The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

505

OPENING OF THE NEW CATTLE-hiARKE'

THE opening of the new cattle-market, whither,
after so long a struggle, the glories of old Smithfield
are to be transferred, took place on Wednesday last.
Prince Albert attended to give éclat to the ceremonial,
which in other respects presented nothing beyond
the routine formalities observed time out of mind on
similar occasions. There were marquees for the dis-
tinguished guests, and seats in the open air for those
of less pretensions, balconies and windows crowded
with company in all the buildings overlooking the
scene, and a miscellaneous concourse of uninvited
spectators in all the avenues and circumjacrnt spots
where a glimpse of any of the performances could, or
could not, be obtained. The ceremony began at
11 o'clock, when the Prince was conducted in formal
procession round the market by the Lord Mayor, ac-
companied by many members of the London corpora-
tion and a throng of official and civic personages. 'the
procession over, with some subsequent visitations and
inspections, addresses were read and replied to, and
then the company proceeded to luncheon, after which
two or three toasts and brief speeches conch:id, d the
performances. Yesterday (Friday) the new market
opened for the first time for the real business of a
" cattle day ; " and the ancient Smithfield, as a cattle-
market, is now a thing of the past. The total cost of
the new undertaking has exceeded 4,000,0001., which
will be defrayed out of the funds of the city of
London. The following is a description of the site
and structure of the new market :

It is situated in Copenhagen-fields, close to the North
London Railway, and theretore stauds very conveniently
for stock forwarded from the kistem Countiei and from
the districts traversed by the Great Northern and the North-
Western lines. From the Great Western, also, animals
can be conveyed here more readily than to Smithfield, and
these of course are the principal sources of supply, the
quantity of stock coming to town by the South-Eastern and
South-Western railways being comparatively small. The
site is airy, open, and well adapted fur the observance of
sanitary rules ; and so far in the country as to command
rather a striking view of London. Altogether the corpora-
tion have purchased 75 acres of land, but for the strict
objects of the market itself they do not at present require
more than 151 acres, and for subsidiary uses about the saute
quantity. The land remaining over, however, must be en-
hanced in value considerably, and, if not wanted, will
always be worth more than was given for it, as the 75 acres
were obtained at an average price of Stitt!. per acre. The
151 acres hued up for the strict purpose of the market form
a square area of Sit) feet, paved throughout with granite,
capable of being flushed with water from every part, sins
rounded by a very handsome railing, and having in the
centre a clock-tower 150 feet high. The space is therefore
larger by nine acres than that of Smithfield, and is capable
of contaiuing 30,000 sheep, 6,4(t) bullocks, 1,40t1 calves,
and 900 pigs. This is considerably beyond the present
supply of stock on the most crowded market dais, and is
quite enough to meet the present requirements. When
more aceomodation is wanted it can readily be provided.
Dividing the market from north to south into two equal
portions, the eastern half is devoted to cattle, and that on
the west side to sheep, pigs, and calves. The two last-
mentioned classes have excellent sheds provided for them,
with an inclined plane down the centre of each, so that the
animals may be taken in carts to the spot where they aro
to be exhibited for sale, and the cruelties et Wont prac-
tised in bringing them to Smitlified and removing them
can be entirely avoided. It may be considered worthy of
notice at this point that the architect, Mr. Bunning, while
carefully providing features in his plan by which unneces-
sary torture may be dispensed with, has not neglected to
consult the fancies of i-ellers. For instance, the pig sales-
men like to show their stock in sloping pens, and this
notion of theirs has keen strictly atienued to. Mr. Ban-
ning also deserves great credit for the convenient arrange•
ment of the sheep•pens, the cattle alleys, and the numerous
entrances to the market. The plan of the sheep•pens is
so devised that the whole space can be filled or cleared
without any of that obsttuction, waste of time, and uproar
which those who have visited Smithfield on a Monday
morning will not readily forget. The cattle alleys are also
wider than at Smithfield, and each bullock has two feet
apace instead of a foot-and-a-half. This is considered suf-
ficient to permit of their being properly seen and handled
by buyers without giving them room to lie down, which
would be deemed objectionable. Another great improve-
ment which the new market presents is the central position
of the clock-tower, which has not only market bells and an
illuminated clock for marking time in the dark winter
mornings, but which has round its base the banking
houses for the pecuniary transactions of the market ;
the office of the market superintendent, where twice
in the day the amount of cattle on sale will be exhi-
bited ; and an electric-telegraph station for the trans-
mission of messages. At each of the four corners
of the indulged fidd,lrangular spice public urinals
and water-closets have been constructed, and both
there and in the market provision has been made for the
preservation of sewage manure, should any of the schemes
aflodt fur doing so be eventually realised. The railing
which indorses the area of the market is well and id-minim-
ally set off by standards bearing in relief, according to the
part where they arc placed, the beads of bullocks, sheep,
calves, or pigs.
The space outside of the market has been occupied by
the expense of theslaughter-houses,se,ens corporation, taverns,ian ad is, moreover,ndgin-palac inndt
, builtte ett,
to
.pre vide a site for a hide market and fur a building in
which to display agricultural implements and produce. The
lairs are, of course, a most useful and necessary feature of
such an undertaking, and ander good management *ill n

