of the Laboratory, and Mrs. Glazebrook, and were subsequently conducted, under the guidance of various members of the staff, over the different departments of the Laboratory. The first visit paid was to the thermometric laboratory. Dr. Harker explained the use and application of the instruments and apparatus installed in his department.
In the electro-technical division, which was next visited, Mr. Paterson and Mr. Melsom showed the members the instruments and equipment for the testing of all types of electrical instruments for photometry, while Dr. Stanton, assisted by Mr. Jakeman, showed the visitors over the Engineering Department where the testing of materials of construction is carried out and where impact tests and gauge testing are performed. Subsequently the Department of Metallurgy and of Metallurgical Chemistry was shown to the members. This department, which is under the charge of Dr. Rosenhain, and occupies rooms in Bushy House, together with a new building specially erected, deals with metallurgical research and the investigation of alloys, and with chemical analyses of railway and other material, metals and alloys. Dr. Rosenhain was accompanied by Mr. Murdock and the staff of the department.
On the conclusion of the tour of inspection tea was served in the electro-technical building and in Bushy House, and the main body of visitors returned by special train from Teddington shortly before a quarter past five. A few members, however, remained to make a more detailed inspection of the engineering and metallurgical departments, which were specially kept open for visitors until half-past five.
The work of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington is organised in three main departments— the Physics Department, the Engineering Department, and the Department of Metallurgy and Metallurgical Chemistry. The Physics Department comprises divisions for thermometry, optics, electrical standards, general electrical measurements, electrotechincs, photometry, and metrology. In each section the work includes research and maintenance of standards, as well as the testing and verification of instruments sent for examination.
The different branches are now housed in five main buildings. In addition to Bushy House itself, there are separate buildings for electrotechnics and photometry, metrology, engineering, and metallurgical chemistry. The Metallurgy Section at present occupies a number of rooms in Bushy House; the equipment includes a complete metallographic outfit, and an apparatus for photomicrography with ultra-violet light, and much important research has been carried out. In the Engineering Department are a number of machines for the testing of materials under repeated stress or repeated impact; other researches are in progress on wind-pressure, on the resistance of plates and models in a uniform current of water, on the tensile strength of long wires at varying temperatures, &c. High temperature research and the testing of pyrometers is carried out in the Thermometry Division and in the Metrology Building, where the standards of length are kept, a long gallery for the testing of surveying tapes on the fiat or in catenary is a feature of special interest.
In addition to the work done at Teddington, the Observatory Department at Richmond (Kew Observatory) carries on meteorological work, as well as the testing of meteorological instruments, thermometers, telescopes, watches, &c. A new Observatory for magnetic work has recently been opened at Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire.
D. NAPIER & SON, LTD., ACTON.
Under highly unfavourable climatic conditions nearly a hundred members and ladies assembled at 1.20 nit. in the courtyard of St. Ermin's Hotel, previous to being taken to visit the Motor Car Works of Messrs. D. Napier and Son, Ltd., at Acton. Mr. J. F. Melling, member of the Reception Committee, and Mr. W. F. Cheesewright, acted as stewards for the party, for the conveyance of which a number of commodious private motor cars had been chartered by the Reception Committee. The works of Messrs. Napier & Son were reached shortly after 2 P.M., and the visitors were met by Mr. W. F. Rainforth, the General Manager, on behalf of the Company, and conducted over the workshop. At the conclusion of the visit the party was driven from Acton to visit the Mitchell Motor Works and Garage in Soho.
The work carried on at Messrs. Napier & Son's works is chiefly confined to the manufacture of motor cars, and, although the firm is very old established, the introduction of this class of work has necessitated many alterations to the plant and the system of organisation.
The workshops consist of two main buildings, namely, the machine shop and the fitting shop. In addition to these there are the foundry, the smithy, the engine-testing shop, and the road-testing department, together with small outbuildings.
The Machine Shop.—This is a single floor building, with a floor area of approximately 6000 square yards, with saw-tooth roofs. The machines are principally semi-automatic, and in the machine shop proper are arranged in sections, similar machines being placed together as far as possible. The sections include those where the operations of boring, drilling, milling, turning, and grinding are carried on, and among the machines will be noticed many special ones with fixtures for several operations. The machines are driven from line shafting by means of electric motors, which are placed in the roof in order to save floor space.
