Lord Armstrong. 223- 



manufacture of the new rifled guns was carried on both at Woolwich 

 and at Elswick. This arrangement was continued until the agreement 

 with the Elswick Company was put an end to, when, at the request of 

 his old partners, he resigned his Government appointment and 

 rejoined the firm. It is unnecessary here to do more than allude to 

 the " Armstrong and Whitworth Committee," and the artillery ques- 

 tions which for so many years vexed experts, but it is interesting to 

 remember that the Armstrong and Whitworth firms amalgamated in 

 1897 and now combine in one company the names of their great 

 founders. It is more important to note the retrograde step which at 

 this time was taken by the British Government. The high naval and 

 military officers of the day considered simplicity to be all important, and 

 there was great difficulty in introducing even the most simple mechanical, 

 contrivance. Some defects, which might easily have been remedied,, 

 were found in parts of the breech mechanism, if careful attention were 

 not given when closing, and it was decided to revert to muzzle loading.. 

 That determination placed this country at a serious disadvantage, and 

 does not appear to have been reconsidered until, in 1878, the Elswick. 

 firm, guided by their recent researches in explosives, submitted to the 

 Government 6-inch and 8-inch guns, both breech and muzzle loading,, 

 with which velocities of over 2,100 f.s. were obtained. The highest 

 velocities of the then Service muzzle-loaders did not reach 1,600 f.s.,, 

 and the difference in energy due to the above velocities was equivalent, 

 to an increase of more than 60 per cent. But to obtain this increase 

 with moderate pressures it was necessary to add largely to the length 

 of the gun, and it soon became obvious that in order to realise the 

 highest energy and efficiency a return to breech loading was a necessity.. 



Lord Armstrong, whose early guns were all breech loaders, and who,, 

 although Elswick made many muzzle loaders, was throughout his 

 career a strong advocate of breech loading, played an important part. 

 in this matter. His high authority, and the results shown to be 

 possible, had great weight with the naval and military authorities in. 

 regard to the abandonment of the now obsolete muzzle loaders. 



Although the subject lies in some degree apart from his scientific 

 career, no record of Lord Armstrong's life would be complete without, 

 a passing reference to the future history of the works which he founded.. 

 It is common knowledge that in the fifty years which have passed 

 since the period of which we are now treating, Elswick has increased 

 and advanced, until at the present moment it is one of the largest 

 industrial concerns of the world. At the start it owed everything to 

 Lord Armstrong, for not only was he indefatigable himself, but he 

 also made a judicious selection of assistants. He had a born leader's 

 eye for capable men> and rarely made a mistake in his estimate of 

 ability, nor did he hesitate to delegate full responsibility to those who. 

 worked with him. 



