The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-28 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE AT SYDENHAM.

The effects of the long-continued wet and cold weather
are strikingly observable in the slow progress which the
building at Sydenham has made since our last notice,
now nearly three months backs, and it is at last become
evident, even to the most sanguine of those connected
with the works, that the building will require at least
three months from the present time, if it be even then
in a fit state to throw it open to the public. The con-
tractors (Messrs. Fox and Henderson) have done very
wonderful things in their time, but there are agencies
stronger than iron and more powerful than steam, and
for once the rain and frost have overturned the calcula-
tions of our architects and engineers, and we can now
only offer the public the consolation of a pleasure de-
ferred which will perhaps render it the more agreeable
when it is realised. The only portion of the vast struc-
ture which presents a finished appearance is the south-
western angle, which has been carried to its full height,
the centres turned, and the greater part of it glazed
over. From the extreme angle floats the old, begrimed,
and tattered union-jack, which for so many months
waved over the building in Hyde-park, and this and the
glazed sashes, the panelled frames, and the white and
blue colouring which the iron pillars have retained, call
up many associations of its prototype, and make us al-
most fancy we are again on one of our many pleasant pil-
grimages to the world's fair.
The present entrance for visitors, if any such are
tempted out in holiday weather, such as we have lately
enjoyed, is at the back of the building and nearly in the
centro. After being narrowly scrutinised through a
loop-hole in a wicket, and exhibiting your credentials,
you pass into the interior, and drop suddenly into a
broad and miry cart track, ploughed up into deep groves
and ruts, where a footing is maintained with the greatest
difficulty, the planks thrown across here and there only
embarrassing the traveller, who, before he can look
about him, sees a team of horses come thundering and
floundering upon him with their enormous waggon load
of iron or timber. Making yourself as small as possible
amidst the rubbish and debris, the avalanche rolls by,
and you think you may now venture to survey the scene
of uproar and confusion around you, but a loud shout
warns you that another danger is at hand, and long files
of workmen pass along staggering under beams of timber
or iron pillars or girders, and moving hastily out of the
way you are entangled in the ropes and pullies by which
some of the large masses of iron are lifted to their des-
tination at the roof, a civil Irish labourer advising you
to "move out of that, unless your. head is very hard
indeed." To do this is a matter of some difficulty, for
there are deep chasms and pitfalls on every side, and
when you have gained a footing on one spot the next
may be into yielding mud or treacherous ice, or the end
of a plank, which suddenly tilts up and leaves you any-
way but on your legs. Piles of timber, hogsheads of
paint, pyramids of trusses and girders, and whole acres
of glass in boxes, or sash bars in various stages of paint-
ing or priming, with an occasional blinding shower of
snow, are among the obstructions which render locomo-
tion at the present time almost impracticable. But that
we know her Majesty can do many things which her
liege subjects would think twice about, we should be
puzzled to explain how she spent an hour lately in the
midst of such a chaotic and bewildering mass.
But it is time to give our readers some idea of the
present aspect of the building, which, as we have already
stated, approaches the nearest to completion at the south-
western angle. The back of the building throughout its
entire length is run up the full height, and much of it
glazed over. The side transept, nearest the south end,
has its centres turned, but neither the great central
dome, nor the north transept, have yet been commenced,
and the whole of the garden or terrace part of the build-
ing is in a very incomplete state. So far as a rough
estimate would enable us to judge, we should say that
one-third of the work of the exterior still remains to be
completed. The long central avenue, which passes from
one end to the other of the building will, when completed,
form a magnificent vista ; instead of being fiat, as in the
Hyde-park building, the roof is arched and much more
lofty, and the view, being uninterrupted, will present, if
we may judge from the portion completed, one of the
grandest arcades that can be imagined. With the exception
of the line of pillars which connect it at the back, there is a
great gulf in the centre, which separates the building into
two portions, and here will be Apparently the most formid-
able portion of the undertaking, the great span and vast
height of the central dome rendering the operation of
throwing the iron centres across, which has yet to be com-
menced, a work of great difficulty. Some of the galleries
and staircases are already fixed, and serve to facilitate the
labours of the workmen. As there will be only one line
of galleries running along the sides, the sweep of the in-
terior will be less broken up, while the central open
space under the dome will be of vast proportions, and
form a magnificent hall for the exhibition of statuary and
works of art. We have already referred to the fall
of the ground in front of the building, and this has
been taken advantage of to construct a number of offices
store-rooms, &c., which will obviate the necessity of
trenching on the space above, or breaking the uniformity
of the building. Here are revealed all the ingenious and
complicated but effective arrangements for carrying off
the water by means of tubes concealed in the pillars, for
lighting, ventilating, warming, and supplying with
water the whole of the building, and one of the great
defects of the Hyde Park palace—the leakage from the
roof—has been remedied, and it is to be hoped will be
effectually prevented by a different arrangement of the
drains and gutters.
