The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-19 00:00:00

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD CAMPBELL

My Lord,—l take the liberty of addressing the
present letter to your lordship, feeling confident you will be
glad to receive any information likely to correct the mis-
' apprehensions under which you appear to labour respecting
the construction, stability, and suitableness of the Crystal
Palace to be retained as a permanent building.
From your lordship's reported speech in the House of
Peers on Friday last, it appears you had founded your
principal objections to the building remaining as a winter
park and garden upon information derived from an anony-
mous pamphlet, very much calculated to mislead you, and
which, if true, would furnish grave objections to the con-
tinuance of the structure for the purposes I have sug-
gested.
The errors to which I allude are these—That the building
as at present constructed k not stable enough to be put to
any permanent use, being both frail and transient; and
that the only way to preserve it would be to take the whole
of it down and rebuild it.
That two-thirds of the columns of support are made of
wood, which will in a short time perish, and the girders
being of the same, are only calculated to endure for ono
season.

That the sashes and other portions of wood-work would
endure only for a very limited period, and would then have
to be replaced at a great cost.
In adding my corrections to these mistakes, I might just
mention that, from the very commencement, whin pre-
paring my original plans of the building, my views were to
make it in every way suitable to be appropriated to a per•
manent use, which fact I mentioned to Lord Brougham,
and many others; the entire frame-work and strength of
the structure, as it now stands, is, therefore, composed of
wrought and cast iron, fixed securely together, and firmly
bedded in a concrete foundation, and with ordinary atten-
tion to painting, this, the most important part of the edifice,
will last for ages to come, with but little repairs of any kind
being necessary.
Every column on which the house rests is made of iron •
the intermediate ones in the exterior row arc merely placed
there for effect, and todivide the sashes, but have nothing
to do with the support or stability of the building.
All the girders which form part of the frame-work and
security of its structure are composed of wrought and east
iron. There are some wooden girders, but they are only
introduced for effect.
Of the permanence of wooden sashes and other wood-
work, if kept properly painted and attended to, we have
sufficient experience to be able to form a good opinion ;
there are some hothouse lights at Chatsworth which have
at least been in constant use for upwards of one hundred
years, and appear likely to endure fur a long time to come.
My estimate of duration for the sash and glass work of
the Crystal Palace is 50 years, but in my statement of the
expenditure provision was made for a renewal every 2d
years. However, with care and attention, my belief is that
100 years would be nearer the reality. The duration of
woodwork depends very much upon its position and the at-
tention paid to it. We must not forget that many of our
most enduring public buildings have wooden roofs ; for
instance, Westminster Hall, Lincoln's Inn Hall, and the
dome of St. Paul's, all of which are still in excellent pre-
servation.

In order to render the building as it now stands fit for a
winter garden considerable expenses must be incurred, an
estimate of which I shall shortly be able to lay before the
public ; but without at this time entering into financial
particulars, I am convinced that when once formed the
after expense for maintenance could be easily sustained
without a public grant, sod that the terms of admission
could be made such as to suit the position and wants of all
classes of individuals.

I have the honour to be, my Lord,
Your lordship's obedient servant,
JOSEPH PAXTON.
36, Gloucester-place, Portman-square, July 14, ISSI.

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