The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-31 00:00:00

WYLD'S MODEL GLOBE.

On Thursday a private view took place of the great
Model Globe, preparatory to its opening to the public next
week. The structure in which it 13 placed has been
erected on the lately desolate inclosure of Leicester-sipiare„
and now really forms an ornament for that district. The
main entrance is on the north side of the square, and tiro
vestibule comes out to the footway, and leads to a circular
building, crowned with a hemispherical metal ilicue, of
about 70 feet in diameter, much in the style of the Co-
losseum. There is no pretension in the architecture, . bat
its form gives it effect. Around the inclosurc a now wuhng
has been placed; the garden has been laid out afr h, and
the bread walkdof the>quaredeaving the surrounding space
open. Tho vestibule is large. Oa passing this the visitor
enters a circular corridor, of 250 feet in circumference, run-
ning around the bottom of the globe, among the supporting
timbers, and which is now being decorated in the 31,virisk
style,wo thehuai:dvi.e.rry i directionutio.ly
aorfatlera (iimAse.lfJeoriiityitne, architect,
so as to produce a picturesque effect. The only part as yet
completed is the Moorish gate, forming the approach to the
globe. The remaining portions are only as yet picked out
with blue in :wale:ague; hut the globe lamps are hung,
which, at night, gives the corridor a picturesque effect
The design of a great model globe is nothing new. Ono
under the name of the Geeraina WAS long ou view at Paris,
until closed by the late revolution. This is a globe with a
plain painted surface, seen from the interior, and about
forty feet in diameter. A like design has often been
projected here; but it was left for Mr. Wyld, M.P.,
to realise the cheriehed desire of men of science to have use
a large scale a delineation of the physical features of the
earth. In the first instance, Mr. Wyld proposed a large
globe to be exhibited at the Crystal l'alace, and to bo
viewed from the exterior ; but it was not enough to vend
there such a globe, for it would have been neoeviary to
erect very large galleries occupying a cousiderable space in
the building to allow! access to the model. It iv owe .if the
inconveuiencies attendant on the natural or external repre-
sentation of the earth that a large space must be traversed
in order to view each portion. Thus for the portion
now constructed a dome a, vast as St. Peter's would
have been required for its exhibition, tv1;:le no
satisfactory examination of the surface can be made. To
remedy this, to allied a better view, and econumise the
time and exertion of the spectator, Mr. Wyld considered it
Avis:Ml*l to adopt au artificial or internal representation of
the earth, in w hich the spectator views the whole awl each
portion from the inside, and by an ascent of 40 feet only is
able to get within 10 feet of the surface, a condition c.w.o.
fiat where tile worts is so minute sod elaborate. As fur the
celestial globe it is found must convenient to abandon the
natural method, and adopt a representation of the hcaveas
from the exterior, so is it with the Great Model Globe to
adopt a contrary pro 'cis, and the spectator in 3 work on
so large a scale b: sumo; readily familiarised with the view
presented to him. The globe within which we enter ;in
placed vertically north aad south, the unknown regions
(Wiles South pose inaking way for a staircase and galleries,
and those of the arctic for the illumination and ventilation
of the interior. The diameter is called 60 feet, and the)
circumference about 19d feet, affording a surface of above
ten thousand square feet. Within the structure are tour
galleries, atfortfilitt near views of several zones of the earth's
surface ; but it is most desirable in the first hist:tare to ascend
to the upper gallery or platform, when a remarkable siaht
presents itself. Modelled on a colossal seale ;ire Europe,North America and North Asia in their familiar feattirta,
with the expanse of the oceans. The rivers arc seen
minutely depicted, the mountain chains, represented in their
various peaks and branches, their snowy heights, and hollow
volcanoes. Above us the ice-bound realms of the north
;gleam under a blueish light. While we arc struck with the
greatness of the picture in Contemplating those hunts b"is
known to us, when we turn away front the great continent
iof North America, with the proud feeling that *wets
vast districts belong to us, we arc struck with
surprise to find our own island no bigger than
the sheet of
.paper now strewed before our reader,. Yet there it is with every. well-known stream and
hill, its cliffs, its bays, and tts creeks, so weli laid down
that as we look at it through a plans, we may fancy ourselves
1 viewing the wide scene front the peak of tinow+iii, Ben
INevis, or other towering mountain. In the design and eii-
ecution of th.s great underrating, Mr. Wyld has displayed
great ability and resources, and he has been well seconded
Iby tease who have 4m-operated with him. Mr. Wyld has
scrupulously guarded himself against anything, but natural
land permanent type... There is no writing on the earime,
mi artificial lines ; nor are there even indication, of the
phenomena of isothermisin, electroinagnetieln, atmo-
spheric, and oceanic currents. The seas are in.:rhea'
of blue, the land in green tints, except in the
frigid sone, where it has it glittering icy e,verine t
the mountains are winged according to their height, the vol-
canoes Memo with hollow peaks, the line of perpetual snow
indicated by the absence of colour, the rivers marked with
Hu", the large towns by spots, the sandy deserts of the
Sahara by a glare of red. Except the town'', the only sea-
tige of human occupation is the line of the great w.,11 of
China, dimly dotted dean. By the arrangement of this
opaspie colours, as well as by media stopping off the light,
great variety of surface is produced. Altogether this is
one of the mast remarkable works of the year.
'flee Crystal Palace is remarkable for its variety,
but as a single work this model globe stands
unsurpassed, nor is it likely to be wanting in
interest to the public, for, while the idlest epectitir inis.t
be attracted, by curiosity, there are few who have n it sumo
distant relative whose station they wish to mark oii, ne
whew line of voyege they seek to know, and berm. the
great motel globe all other globes and modes of geogra;•l4-
, cal repftsentations fade into comparative insigniticanr,

TILE FUTURE PROSPECTS OP TII If

CAYfiTAL PALACE.

