The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-15 00:00:00

THE NEW CRYSTAL PALACE AT

SYDEN RAU.

Notwithstanding the continued wet and stormy
weather of the last few months, whieli has considerably re-
tarded the operations of the contractors, the vkitur to the
grounds of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham cannot fall to
be struck with astonishment at the vast amount of work
that has been already accomplished, the building now show-
ing its gigantic outline prominently against the sky as the
trains ou the Brighton line sweep by along the bass of the
hill on which it stands. The whole of the ground belong-
ing to the company has lately been surrounded with a stout
hoarding, eight or ten feet high, and mauy of the Men
with which it was covered have been cut down
and removed. Various inequalities which interfered
with the plan have been got rid of by tilling up hol-
lows and levelling hills, and the villa, which stood in the
grounds, and, which was only recently erected by the for-
mer proprietor, Mr. Schuster, is now being pulled down.
In this way, a rough preliminary preparation of the whole
area hes been effected. The building itself stands at the
extremity of the grounds, on the crest of the hill, and
directly facing the railway. The back of the building runs
parallel with the road, upon which it closely abuts, and
the whole of this line is completed to its full height,
shutting out the operations of the woriemen from the
public gala. In order to meet the fell in the ground,
the ranges of pillars next the terrace front are supported
upon massive brick foundations, from four to eight feet in
height, so as to bring them all upon the same level, and
this inequality will be attended with the advantage of
living the building an additional story in height when
viewed from the gardens.
The interior of the structure is a vast swamp, through
which it is almost impossible to thread one's way, the con-
tinued rains, and the constant passing and repussing of
men, horses, and heavily loaded waggons having ploughed
the earth up into deep ruts, in which the water of the list
two or three months has effected permanent lodgments, and
temporary pits are made here and there to collect some
portion of the surface drainage. At present between twelve
and fourteen hundred men arc at work, and the column'
are rapidly rising up like forests of young pines. Many
portions of the building have been already completed to
their full height, several acres are even roofed with glass,
and the centres of one of the side transepts are fixed in
their places. The main central avenue running from
one end to the other has been left free, in order to fah
litate the transmission of materials to every point, and the
transept which eroaaos it from north to south, is also left
open, so that it may be said the building is being put to-
gether in four separate compartments, of which the two at
the back are considerably in aavaneo of those fronting the
garden ground.
The quantity of materials now upon the ground is me-
prising, an area of about twenty acres being filled with
timber, frames, columns, girders, and bricks. There are
steam engines for making sarh-bars, for making paint, and
mixing mortar ; machinery for hoisting fumes and girders,
forges for iron bolts and screws, lathes for punching holes,
and tramways for the heavy waggons to move along, while
the roar of innumerable hammers and sledges upon the
iron work, the shouts of men, the plunging of horses in the
heavy ground, the cracking of whips, and the fail of timber
produce a din and a confusion at once deafening and be-
wildering.
In the centre of the building, and looking over the
sloping ground in front, a lofty observatory has been
erected, behind which the interminable ranges of columns
extend on either side, so that the spectator seems to be
standing on the outskirts of some vast forest. Below, the
basement of the terrace front, with its facing of cut stone,
just begins to show itself above its bed of mud, and leading
from this are the foundations of what will be the approaches
from the garden to the building. About half way down
the hill the outline of the great central fountain is already
discernible, and on either side the site of the smaller ones
may be guessed at, although they aro not yet fully deve-
loped.
The shaft of the artesian well, which is to supply the
water for the fountains, has been already sunk to a consi-
derable depth. Packages are now daily arriving from
Italy, Germany, and elsewhere, with casts of statuary, end
other works of art, so that as fast as the !nailing is roofed
over and completed, the decorations of the interior may be
proceeded with.
The branch railway, which is to convey the visitors from
London•bridge to the interior, will run parallel with the
rails of the Brighton Eno until it reaches the Sydenham
station, and here it will incline a little to the right along
the base of tke bill, ascending gradually, and sweeping
round to the hick of the building. An opportunity will be
thus afforded of viewing the whole front of the palace,
with its ranges of gardens, terraces, fountains, and conser-
vatories before the visitor reaches kis detination.
The building is, according to the terms of the contract,
to be delivered up completed on the Ist of May next, sod
it is the belief of those interested that although there mat
be a delay of a few weeks in completing the decorations and
arrangements of the interior, the Crystal Palace will be
opened to the public some time in the course of that
month.— Observer.

WILL TIIE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERN-
MINT SANCTION POLYGAMY ?—The condition of woman,
of course, is degraded, and must become more and more so
continually ; the effect of polygamy must ere long become
apparent in the manners of the men at Deseret. Says Mr-
Stansbury, in his highly interesting work (No. 12 ) "
heard it proclaimed from the stand (pulpit), by the president
himself, that he had the right to take a thousand wives, if
he thought proper, and he defied any one to prove from OA
Bible that ho had not. At the same time, I have never
known any member of the community allow that he himself
had more than one, although that such was the fact was as
well known as any fact could be." But he confesses
that the practical operation of the scheme was quite
different from what he had anticipated. " Peace,
harmony, and cheerfulness seemed to prevail, where my
preconceived notions led me to look for nothing but the ex-
hibition of petty jealousies, envy, bickerings, and strife."
The question has often been asked, " Will the federal go-
yernment allow an individual state t i tolerate and h galise
polygamy ?" This question will hardly present a new issue
in the United States ; for in half of the Union not only is
polygamy a fixed fact in the institutions of the country, but
the raising of women for sale is a thriving branch of Wai-
mea. We think the general government will settle certain
questions of morals which lie nearer the Capitol, before the
constitutional arm is prolonged so far as to reacts the Great
Salt Lake city and disturb the " holy family " of Brigham
Young, and his " omnibus full of wives." However, Ame-
rica probably is the only country of Christendom where
Mormonism could get fairly on its legs and essay a walk.—
Westminster Iterictc.—.. The Mormons."
ARRIVAL OF TUE IBERlA.—Yeaterday the Oriental
Company's steam packet Iberia, Captain Bower, arrived!:
Southampton. tier dates are—Gibraltar, January 6; Ca.rits•
7th ; Lisbon, oth : Oporto, 10th ; Vigo, 11th. She hang,
the following passengers:—Lieutenant Spurney, Dr*
Hornblow (72nd Regiment), Col. Bell, Mr. A. Zuhsetir
Mr. Ilekhouse, Captain Stewart, Mr. Jackson, and Mr.
Rumball. Eight let, six 2nd, and six deck, and twenty-
five distressed British subjects. Iler cargo consi•as of 6
Tin•
packages specie, 108 barrels dates, 33 base, do., 12
casks of wine, 347 boxes of. oranges, Sid
mines, 17 cases of eggs, 19 packages ea sundn,
The Africa emigrant ship which put into Lisbon to repast
damages was ready to sail, and was only waitin a wind tt
get over the bar. An Egyptian yacht, belonging g to Said
Puha, put into Lisbon with loss of foremast and etbet
damage on the Bth inet. The ship Provincialist, &mid?,
mast, r, was abandoned at sea ou the 20th Dec., al
lat. 33.36 N., lon. d 1.31 'sW., having received much damages
being in a very leaky state. The cress were taken oil by a
Spanish barque, Union, from Ilavannah,
Vigo, ou the this inst. The Provincialist was from Plulodel-
phis', bound to Liverpool with a general urge ;
stwng
westerly winds and thick coarse weather nearly threaft
out. The weather had been bad along the cons:
01 is
gal for some time. and landed at