The building will be exceedingly rich in sculpture and
statuary, the quantity which has already arrived being
very great, and completely filling a large compartment
of the building, which has been boarded off for the pur-
pose. Many of the plaster casts have arrived in a very
dilapidated state, headless trunks, fractured limbs, and
mutilated figures lying about in strange confusion, but,
like the philosophers who can build up the form oisome
antediluvian animal from a single bone, there are cun-
ning workmen here employed in restoring, and renovat-
ing, and re-creating, as it were, the finest conceptions of
anoient and modern art. In another large hall Egyptian
and Assyrian antiquities are being arranged in chrono-
logical order, some of the wondrous templs of antiquity
being reproduced in a perfect state, and colossal figures
of sphynxes, winged bulls, and other uncouth monsters
of Hindoo or Egyptian mythology, with lofty pillars,
monuments, and tombs, are fast assuming their proper
position in this new and interesting pantheon. Beyond
these we drop suddenly from the antiquities of the far
east to the every-day life and modern inventions of the
western world. The swarthy forms of the workmen, and
lurid glare of a number of forges, show where the iron is
rendered pliant and fitted for the part it is to sustain in the
vast edifice, and near these steam engines are contributing
their ceaseless energies to abridge the labours of the s waim-
ing multitudes employed in the building. iWe have never
visited Niagara, but we can fancy the roaring, deafening,
never-ceasing turmoil to bear some resemblance to the
uproar within the Crystal Palace when operations are in
full vigour, and when a thousand vigorous arms, each
wielding some instrument of noise, whether file, saw,
plane, hammer, axe, or sledge mallet, is contributing its
quota to the general din.
The operations out of doors have been also seriously
impeded by the continued unfavourable weather. The
whole expanse of the park is bare, leafless, and wintry,
diversified only by mounds of clay and gravel, and the
outlines just discernible through the snow of the large
central and smaller fountains. The pipes which are to
supply the vast volume of water have been laid down ;
the foundations of the terraces, and flights of steps con-
ducting from one elevation to another, have been laid ;
and nearly all the rough and underground work of the
park and ornamental grounds has been completed. A
few days of April showers and a touch of April sunshine
are yet required to call the sleeping beauties of the
garden into life, and to clothe the dense fringe of timber
by which the grounds are surrounded with leafy
verdure. A few clumps of trees have been left
standing here and there ; and, as if in mockery, one or
two yet lift their heads among the iron pillars of the in-
terior of the palace, dwarfed and shrubby looking by con-
trast with the lofty and taper stems by which they are
surrounded. The whole surface of the ground is. dotted
with men and horses, all busily occupied, although the
results are apparently by no means equivalent to the
amount of labour bestowed. The line of the intended
railway from Sydenham to the palace is already indi-
cated, although the bill has not yet, we believe, received
the assent of the Legislature. If they are busy within
the Crystal Palace and its grounds, they are equally in-
dustrious in the surrounding district. Houses are spring-
ing up in every direction, and between Annerly and
Sydenham we shall soon see a new town constructed
with something of the rapidity of colonial enterprise.
It is supposed that some arrangement will be made,
by which the public may be admitted on the Ist of May
"to view the works" at a small charge, by way of com-
pensation for the disappointment. At present, unless
the visitor has great faith in what is to be rather than
what is, he will meet with little to reward him for the
toil and trouble of a pilgrimage to the Crystal Palace at
Sydenham.

DOWNING-STREET.—The improvements for some time
being carried out at the official residence of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, in Downing-street, are nearly
completed. The whole of them, including and
costly new
costly furniture, were from the design of Mr. Disraeli.