IFrom the moment when the Crystal Palace rim
from the ground in its grace and beauty, for ourwlvia we
never doubted, as our readers well know, about its fate;
but even on that auspicioul May-thy we heard retorts,
am:on% as ourselves for the succeet of tae Exhibition, de-
clare that in less than two years the grass would be again
growing grecidy over the .raa now inclined within the
crystal walla. Day by day, however, these misgivings barn
been abating, and at the end of three weeks We m: ,y rIIAN rt
1 that the financial su.c.ass, too, of the great undertaking
is assured. To pay the eutire espil-am of the Exhilute;a,
and to buy the building as a perpetual palace for th- people,
will regime about :1...1,01101. Towards this sum 6.5,01:0/. have
; been raised by sul,wription—W,lntif. have bean rev tied
fur the solo of season tickets ; and up to Thursday
night the atuouut received ut the doors for admissiiie
we; 37,7021. ; making altogether, ut the cud of only
threr, weeks, a total of 161,12i31. As the :nowt have yet
Ito come in at the reduced rates, the receipts at the door; viU
probablynot fall much below the average of 1,503 l'.a ay
lOT
the next hundred days:—awl if so, we may add to this
present total a proalact of 1.50,91.10/. This, it will he se.a,
leaves a margin of surplus—though not a large one. Enine
of our sanguine contemporaries, astonished at a sue..csa so
tits beyond their pre-calculatious, indulge in magnifieeat
projects for the invesuoent of a Mud which seem, thins
boundless. Th!..ru have lien divers hint.
not only the Cry=tal Palace, but all that it can tins.
Nothing seems impossible in face of the huge tarts
before them—and even figurts would seem to have
acquired a new power as applicable to the , Gnat
Exhibition. We are sorry to interfere with this
calenturc of the imagination : but Cocker must
have his rights even in the Pal ice of Ghos. The value of
its contents halo been variously estimated; but we have
heard no one uppruise them at less than twelve millions,
and some calcui atiims got up as high as thirty. Let us
as-
sume the lowest figure to 11J correct, ter the sake of a sane
to be worked after the fashion of the venerable shade whom
wo have invoked. blow soon could the Royal Commission
raise twelve million, of money, even were they certain to
receive from the public at the doors 2,0001. daily over and
above all the expenses of management ? In just 6,000 ti..ya,
after deducting '4unilays and other religious days, when
the palace must of mum be closed, in exactly twenty years!
Look at the question in another point of view. A, it. per
cent. per annum the interest on twelve millions is 0140041.
a year; or, leaving out Sundays and a few other as W..%
productive days, just 2.0001. a day ! If the contents of the
Exhibition be really worth twenty millions, a daily 114:1,a40
of 3,3001. would not diacleirge the mere interest on the ea-
pits! 1, ing dead in the Crystal Palace. The suggesti as,
therefore, of purchasing this Exhibition, in order to *sea its
content, together, is one which merely shows to what wild
poetic heights the imagination may climb up to the won-
derful shafts of the Palace of Olass.—.4theructon.

A " TIMES" PROPHECY ON THE 01,MIS

PALACE.

To TR% EDITOIt OP THE EXPRI;49.

Stn,—Allow me to offer you another extract from
the rifles newspaper, containing a prophecy et the
editor of that journal. pronounced in a leading r. ti-
de on the 15th of July last, page 4, column 6. The
editor says:
" Now, let the promoters of the Exhibition strug;!. ns
they will, it does not appear that the ,übscriptions—al:Hi-
timis being made for expenses of collection—will
60,0001. It is calculated that half a million of peopl.: 'ill
visit the exhibition ; the receipts from this source, : Is.
per head, will amount to 2.5,0001. The total amount of
receipts is, then, 8:1,0001. Now for the per contra. l'ke
least sum which can be named for the expense of prises,
&e., is 20,0001. Mr. Paxton's estimate would, at a ma't't
of course, advance from 00,0001. to 100,0001., even I. along
matters of arrangement w.thin the building out of Uw
question. Thu', then, wo have on the one side 120,00, d.
for expenditure; for receipts, 8.1,000 '. tor the
consideration of the !louse of Commons, 34,0001. Oar
calculations may Ge depended on."
A CONSTANT RtADER.

THE Cyrsr.u. PALAce.—To the FAitor of the
Express.— Sir, As the money success of the Great ell-
hibition seems now all but certain, it may not, peihaps, be
amiss to consider what should be the future course respect-
ing the building, he. Assuming that the whole ~,st will
be defrayed, I propose that it should be retained as .t ',lnter
garden, to be supported by subseription-t,(Sir) Joseph Pia-
ton to be appointed curator, with a saitahle salary. In fire,
seven, or ten years hence, by moving the plants, for Jude,
hdy, and August, into sheds or tents, another exlnbition
might be had at a moderate cost. To the winter garden
the general public to be admitted.—Your obedient servant,
J. I..—May 24.