The rough stores, where the raw material is received, forms part of the machine shop, and in addition to keeping the stock of raw material, is fitted with power-driven saws for cutting off the material before it is issued to the machine shop.
The view-room, or gauging department, is partitioned off from the machine shop at one end of the main bay; and at the other end is the tool-room, which is fitted with a complete range of machines, and is used for the production of special devices such as jigs, tools, &c., for use on the other machines, and by means of which all parts are made to gauge.
The Fitting Shop.—This, again, is a single-floor building, with a floor area of 4400 square yards, and contains the departments in which the engines, gear-boxes, rear axles, and the complete chassis are erected. In addition to these departments, the fitting shop contains the finished stores, partitioned off at one end, which contains a stock of finished parts. The material is delivered from the view-room after it is gauged to the finished stores, and from there it is issued to the various erecting departments.
The fitting shop also contains the machines necessary for cutting spur and bevel gears, also bobbing machines, machines for cutting spiral gears, Brown & Sharp machines, and bevel-planing machines.
The cars in course of construction can be seen in all the various stages of completion.
The payment for the work in the shops is based on the bonus or premium system. The clerical work is performed in the bonus office, which occupies one corner of the machine shop, and above which is situated a drawing-office for the design of special fixtures, jigs, &c.
The engine-testing shop and the road-testing department are both of interest, and the apparatus in the fitting shop for the testing of gear-boxes and rear axles is worth inspecting.
MITCHELL MOTOR WORKS AND GARAGE, SOHO.
The bulk of the party which had visited the Works of Messrs. D. Napier & Son proceeded, by means of the special vehicles provided, from Acton to Soho, where they had been invited to visit the Mitchell Motor Works and Garage, Wardour Street. The visitors were received by Mr. John Mitchell, Mr. David Mitchell, and Mr. J. B. Mitchell, Directors of the Company, and entertained to tea and light refreshments, each of the members being presented by the company with a cloth-bound copy of the firm's useful publication, "Motor Roads to London," which gives the itinerary and distances from the metropolis of all the chief towns of Great Britain. Mr. Edgar J. Windsor Richards proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs. Mitchell for their kindness in receiving the party, after which an inspection was made of the fitting and repair shops connected with the garage, and the visitors subsequently left shortly after 5.30 P.M, motor cars being hospitably provided by the firm to convey the members back to their respective destinations.
The garage is a remarkable establishment by reason of its relative size and situation. Erected within a stone's-throw of the most expensive part of the West End of London, it contains over 70,000 feet of superficial area devoted entirely to industrial purposes. It affords ample accommodation for 500 cars, each accessible for immediate departure, in addition to which there are a large number of separate storage compartments for vehicles deposited for safe-keeping. By means of the large amount of free floor space and the electric lift, any vehicle can be brought from the remotest part of the establishment to either of the exits within a few minutes.
The workshops are fully equipped with modern machinery and appliances for the manufacture of motor-car parts, and any piece of mechanism can be duplicated by the automatic machine tools, which have been carefully selected for their respective work. The machines, which are all driven by electricity, include bevel gear automatic planers and spur gear milling machines of the latest type, automatic turret lathes, besides a full complement of high-speed lathes of various sizes. This installation, adequate as it is for the entire manufacture and equipment of complete vehicles, is now fully occupied in the execution of repairs and replacements, and in view of the great increase of this department a further extension of the workshops is now under consideration by the Directors.
Risk of danger to persons and property has been reduced to a minimum by the precautions taken in the erection and equipment of these Works, and hygienic conditions have been also well considered. The whole structure is fireproof, and there is no corner to which abundant natural light and air does not obtain access.
An interesting department is that which deals with the hiring of cars, and all possible requirements in this connection are adequately provided for. Drivers and mechanics are retained speaking all European and many Asiatic languages, the department numbering among its patrons many distinguished foreign visitors, including some from India, Persia, and the Far East. A large business is that of conveying American tourists to places of interest in the United Kingdom, and for the convenience of these clients the department prepares special routes with time-tables to suit long or short tours, embracing only such places as are likely to interest the persons particularly concerned.
