The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-28 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 28, 1851.

THE WEEK AT THE GLASS PALACE.

MONDAT.

Any one who wishes to be profoundly impressed
with the difference between one shilling and five, should go
to the Crystal Palace any fine Saturday, and repeat his
visit on the following Monday. On the former day he
would find a select party of some 12,000 or so, wandering
listlessly through the nave, or reclining on seats about the
great fountain; while on the latter, he plunges into a dense
multitude of between 60 and 70,000, of all ranks and cos-
tumes, of all sires and ages, who press eagerly to and fro,
full of eagerness and admiration at all they see, and only
regretting at the end, like so many Alexanders, that there
is not another Crystal Palace fur them to devour. Mon-
day was one of the fullest days of the season, nearly GB,OOO
persons having passed the barriers. As usual, all ranks and
circles in the social system were represented, and all in a
most harmonious state of fusion, the only strife being as to
which should show themselves most polite and forbearing.
The first thing that struck the visitor on entering at the
south transept was a prteociouo young gentleman from the
"flowery land," with a very promi-ing pig-tail, who sat at
the entrance of the Chinese section, and gave audience to a
numerous circle of " outer barbarians," who had come up
by special train from the province, to see him. He seemed
fully conscious that the eyes of Europe were upon him, and
conducted himself with a mild dignity that was exceedingly
impressive. The next noticeable object was the ill-fated
Koh-i-noor, again deprived of its crimson drapery and its
gas-light, and exposed to the full forte of public criticism.
Never was there a greater instance of the vanity of all
mundane grandeur than the history of this luckless gem-
Coming over to this country with the moat romantic of
histories, and a two-million reputation to support, it has
created nothing hut feelings of disappointment from the
first, and is now actually pronounced by the public to be
decidedly inferior to the flint gla.s copies in the gallery.
The only thing that seems to gratify the visitors is that the
lapidary who reduced it to such a shapeless mass had
his head very properly cut off for his awkwardness.
The Russian gold and silver brocades become daily more
and more attractive. The glass cases which contain them
were all day surrounded by crowds, and the expressions of
admiration were general and unequivocal. The Americans,
who are slowly struggling to furnish their apartments, pro-
duced a novelty in the shape. of a portable bed, which is
really of very ingenious construction. When in a state of

collapse, it fits into a moderately sized portmanteau, but
when extended will comfortably accommodate a lean of
large stature. It is intended to supersede the hammock as
part of the traveller's equipage, and in some cases will, no

. .
doubt, be an efficient substitute. Some new daguemeoti

have also been added in this section, which are very Rupe-
rior to anything produced in Europe, and being the Poe
traits of living American statesmen, arc highly interesting
as amount of the certainty of their being correct likenesses.
Ow at the most isterwasi fastens of than pest pub&

consideration of the executive committee—we mean a change
in the hour of closing, from 7 to 5 p.m., and the committee
do not consider that our correspondent's gri?vance would
be met by the proposed alteration. They say that the
great retiring drain is at present between the hours of 3
and 3 o'clock, and that the majority of those who remain
after the latter hour are the ticket-holders, who, if possible,
would keep the palace open an hour longer. They consider
further, that it is quite uslless to expect any one to have a
relish for evening amusement after a day spent in the
Crystal Palace. To go over it even hastily is a good day's
work, and sufficiently fatiguing, as any one who walks
round between four and live o'clock, and sees the females
perched on every ledge and corner, and sometimes on the
ground, can amply testify. It is therefore not at all probable
*at there will be any alteration in the hours of exhibition.
Another subject of still greater importance m at soon en-
gage public attention, and that is, what must be the ulti-
mate fate of the Crystal Palace itself ? There arc few of its
visitors who will not admit that amongst all the wonders it
contains there is hardly one so great as itself, whether we
consider the boldness and completeness of its original design
or the marvellous celerity, precision, and efficiency, with
which that design has been carried into execution. And
yet without some prompt and general manifestation
of public opinion, this wondrous monument of
English genius, industry, and skill, is doomed to
destruction immediately after the closing of its present
season. The public perhaps forget that the commission are
under heavy penalties to pull 't to pieces within four
months after the closing of the Exhibition, and that nothing
but parliamentary interference can relieve them from their
bond. All those, then—and who does not?—who wish it
to be preserved should raise their voices at once, to the

commission and to the parliament; and in approaching the
latter they should lose no time, as the end of the session is
rapidly drawing near, and the work of destruction, if not
stayed, will have been completed before the next meeting.
The Crystal Palace would make the finest winter garden in
the world, might contain within itself the vegetation of
both hemispheres, and would afford a ride of a mile, with-
out the slightest inconvenience to its thousands of prome-
naders. To add a motive of humanity to the various other
good reasons for its preservation, it should be remembered
that once winter sets in, the thousands who suffer from
bronchial diseases in this moist and variable climate are
either practically precluded from outdoor exercise, or fear
fully aggravate their malady by venturing to enjoy it.
Were a delightful prom:made, with an artificial tlimate,
provided fur them in a vast winter garden, there can be no
doubt but that many a pleasant hour would be given to the
poor invalid, and that valuable lives would be prolonged
for years, which are now cut short at the first blast of No-

