THE LATE BARON ARMSTRONG.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9829, 29 December 1900, Page 4

THE LATE BARON ARMSTRONG.

The death of Baron Armstrong, of Elswick fame at the ripe age of 90 years, removes one whose single span of life has covered the whole develop-, ment of modern ordnance. Rapid as has been the advance of modern big gun improvements, the great North England firm has maintained its place ; taking the tide at its earliest flood, it remains in the lead, and tosday still shares with the German Krupp the greatest worldwide name in the manu> facture of engines of war British prejudice is notoriously adverse to innovations even if they be improve* ments, and other and more peaceful branches of what used to be purely English industry are to day suffering in the world's competition, because,, hampered by hide-bound conservatism, they have not kept pace with scientific! advance. Tracing back the history of the Elswick works to the beginning, it seems that they were established about 1850, and the first of the rifled 1 ordnance guns that bear Armstrong's name was constructed there in 1854. The works, which are located near Newcastle, were primarily known at the Elswick Engine Works. The son of a Newcastle merchant, Win. Geo. Armstrong practised in earlier life as solicitor, but scientific investigation' had more attractions than briefs and parchment, and he turned his atten» tion to electricity, becoming the inventor of the hydro electric machine. Hydraulic power then claimed his inventive instincts, and in the 'forties he invented the hydraulic crane and extended the application of the hydraulic principle to hoists, to the working of dock gates, spring bridges, and wagon lifts, and to numerous other purposes. In this way arose the Els» wick Works, the birth place of the Armstrong gun. The leading feature of the Armstrong, whether rifled or smooth, muzzle-loading or breechs loading, was in the coiling of one wrought iron tube over another until a sufficient thickness was built up. In 1858 the Rifle Cannon Committee re«. commended the adoption of the Arms strong gun for special service in the field, and Mr Armstrong, on present* ing his patents to the Governmeat, was knighted, made a C.8., and appointed Engineer of fcifled Ordnance with a salary of .£2OOO a year, a position which he held till 1868, when he rejoined the E swick company. The gun was largely adopted by foreign Governments, and Sir Win. Armstrong extended the system to guns of all sizes from the 6-pounder to the 600----pounder weighing upwards of 20 tons, and within three years introduced 3000 guns into the service. Between the yearsvlßsß and 1870 the Armstrong guu and the position of Sir William Armstrong with regard to the Governs ment underwent many changes In July 18G3 we find the Committee of Ordnance to the House of Commons reporting that they " have had no practical evidence before them that even at this moment any other system of constructing rifled ordnance exists which cau be compared to that of Sir W m Armstrong." From 1863 to date is a far cry, but the Elswick works remain, now as then, a great national asset. In addition to this great field of activity, Sir Wm. Armstrong in 1863 did good service (though it has not up to the present borne much practical fruit) by sounding an early note of warning as to the eventual exhaustion of tne Mother Country's greatest national asset —her coa 1 resources This utterance was made at the meeting at Newcastle on~Tyne of the British Association, over which Sir Win. Armstrong presided, and the discussion suggested by this important address led to the appointment of a Royal Commission (of which Sir Wm. was a member) to inquire into the position of the coal supply, This coal question was never more urgent than a't the present moment, when the Government have under serious con sideratiori a tax on the export of British steam coal, of which the French Navy has been prudent enough to lay in a very large stock. Con> sidering that coal is the nation's bread, and a" greater bulwark of defence than Woolwich Arsenal itself, it is to be hoped that the note of warning sounded in 1863 will have practical issue while the day is yet young. '