LAMBETH PALACE.
Despite a heavy fall of rain, a very large party assembled on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 29th, to visit Lambeth Palace and the Royal Doulton Potteries. Motor omnibuses had been chartered to convey the members from the St. Ermin's Hotel, which was the point of assembly, but owing to the impossibility of the outside seats being utilised the accommodation proved somewhat inadequate, and several journeys had to be made in order to convey the three hundred persons who participated in this visit. On the arrival at the Palace the party assembled in the Library, which in earlier times formed the banqueting-hall, and it was here met by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, together with Mrs. Davidson, welcomed the visitors in a short address which was highly appreciated by those present. Sir Hugh Bell, Bart., President, who with Lord Airedale, Past-President, formed one of the party, replied suitably to the address and thanked the Archbishop for his hospitality in receiving them. Subsequently a tour was made under the guidance of the Archbishop's Secretary (Mr. Arthur Sheppard) and several members of the Archiepiscopal household, the Chapel, Crypt, and so-called Lollards' Tower being visited. One of the groups enjoyed the advantage of leaving with them Mrs. Davidson herself, who communicated to the party many details of interest concerning the history and associations of the Palace, the occasion forming by common consent of those present one of the most interesting and enjoyable fixtures for the week. Before leaving, the visitors were entertained at tea in an apartment adjoining the Crypt.
Lambeth Palace is built on the site of the original Lambeth Manor granted to the Bishop and Convent of Rochester by the Countess Goda, sister of Edward the Confessor, but it is doubtful whether even the oldest portions now contain any vestige of architectural work prior to the beginning of the thirteenth century. The Great Gateway, consisting of two immense square towers, in the upper chambers of which were places of detention for those who had exhibited unorthodox tendencies, was erected in 1490 by Cardinal Archbishop Morton, and fifty years later Cranmer is said to have built the small tower on the north-east of the Chapel. Lambeth House—by which name the Palace was known during its earlier history—suffered severely in the time of the Commonwealth, and on the Restoration, Archbishop Juxon found the residence of his predecessors a heap of ruins.
The Great Hall was formerly the Banqueting-hall, and in the times of Cranmer, and later on of Cardinal Pole, was the scene of many a stately banquet. It was converted to its present use as a library by Archbishop Howley in 1854. It contains a collection founded by Archbishop Bancroft, and now amounting to thirty thousand printed books and fourteen thousand manuscripts, including the Codices Lambethiani and valuable collections of Eastern Codices, numerous psalters, missals, martyrologies, biblical and historical manuscripts, Papal Bulls, Royal Letters, and State Papers. Amongst the latter are Lord Burghley's papers, a volume of documents belonging to Archbishop Laud, and the correspondence of Anthony Bacon. The early printed books include ten productions of Caxton's press, and there are also collections of printed Bibles and works on Kentish topography and Diocesan history. Its greatest treasure is, however, a MS. volume of the four Gospels in Latin, known as the Gospels of Mac-Duran, highly enriched by paintings and ornaments typical of early Celtic art. This ancient volume was presented by King Athelstan to the city of Canterbury, and dates from the ninth century.
Probably, however, the most interesting portion of the Palace is the Water Tower, now known as the Lollards lower, through its having been the alleged scene of the persecutions of the Lollards, although there is no warranty for the belief that it was ever associated with this sect, the confusion having arisen from the fact that there was actually a Lollards' Tower at " London House," adjoining old St. Paul's. Notwithstanding this, however, the Water Tower possesses an interesting history of its own, and traces of the steps by which the ill-fated Anne Boleyn passed to and from the Chapel, in which sentence of divorce was passed upon her, still remain.
ROYAL DOULTON POTTERIES.