A FLEET OF ENGLISH VESSELS NEARLY WRECKED
BY THE ICE.—Bv the arrival of the Dutch mail on Sa-
turday, intelligence ha,s been received of a large number
of vessels having been placed in a most perilous position
on the coast, near Cuxhaven, by the immense masses of
ice which were being drifted ont to sea from the several
inland waters. Amongst the ships which took the shore
were the Elbe, steamer ; Oder and Washington, barques' •
the Patria, John Spencer, Ocean, Baronet, Blessing,
Jay, Effart, Galatea, Gem, Matilda, and many others.
Should a gale spring up, the most extensive havoc must
ensue. The Trident, London and Hamburgh steamer,
was so much damaged with the ice as to put into Gluck-
stadt, as also the Juniper, Grimsby and Hamburgh stea-
mer. At the time the accounts left, the cold was most
severe ; snow was falling heavily, and the ice fast accu-
mulating. Nothing like it had been seen on that part of
the coast for some years. Higher up towards the Sound
all navigation is stopped. •
ABANDONMENT OF AN ARMY CONTRACT.—The con-
tractor for the supply of meat to the troops in Ports-
mouth has given notice of his intention to give up his
contract. By doing so he will, of course, have to for-
feit, or his sureties for him, the heavy bonds entered
into' on his undertaking the engagement. It is under-
stood this step is owing to the very heavy loss that has
been incurred b whicha of the advance in the
price of meat, , considering the large number of
troops now stationed at Portsmouth, must have been of
ses ious consequence to the contractor.
GOLD IN MAYO. —Tlieerffeaectt l
yofestthabeliesxhi;tdeini
ecie,e asolfgt week
eikn
the soil of Mayo was p
in the yard of Mr. Brennan, where his workmen were
sinking a hole for the erection of his gasometer. The
ore found has been tested by Dr. Atkinson, who pro-
nounced it to be pure gold.—Oastlebar Telegraph.

THE FRENCH

Notwithstanding the coldness of the weather the
promenade of Longchamp, on Friday, collected a
brilliant train of equipages in the Champs-Elysees.
The number of spectators on foot was also great.
Scarcely any person well known in the fashionable,
diplomatic, or official circles, was absent from the
promenade. The Emperor and the Empress also
honoured. the Champs-Elysées with their presence.
Their Majesties were in an open barouche and four
with postilions.
The topic of the day in the fashionable world of
Paris is the grand ball announced for Thursday next
at the Jardin d'iliver, in aid of the British Chari-
table Fund. The preparations are already com-
menced ; they bid fair to be of the most fairy-like
description, and the company, always of the most
destinguished class, promises this ydar to surpass
the attendance at any of the preceding Am.
The Moniteur publishes two Imperial decrees,
one appointing General Count Oman Governor of
the Invalides, the other calling on General the
Duke of Plaisanco to succeed him as Grand Chan-
celier of the Legion of Honour.
On Friday evening a peace officer, accompanied
by several agents, closed the Casino Paganini,
where the petite Bourse have been accustomed to
assemble since 1851.
The funeral of the Duke of Padua, late Governor
of the Invalides, took place yesterday in the pre-
sence of the Emperor, Prince Jerome Bonaparte,
and other members of Imperial Family.
The Moniteur announces that, the Emperor has
received a reply from the Duke of Saxe Weimar
to the notification of his Majesty's marriage.
The Marquis de la Rochejaquelin, member of
the Senate, has commenced an action for calumny
against the Brussels paper called the Nation. The
damages are laid at 50,000 f.
The municipal council of Dunkirk has voted a
sum of 30,000 f., to cover the expense of the recep-
tion of the Emperor, who, it is said, will visit that
town at the end of May or the beginning of June.
On Saturday the business transacted on the
Bourse was to a fair amount, but the continued
rise that has taken place for some days past in the
Three per Cents. has been checked, and we have to
report a fall of 15c. in these securities. The Four
and a Half per Cents., however, have recovered
the fall they experienced the previous day, having
advanced 20c. For the account this order of fall
and rise is reversed, the Three per Cents. having
advanced 10c., while the Four and a Half per Cents.
have fallen 15c. Bank Stock still continues to de-
cline, and is quoted sf. below the closing prices of
the previous day. At the conclusion of the business
the following were the quotations :—For cash—The
Three per Cents. 79f. 90c., and the Four and a
Half per Cents. 103 f. 70c. For the account—The
Three per Cents. 79f. 95c., and the Four and a
Half per Cents. 103 f. 60c. Bank Shares, 2,660.