The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-28 00:00:00

I the Cage; the fires of the glass factory vomit forth red-
hot glass ; steam spurts into the air from within the moils
leukemia; the whirr of scenes is heard; the ground
cut up by waggons and men ; thousands of workmen meet
the rising sun at the gates; neat, snug rooms for the clerks
are ran ap; gallons of paint are manufactured, and curious
crowds linger all day about the spot. Every hole in the book'.
lag is filled ap with a human eye. Suddenly on the morning
of the 26% of September the first column stood at right
angles from the ground permanently fired, to for put of
the gnat whole—the first of 3,230 to be reared.

STA.TISTICS Or TBB BCILDING.
Tho building as it now stands is 1,848 :Let long by 408
fest broad, and 88 fest high. This long tins is crossed by
a transept 108 fest high, dividing the length with 918 fest
_ _ _

on the One side, and 900 het on the other. In addition to
the timber for joiatt, flooring, he., the glass and supports
of iron cemprise the entire structure. The columns,
sest-bars, and panes of glass, we may notice, are similar in
form throughout. Thee* are 2.244 cast iron girdetz for
supporting galleries and roofs, in addition to 1,128 inter-
mediate bearers, 358 wrought-iron trusses for supporting I
roof, 34 miles of gutters for carrying water to the columns.
202 silos of eashlare, and 900,000 superficial feet of glass
weighing 400 tons, and the glaziers fitted in the panes at the
rate of 8,000 panes per diem. The building orcupiss in all about
18 acres of ground—giving, with t►e galleries, at exhibition
sedges of 21 acres. The galleries are 24 feet wide, sad ex-
Orademsely a rails; the greet cmatral arenas being 72;feet
in width. The table spies for exhibitors will be no less
than eight miles in length. The total cubic contents of the
building are 33,000,000 feet—and the cost is a little more
than nine sixteenths of a penny per foot cube. These eta
Unice are exclusive of the separate building, 936 feet long
and 48 feet wide, devoted to the reception of machinery.
THE PROGRESS OP THE WORKS.

Hating briefly recapitulated the mitt' facts and Want&

tiona of the boding, we may now conduct the reader within
the enclosure. On pa aing the gates the visitor had at once
a striking view of the operations as they were conducted
throughout November; but latterly the "filling in" has
progressed so rapidly that he can form very little idea of the
vast extent of the work until he has gained the central
avenue. From this point of view the scene is now ex •
namely Impressive. The long lines of glittering galleries
stretch into the distance, till they all appear to meet at •
point. Bstore the glazing was commenced the works
gave the visi,or the idea of a vast tangle, dotted here and
there by moving masses of workmen ; the pillsn were like
a poplar forest; and the ground was loaded with enormous
heaps of material. Now, however, the scene is less confused.
From the tangle a beautifully regular, light euucture has
been evolved, the pillars of which look like wire in its vast
proportions. The entire absence of ecsffolding has been a
remarkable feature of the operations. The system on which
the contractors have performed their labours—all the mate-
rials hiving been prepared away from the site—accounts
for this peculiarity. In fact, the building was fitted upon
the ground with the exactness and finish of a punk,. Ones
hardly cold from the furnace was placed in its final position ;

girders and columns went direct from the forks to their
destioation. But the preenion and extent of the operations
an perhaps more forcibly shown in the distribution of up-
wards of two thousand workmen about the works. This vast

number, hr from crowding one another, is so scattered
that the works appear to be but thinly populated. But from
the first gallery the best view of toe works may be had.
Looking tram this point into the great central avenue below,
the *Sect Is very tine. The men and horses and wax•
gone appear no bigger than toys; the whirr of the engines
is hardly audible; and the details of the operations ars
lei, so that the long, unbroken lines of galleries stretch
away on both sides. Mounting still higher—to the leads
which run on either side of the great transept, the view of
the roof of the building can be seen. A vast sea
of glass stretches so far on all sides that the
view of the park is almost shut out. The great
beauty of the design consists in thie—that each section
of the building is a multiple of the other. This ar-
rangement has this effect—that galleries radiate from any
point at which the spectator places hiensel,. Thus the thou-
sands of columns which support the building, and which else
would appear like a confused forest, fall, viewed from any
point, into avenues, each covering the other. This beautiful
arrang. meet is moat striking, and should be noticed by
every visitor.