A large proportion of those who participated in the visit to Lambeth Palace also visited the Royal Doulton Potteries, situated about a hundred yards further along the Embankment. Relays of the visitors were brought from the Palace gates by the motor omnibuses in attendance, whilst others who made the Potteries their first objective were similarly conveyed thence to the Palace. At the Potteries the party was on its arrival divided into groups, which were conducted through the studios in which Doulton ware and "Lambeth Faience" wares were being decorated in characteristic manner by the artists and their assistants.
In some instances it was pointed out that the vases were remarkable from the fact that only one pair of each design was being made. There is still among artistic people a desire to possess articles that are unique.
But for the most part many hundreds of each design were being produced. Even our old friend the Toby Jug was found to be as great a favourite as ever, judging by the number seen in various stages of manufacture.
Mr. Tinworth was engaged on some of the terra-cotta scripture panels for which he is famed the world over. The largest in his studio was 7 feet long, and many of the earlier examples of his work illustrating various biblical scenes embellish the cathedrals and churches of our land.
The fascinating art of the potter "throwing" on his wheel was next shown. Grasping a lump of soft clay, the skilful worker threw it down on a revolving horizontal disc. With nothing besides but a little water and the dexterous use of his fingers, articles of all sorts of shapes appeared in rapid succession. Dozens of these men were busily engaged, some in making teapots, jugs, ink-bottles, and foot-warmers, others in creating huge vessels to condense or store strong acids.
In another part of the works, sinks, traps, stoves, and architectural blocks were being moulded. With the increasing use of steel frames for buildings, the manufacture of ceramic ware for exteriors, especially that which imitates Carrara marble, has received a decided impetus.
Two or three kilns were inspected. It was a revelation to some of the members to watch the packing of tier upon tier of clay ware until the crown was reached. Here could be seen a costly vase side by side with a drain-pipe, or a flower-bowl associating with a condensing worm. The information was imparted that it takes at least a week to burn pottery by the methods practised at Lambeth.
Those who were interested wandered through the various showrooms, containing examples not only of pottery made at Messrs. Doulton's Lambeth and Staffordshire Works, but of metal sanitary fittings produced entirely at their Paisley factory. Enamelled baths, geysers, cisterns, and every sanitary appliance needed in the house, the hotel, and the hospital could be seen, as well as specimens of the plumbago crucibles for which Lambeth is justly noted. After completing the inspection of the various showrooms, the party reassembled at the main entrance, where they were entertained by the company to tea and light refreshments.
The Lambeth works of the Royal Doulton Potteries had their modest commencement in 1815, when Mr. John Doulton, sen., in conjunction with Mr. J. Watts, established a small pottery in Vauxhall Walk. They removed in 1826 to High Street, Lambeth, taking over the single kiln, which till then had belonged to a Mr. Willats. For many years only ordinary stoneware for household and chemical purposes was made, but towards the middle of the century an important step was taken with the introduction of stoneware for sanitary purposes. Factories were built at Lambeth, St. Helens, Rowley Regis, and Smethwick for the manufacture of drain-pipes, gullies, and all the heavier kinds of apparatus. Terra-cotta garden vases and ornamental chimney-pots were shown by the firm at the Exhibition of 1851, and not long after led to the definite development of terra-cotta and glazed wares for architectural purposes.
The factory first erected for this side of the manufacture has been superseded by the handsome buildings on the Albert Embankment, the tall chimney-shaft of which is such a conspicuous landmark. Among the developments at Lambeth may be mentioned the manufacture of crucibles and fireclay wares; fireplaces, mantelpieces, and stoves in glazed ware; filters of all kinds; stoneware conduits and insulators for electric mains; fitted sanitary goods, and metal work of all kinds for sanitary purposes. Sanitary engineering in all its branches is now an important part of the firm's activities, their new works at Paisley enabling them to handle the largest contracts.
"Doulton ware," as an art product, dates from 1871, although in the 1862 and 1867 Exhibitions a few single pieces of coloured salt-glazed ware had been shown. Encouraged by the success of a small exhibit in 1871, pieces from which had been purchased by the Queen and the South Kensington Museum, the Doulton artists made large displays of the new ware at Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia 1876, and Paris 1878, the Grand Prix awarded in the latter year being repeated in 1889. The Doulton exhibit in 1900 was hors contours. Among the many other awards received for the productions of the firm, none gave greater pleasure than the presentation, in 1885, at the Lambeth works by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, of the Albert Medal of the Society of Arts, "in recognition of the impulse given by Mr. Henry Doulton to the production of artistic pottery in this country." In 1877 works in Staffordshire were opened for the manufacture of all kinds of china and fine earthenware, and taking these into account, it may be said that practically everything made in pottery is made at one or the other of the Doulton works.
