• One hundred years ago
A frightful accident occurred at Shoeburyness on Thursday, involving almost as many deaths among officers as a sharp Egyptian skirmish. An ex- periment with a new sensitive fuse had been ordered, and was attended by a number of members of the Ordnance Committee of the War Office. They were standing round a 9-in shell, and watching the fixing of the fuse, when it is believed Gunner Allen, in charge of the arrangements, screwed it a little too hard. An explosion followed, and he was blown to pieces; while Colonel Fox-Strangways had his legs shattered, and Colonel Lyon and Captain Adams had both legs blown off. These officers have since died. Warrant-Officer Day- kin had a leg blown off from the thigh, Gunner Underwood had a leg blown off, while Major Bally had his spine fractured, and three others were most severely wounded, one, Gunner Webb, sustaining a compound fracture of the leg. There is no evidence of careless- ness, and no chance of much light being thrown upon the accident, as no one who was watching the experiment escaped. The accident is a most deplor- able one; and it is not pleasant to think that it is with the very object of produc- ing such scenes as the one at Shoebury- ness that we throw shells into an enemy's ranks.
Spectator, 28 February 1885
Previous page