As many accounts hate been published deprecating the
system on which the workmen who armed this palace were
seinuaerattd, we ere anxious to remove, as lee as we are
able, any disagreeable impression which may lurk in the
public mind on this subject. On icquiry we find that
throughout the operations Means. Fox and Henderson have
paid, on an go, ao loss a weekly sent than 2,6001. in
wages. This large sum, distributed amongst about 1,800
workmen (which may be fairly stated as the avenge number),
give a lair week's wage to each. The machinery
employed for the rapid payment of the men, is so
ingeniously constructed that it was possible to pay 2 000
*operate sums within the space of two boar. As a mark of
the growing intelligence and provident habits of working
men, we must not forget to notice the Accident Relief Fund,
which they established to provide for any casualties which
might happen to one of their body._

_
Tuitions.
Throughout the program of the works a constant succession
of visitors, including all the rank and intellect of the country,
continued to arrive ow the ground. After a time the con.
tractors found that the crowds who continued to El :eh to the
works impeded the operations, and it was resolved that a suns
of five shillings should be charged, and that the proceeds of
this fee should go to the workmen's fond. The fund has
bees considerably increased by this moans ; and as only few
accidents have iosurred, the mosey will, in all probability,
be devoted in some other way to the advantage of the work-
men. Prince Albert has visited the works three or lour timse
at different periods; and on S►turday last, the Queen ac-
companied the Prince Consort. In conclusion, we may
safely assert that this great palace may be fairly takes as a
perfect specimen of the energy, skill, and rabidity with
which a great idea may be reduced to a great tact us this
country. It will be as remarkable a specimen of the industry
of the world is anything from any country, which it is des-
tined to contain.

TM DECORATIONS.

The decoration of the budding, entreated to Mr. Owen
Jones, will consist of party.colouring throughout the into
riot ; but it would be prankster* to declare Ns deal the distri-
bution of °plow at present proposed.

PREPARATIONS ABROAD.

By the kindness of Mr. S. Carter Hall we are able
to give the following particulars relative to the preparations
abroad, reosived from the aorrespondents of tae Art Journal
for publication in the forthcoming number of that work:
THE PREPARATIONS IN FRANCE.

If we have paid to Tram thit het of our continental
visite, to ascertain sad report the proves made by her
manufacturers in reformat to the ensuing Exhibition, is is
not that we amidst her lust in laportenes as regards her
claims to orailderatMa, or that she will be loand behind her
immediate neighbours in the impeding wettest of the
industrial arta. The esperienee of put yule has taught as
how muck we have a right to look for from a oountry which
bas so long bona regarded as the fountain of all that is
brilliant, luxurious, and elegmot ; while her own experience
fa! similar Mimi expositions mast have incubated
mug her producing classes many lessons of which
she will now doubtless avail kanalt, bat whirl other
coantries, yet la the (ohm of their knowledge, have
still to lure. To Ragland ea exhibition of national
issimary is a acuity ; but Pram, during the last hall
maim has seen rims natkaal expositions, so that she has
beam salleleatly poetised in ell the requirements which
sash displays demand; end the gesteratica sow busily eau•
pied in loraishleg their cattingent to the mighty array to
he assembled la Leaden dartsh the primal yoor, will bring
with them the takeritenee of skill end artistic knowledge
derived from their forefathers who wee their peaseful
booms soda the Consulate, the Empire, end the Restore-
lira. It is remerkable that during the many yams wherein
the popular palace for militant glory bad posesesioa et
siae-
wths of the imbaliteste of Pram, mho server =tinily let go
her hold of those adveatega welch the taste mad ingennitt
of her aIIaWAIRSIII hod Maud to her ; and though her
murals sad the Melte aririag from them alluded but
tittle beyond Ire ors Milers for a my oomeidereble arm
of yam, they mesa became known mad appulded when
her armed logins were ft the most part disbanded, sal
her ports sad her roads were spit to the whets world.
Bat this 'pleat love of mania mown is rapidly pasting
away ham ler moms thoughtful end tabs -minded eillam ;
they have hot their whereat MONISM tor wan which
"atoll more pail than profit, sad which, though addles
largely to naked glory, de aelltine to promote Wsolid
kappisem sad moral elevation el the people and I
they shriek beta the id* of maker revolution.
Pram is atteely tired ot all soh matters, sad It,
with-
oat desk, desirous of turabieurted into pie*.
sham lad spews hate prealathooks." We were ia Paris
es the dug whim the Prieldemt deliveral his has lump to