On the death of Sir Henry Doulton in 1897 (he had been knighted in 1887), the business was converted into a limited company, Mr. Henry Lewis Doulton becoming Chairman and Managing Director.
ROYAL SMALL-ARMS FACTORY, ENFIELD LOCK.
Royal Small Arms Factory (Enfield)
On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 29, the Royal Small-Arms Factory, Enfield Lock, was, by kind permission of the Army Council, open to the members of the Institute.
This factory was established as long ago as 1804, and until 1857 the factory was largely engaged as a small-arms repair department. Before that date the majority of the arms were obtained from the private trade. In 1854 it was determined to establish a factory for the manufacture of small-arms in this country, and £150,000 was voted by the House of Commons for this purpose. This was the first factory in this country where strictly interchangeable articles were manufactured, and though in the process of evolution great progress has naturally been made, the principles remain much the same.
In 1857 the Long Enfield rifle, bore 0.573 inch, velocity 1240 feet per second, was the Service pattern, and it was succeeded by the Snider, bore 0'573 inch, velocity 1240 feet per second. This rifle was then followed by, first, the Martini-Henry, bore 0.45 inch, velocity 1358 feet per second; second, by the Lee-Metford, bore 0.303 inch, velocity 1960 feet per second; third, by the Lee-Enfield long barrel, bore 0.303 inch, velocity 2000 feet per second; fourth, by the present Service arm, namely, Lee-Enfield short, bore 0.303 inch, velocity 2000 feet per second.
The factory is driven by electricity. The power is derived from a central station containing four generator sets, two Parsons steam-turbines, driving shunt-wound dynamos of 250 kilowatts, and two triple expansion vertically enclosed engines driving shunt-wound dynamos of 350 kilowatts capacity. Most of the shops are lit by arc lamps and incandescent electric lamps, but in a few shops high pressure incandescent lamps have been installed.
Complete laboratories for testing the material and ranges for the proof of the guns are contained in the department.
In addition to the current manufacture, all classes of repair work are undertaken, and small-arms from all parts of the world of patterns that have not yet been completely superseded come in for conversion and repair. All the accessories for use with rifles are also manufactured in this factory, viz., swords, bayonets, scabbards, pull-throughs, oil-bottles, and chargers for the cartridges, and are subject to the same rigid inspection that the rifle undergoes. The department is also equipped for the manufacture of Maxim guns.
POWER PLANT COMPANY, LTD., WEST DRAYTON.
These works, which, like the Royal Small Arms Factory, were, by the kind permission of the owners, open to members on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 29, are situated on the Great Western Railway main line and the Grand Junction Canal, and have been established four years, for the exclusive manufacture of machine cut double helical gear wheels, to meet the growing demand for this article, which could previously only be obtained from the Continent. The type of gear and manufacturing process are those invented by Mr. Wust, the Company being sole licensees.
The chief feature of these gears is the staggering of the teeth, which in effect halves the pitch, and makes the gear, owing to continuous engagement, particularly suitable for heaviest drives where severe shocks are encountered, and for high velocity work from electric motors and steam-turbines.
The machines on which these gears are cut are extremely ingenious and interesting. Both the shape of tooth and the helix are generated automatically for right-hand and left-hand teeth in one operation, and all sizes of wheels of same pitch are cut by the same tools.
The plant consists of suction gas power installation and three-phase alternating current distribution. The gear-cutting machines are driven by patent multi-speed three-phase motors. Wheels from 1 inch up to 10 feet diameter can be produced, besides complete reduction gears in cases. A plant for making the special cutting tools is also installed. Considerable additions to the plant are at present in progress.
MERCERS' HALL, CHEAPSIDE, E.C.