doubt prove of great advantage to those sending stock early
for sale or keeping them over from one day to another.
North of the market, two taverns—the Queen's Arms
and the City Arms—are erected, between which will be
placed a fountain. Northwards of the taverns and foun-
tain will be a building intended for the annual cattle-show,
which, when not used for that purpose, will afford ample
standing for butchers' carts. No arrangement has, how-
ever, yet been made as to the removal of the show from
Baker-street.
\Vest of the market lairage is provided for 8,160 sheep,
on an area of six acres and three perches, rather more
than half of which is covered. Water and racks for hay
are placed in each lair.
South of the market lairage is provided for 8,000 bul-
locks, on an area of Ba. Or. 11p., provision being made for
supply of water snd hay to each bullock. At the north
and south ends of these lairs four depots for hay are pro-
vided. East of these lairs some private slaughter-houses
are built, and on the west side two public slaughter-houses,
in which 600 bullocks can be killed weekly. South of the
public slaughter-houses a meat-market is being constructed.
Ample space, it will be seen, for the future extension of
the public and private slaughter-houses is provided.
A publichouse is placed at each corner of the market,
and these are named " The Lion," " The Lamb," " The
Black Bull," and " The White Horse." The publichouse,
" The iiutchers' Arms," stands at the south-west corner
of the New-road from Caledonian-road to Maiden-lane, for
the accommodation of the slaughtermen. It ought not to
be forgotten that the corporation, not unmindful of the
change which has of recent years taken place in the habits
of these men and of the drovers, has made it an express
condition in the leases that coffee as well as intoxicating
drinks shall be supplied on reasonable terms.

CRYSTAL ARCADE ROUND LONDON.
MUCH interest has been caused by the publication of a
plan projected by Sir Joseph Paxton for establishing a novel
means of communication between different central points
of London traffic and the different railway-stations. Sir J.

Paxton first explained his magnificent scheme to the
Committee of Inquiry on the Metropolitan Communications
at a recent sitting. The proposal embraces a carriage
arcade of the same breadth as the transept in the old
Crystal Palace, starting from the Mansion-house towards
Southwark Bridge, crossing the river, running to the
South-Western Railway-station, and thence again across
the river near Hungerford-bridge to the Regent-circus, the
communication by this route being nearly the same in
point of distance as that by the Strand. At the same time
a line of similar character would branch from a point near
the South-Western Railway to the Houses of Parliament
and Victoria-street by a bridge at Lambeth, and, as
at the back of the houses on each side atmospheric
lines of railway are to be constructed, the transit
between Belgravia and the Bank would thus be reduced to
about eight minutes, and between the Bank and Charing-
cross or the Regent's-circus to about five or six minutes.
This railway would be at an elevation to enable it to pass
across the various streets which it would intersect without
interfering with any of the existing roads, and the system
would involve a constant succession of express trains as
well as of stopping-trains at every half-mile or less, so
arranged as to be perfectly noiseless. The carriage-way
of the arcade, it is contemplated, should be closed against
waggons between nine in the morning and nine at night,
to insure the facilities for quick passenger traffic, as well
as for increasing the attraction of the costly shops on each
side ; and among the prominent recommendations of pro-
perty on the line would be the protection afforded to all
kinds of goods by its cleanliness, equable temperature,
brightness of light, and immunity from weather as a pro-
menade and drive in summer and winter. The estimated
cost of this improvement, which Sir Joseph Paxton con-
siders would be the largest thoroughfare in the world,
and such as to make London the most magnificent
and convenient city in existence, is 11,300,0001., and
the calculated returns from rents and railway revenue
are 938,0001., or between eight and nine per cent.
To insure its completion, however, in the best manner
for the interests of the nation, it is contended that
the co-operation of Government should be obtained,
and that this should consist in a guarantee of four per cent.
interest for sixty years, on condition that a half of one per
cent. should be set aside annually to redeem the capital
within that period, and that all receipts above four per cent.
should be equally divided between the State and the com-
pany. Under this it would appear that, if the property
were to yield the anticipated return of eight per cent., the
transaction would result in the nation receiving an annual
payment of more than 2.10,0001. for sixty years, and at the
end of that time being put in possession of the entire pro-
perty without ever having incurred an expenditure of a
shilling, while the public would gain three free bridges
and the removal of delays and obstacles which have been
estimated to cause an annual money loss of upwards of
a million sterling to the trade of the kingdom. The
ultimate extension of the undertaking as a boulevard
encircling London, and connecting all the railway•stations,
would increase the total cost to 34,000,000/., but the grand
point of bringing the City and West-end into rapid commu-
nication will be the first to command attention, and this ob-
ject can be accomplished by itself, leaving the remainder
to be carried out as a necessary consequence of its suc-
cess.

THE WORKING MEN'S COLLEGE, Cambridge, is now
fairly established. The number of students already
enrolled on the books amounts to 112. The most
popular subjects are English grammar, mathematics,
Latin, French, drawing, and vocal music; and the
list of names includes persons engaged in almost
every occupation. It is intended, ere long, to estab
lib as adult school in connection with the college%