vember. Mr. Paxton has published a plan (given in this
day's Exhibition. Express) which would make the Crystal
Palace a self-sustaining winter garden, abounding in all
the rarities of tropical vegetation, and at a charge almost
nominal to the visitors. The numbers admitted on Monday
were—Eleven o'clock, 22,778; twelve o'clock, 17,465; one
o'clock, 11,930; two o'clock, 6,231; three o'clock, 4,204 ;
four o'clock, 2,749; five o'clock, 1,359; to which add about
SOO ticket hold?rs subsequent to that hour, and the total
would be 67,592—the largest number of admissions but one
since the opening.

TrEPDAY.

On Taesday, the attendance at the Crystal Palace
was very great, and scarcely inferior to that of the preced-
ing day. As early u eleven o'clo k, 21,731 visitors had
arrived; by noon the number was nearly doubled, amount-
..

ing 41,868. At 055e01v0,1442.241: and by two, 66,566
per.ons had entered the building. The final returns show
that upward. of 3,1001. was received during the day in se-
parate shillings, so that the number of casual visitors must
have been above 62,000, leaving out of the account the
holders of season tickets.

The Queen and Prince Albert, with the Princess Royal,
the King of the Belgians, the Duchess of Brabant, the
Count of Flanders, and the Princess Charlotte of Belgium,
visited the Exhibition at half-past nine. The Queen, the
Prince, and the King of the Belgians leR about eleven. In
the course of the day the Prince of Wales and Prince
Alfred arrived at the Crystal Palace, attended by Mr.
Birch.

During the day some experiments were made with
Hanley's Magneto-Electric Telegraph, from one side of the
Serpentine to the other, near to the Kensington Gardens
Bridge, under the inspection of the following members of the
jury of Class 10—Sir John Herschel, Baron Soggier, Pro-
fessor Selmbarlt, Professor Potter, Mr. Gluisher, Professor
Quitelet. The following are given as the result of the exa-
mination of the instruments .-Ist Experiment. Two lengths

of gutta percha covered wire were taken across and int-
merwd in the water, and connected to the instruasent, each
length of wire had a portion of the pieta percha cut away
from the wire, the wire well scraped to a bright surface,
and allowed to remain in the water. The instruments worked
well through the attractive power of the water. 2nd. The
water not having taken the expected effect of deviating the
course of electricity, one length of wire was cut in two,
and a long length of uncovered bright wire was
inserted in between, and again let full into
the water. The instruments again worked well.
3rd experiment: The wire was again cut asunder, and each
end let fall into the water a distance apart from each other,
whereby the circuit had to be made complete through the
water intervening between the ends of the wire : even
through this defective insulation the instruments worked to
the greatest satisfaction. 4th experiment: A greater quan-
tity of the gutta pereha insulation was taken from off the
wire, which had not been eat, and the instruments conti-
nuing to work well, a correspondence was then commenced
and kept up for half an hour, from one side of the Serpen-
tine to the other, between Mr. Dobson and the gentleman
that was with him.

Henley's telegraph professes to dispense with the cost
and inconvenience of chemical repairs and superintendence

involved in the use of voltaic batteries, and to transmit the
current much further than telewraphs worked by their
means. It is further stated that the needles never move

sluggishly when worked from a great distance, but move as
rapidly and distinctly through .500 miles as one mile. It is
also said to be exempted by its construction from liabi-
lity to derangement by lightning.

Cash account, June 24.
Season tickets £ 15 15 0
At the doors

Total receipt/
WEDNLSDAY.

On Wednesday the number of visitors at the Crystal
Palace did not exceed MAO, being a falling off of nearly
10,000 from the admission on the previous day. The com-
pany was mainly of the middle and upper classes, although
there were several strong detachments from schools and
factories, who had been treated by their employ, rs or pa-
trons to a peep at the Exhibition. Miss Burdett Coutts
arrived early with the pupils of the school which she muni-
ficently maintains, and subsequently there was an irruption
of 700 of the B'ue-coat boys accompanied by the masters. A
number of jolly tars were seen making short tacks in every
direction, and eating ices and drinking ginger beer in des-
peration, in the absence of more congenial refreshment.
These were the crew of the Victoria and Albert, her
Majesty's steam yacht, and their smart trim and sailorliko
appearance gave great vivacity to the picture of which they
formed a part. Some very knowing persons asserted
that among the visitors they had seen his Majesty the
King of the Belgians, who they said was a daily visitor
wog., casting aside his dignity, and paying his chilling
in order to enjoy an undisturbed inspection of the Crystal
Palace and its company. The heat was oppressive through-
out the day, and the various fountains were almost drained
of their contents by the thirsty visitors. It would be very
desirable that something should be done to increase the
supply of &eh sir hefts the admit of the tleg-days. The