A large party numbering not far short of three hundred assembled on the afternoon of Thursday, September 30, at the St. Ermin's Hotel, Westminster, whence they proceeded from the St. James's Park Station of the District Railway to the Mansion House Station. The party was accompanied by Mr. F. W. Harbord and by Mr. Matthew Murray, members of the Reception Committee, who acted as stewards for the occasion, and the City police again most courteously assisted in conducting the party from the station to Cheapside, where the Mercers' Hall is situated. On their arrival the visitors dispersed to visit the beautiful rooms of the Company, together with the chapel, which was specially opened for the occasion, the fine panelling and carving of which was greatly admired. Subsequently the party assembled in the Court-room, where an interesting address was delivered by the Steward of the Company, who pointed out the various features of interest. The Hall of the Mercers' Company, the first on the list of the Twelve Great Guilds of London, is in Cheapside, between Ironmonger Lane and Old Jewry. The Mercers were recognised as a Guild in 1172, and incorporated as "The Men of the Mystery of Mercery " in 1393. After the Great Fire, the Hall was rebuilt, in 1672, from the designs of Sir C. Wren. The Company possess a portrait of Dean Colet, founder of St. Paul's School, the management of which he left to the Mercers' Company; a portrait of Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal Exchange, a member of the Company; and the very fine Leigh Cup of 1499, the oldest and one of the finest pieces of plate in the city. Whittington, the famous " four times Mayor of London," was a member of the Company, and Queen Elizabeth was a " free sister " of the Mercers' Company.
PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD
The last day of the Autumn Meeting, Friday, October 1, was devoted to a visit to Portsmouth Dockyard and Whale Island, by permission of the Admiralty. The weather was exceedingly fine and an agreeable contrast to the earlier portion of the week, when the rain had considerably detracted from the comfort of the members and ladies accompanying them during the various visits that had been arranged by the Reception Committee. A comfortable special train, consisting entirely of Pullman cars, had been specially chartered for the occasion and over 200 visitors assembled at the Victoria Station of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, in order to participate in this excursion. The journey to Portsmouth was performed in two hours, and the special train, drawn by a powerful locomotive most appropriately named "Bessemer," was taken direct through the Harbour Station into the Dockyard, where it drew up on the South Railway Jetty.
On their arrival the party, which included Sir Hugh Bell, Bart., President, and Mr. A. T. Tannett-Walker, Vice-President, was met at the Dockyard by Rear-Admiral A. G. Tate, Superintendent, Commander H. W. Simms (representing the department of the Captain of the Dockyard), and members of other departments who had assembled to meet the visitors, who were subsequently divided into two groups, each of which made an extensive tour of the Dockyard and of the repair basins and docks. H.M.S. Invincible was thrown open to the inspection of the party, which was further divided for the purpose into smaller groups under the conduct of the naval officers of the vessel, who were indefatigable in their attention to the visitors and in imparting information on the various points of interest.
H.M.S. Invincible, which is one of the most recent additions to the Navy, is an armoured cruiser of 17,250 tons, carrying eight large guns. She was built by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co., Ltd., at Elswick, and her registered horse-power is 41,000. She is commissioned for service in the Home Fleet, and is attached to the First Cruiser Squadron. On leaving the Invincible the visitors were conducted past the gigantic hull of the Neptune, which had only been launched on the previous day, and was lying moored ready for receiving her belt of armour.
On the conclusion of the morning's visit the party repaired to the school-room, where luncheon was served. Amongst the guests on this occasion, in addition to the officials previously mentioned, were Engineer Rear-Admiral J. S. Sanders, Mr. J. B. Hunt, Mr. M. E. P. Frost, Mr. E. J. Maginness, and the Mayor and Town Clerk of Portsmouth. On the conclusion of the luncheon, Sir Hugh Bell, Bart., President, proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Admiralty for their hospitality in throwing open the Dockyard to the members of the Iron and Steel Institute, and Commander H. W. Simms replied on behalf of the Admiralty. Sir Hugh Boll next proposed the health of the Mayor and Corporation of Portsmouth, which was suitably acknowledged by the Mayor.
