THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
87 
would not deter them, from adopting what would constitute, in fact, a very great 
protection to their own property. 
I am therefore sanguine that if it can be established that fire-proof gunpowder 
safes can be supplied for retail use at a moderate cost, such safes will, by degrees, 
come very generally into use. 
Moreover, I have suggested in my Report on the proposed revision of the law 
relating to explosives, that no one should be permitted to sell gunpowder or similar 
substances without a license; and if this suggestion should be adopted, the result 
would almost immediately be that the licensing magistrates would require the 
proposed licensee to shew that he had a safe place for the storage of his powder. 
Thus the adoption of magazines of this sort would probably in many districts 
become compulsory. At any rate, I can easily understand the licensing magis¬ 
trates giving a preference to the dealer who provided a fire-proof safe, by permitting 
him to store a larger quantity of powder than his neighbour who had no such safe. 
On these grounds I am impressed with the importance of assisting in the 
introduction of fire-proof safes, or magazines, for the storage of retail stocks of 
gunpowder. 
The question is, can such safes be made P 
To this question Messrs. Milner have no hesitation in replying affirmatively; 
and in support of their assertion they have furnished me with properly authen¬ 
ticated accounts of experiments conducted by them some years ago, in the course 
of which some gunpowder was kept in safes for several hours, exposed to the heat 
of a most intense fire. Quite recently, also, Messrs. Milner have subjected a safe 
containing gunpowder to an intense fire for six hours. 
The Milner safe, it should be explained, is constructed on the principle of con¬ 
taining a quantity of vapourising material (such as alum), which, on heat being 
applied, gives forth into the interior of the safe a quantity of vapour, by which the 
contents of the safe are wetted, and so rendered secure against being burnt or 
exploded as long as the vapourising material lasts, and that is only a question of 
quantity. 
I have communicated with the heads of the different fire brigades, and have 
asked them how long they thought a safe of this sort ought to be required to 
resist fire. 
To these enquiries I have received several replies, but in no case is a higher 
time than six hours suggested. 
Messrs. Milner are anxious to carry out publicly, at their own expense, a series 
of experiments to demonstrate the practical value and complete efficiency of these 
magazines, and I am of opinion that such an exhibition would be eminently useful. 
The point which I have now the honour to lay before you- is this:—It would 
be a very great advantage if these experiments might be carried on in 
the neighbourhood of London; and for this purpose there are many sites on the 
War Office property outside Woolwich Arsenal which would be very suitable. I 
have the honour to request that application may be made to the War Office for 
permission to carry out these experiments on (or near) the site which I was per¬ 
mitted to use in 1871, when I made a series of experiments for the Home Office 
on the blowing up of cartridge sheds—viz., near the range in the marshes outside 
Woolwich Arsenal. This site is quite isolated, and away from houses, magazines, 
and buildings of all descriptions; and I will undertake to see that the experiments 
are carried out in a way to ensure that no danger shall be involved to persons or 
things. No expense whatever will be incurred by the Government, as the safes 
and all the necessary materials for carrying out the experiments will be supplied at 
the Messrs. Milner’s own cost. The only thing that it may be necessary for me 
to ask for is the loan of a few men from the Garrison of Woolwich, to keep the 
ground, and to afford such assistance generally with regard to the safety of the 
experiments as I might think necessary. If I might have a couple of non- 