The members subsequently proceeded to the King's Stairs, where tenders were awaiting to convey them to Whale Island, where they were received by Captain R. G. O. Tupper, R.N., A.D.C., captain of H.M.S. Excellent, the name and rating by which the whole Island is borne in the Admiralty lists. Here the rest *of the afternoon was spent in inspecting the gunnery class, and in watching the practice by various classes of gunnery and torpedo parties. The visitors left Whale Island shortly after 4 o'clock, and were reconveyed to the South Railway Jetty, where they joined the special train. The departure for London was made punctually at 5.10 P.M. Tea was served on the train, and Victoria was reached at 7.10 P.M.
THE DOCKYARD AND NAVAL ESTABLISHMENTS, PORTSMOUTH.
Portsmouth has been the home of the Navy ever since the days of King John, and the harbour, including as it does the famous anchorage at Spithead, more amply combines spaciousness with security than any other in the kingdom. The main gate is close to the Hard, and visitors may observe in close proximity therewith the beautiful figure-head of the old H.M.S. Warrior on the right. This figure-head, which is carved from solid oak, is typical of the ornamentation lavished on the old oak ships of the past. At this end of the Dockyard are to be found the Boat Storehouses, and extensive stores for masts and spars. The South Railway Jetty affords an excellent view of the harbour and of Gosport, and is commanded at one extremity by the Semaphore Tower, which is used, as its name implies, for signalling purposes, and from which all the vessels in the harbour or the roads can be controlled. Beyond the arch below the Semaphore Tower is the Rigging Loft, in the vicinity of which is a basin, known as the Camber, for small vessels.
At the opposite end of the Camber are the King's Stairs, with a spacious range of offices adjoining, occupied by the authorities of the Dockyard. After passing the Boat-house Jetty and the gates which shut off the tidal water from No. 1 Dock, the visitor reaches Pitch House Jetty, and subsequently Docks Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which small vessels are repaired and fitted for service. Near No. 5 Dock are situated the Block Mills and the Pumping Station, which contains the machinery and pumps used for emptying the small docks. The North Railway Jetty and No. 10 Dock are next in line of route, the Slips, of which there are five, being situated beyond the latter dock. These Slips communicate directly with the harbour, and have served for the launching of some of the largest of the modern battleships of H.M. Navy.
The No. 1 Smithy stands to the right of the Slips, and possesses a fine installation of steam-hammers. The Coaling Jetty is close to the "Excellent" Steps, and moored alongside were the steam colliers which serve to transport fuel to the ships. One of the colliers has a capacity of 10,000 tons of coal.
The shops in the neighbourhood include No. 3 Smithy, a turnery, a torpedo-tube establishment, and an armour-plate shop. There are also two large basins, one of which, known as No. 2 Steam Basin, has an area of seven acres, while near the large space of ground known as the Extension are to be found a torpedo shop and the new gun-mounting stores, together with the large building recently erected for the manufacture of various descriptions of machinery. This portion of the Dockyard has an exit known as the Unicorn Gate, which communicates with the town and is close to No. 5 Basin, where are installed two large sheers having a lifting capacity of 100 tons and 80 tons respectively. Adjoining the basin, but farther to the east, are the boiler shops and Docks Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 15, the two last being the largest in the yard. The number of men employed regularly in the Dockyard averages about 11,000.
The following are the dimensions of some of the principal docks:—
Length (Feet). / Width (Feet).
- No. 1 Dock. 228 / 92.5
- No. 2 Dock. 222 / 89
- No. 3 Dock. 275 / 91
- No. 4 Dock. 278 / 85.5
- No. 5 Dock. 257 / 85
- No. 6 Dock. 196 / 82
- No. 7 Dock. 289 / 100
- No. 8 Dock. 307 / 80.75
- No. 9 Dock.
- No. 10 Dock. 302 / 100
- No. 11 Dock. 401 / 99
- Deep Dock. 435 / 101
- No. 12 Dock. 496 / 110
- No. 13 Dock. 560 / 110
- No. 14 Dock. 560 / 120
- No. 15 Dock. 611 / 120
See Also
Sources of Information