The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-10 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

The great snow storm which has prevailed with more
or less intensity during the last fortnight has tested to
an unusual degree the capabilities and strength of the
Crystal Palace. No less than 15 acres of glass roofing
were subjected to the enormous weight of the snow
which has recently fallen, and it has stood the strain
without the slightest injury. A considerable quantity
of snow and rain found its way into the interior, and
portions of the flooring and plaster casts ranged near the
garden front have been covered with a thick coating of
snow. The principal sufferers by the inclemency of the
weather are the plants and the exotics which have been
arranged in large beds at the southern end of the build-
ing, and the bitter frost, on one occasion some five or
six degrees below zero, and the cutting east wind, have
seriously affected the health and appearance of many of
the more delicate plants.
The influence of the inclement weather tells at Syden-
ham upon more than the plants. The works are neces-
sarily suspended, and over palace and park a dreary
silence reigns, which is augmented by the snow wrapping
every external object. A huge mass of scaffolding still
fills up the entire area of the centre transept, and
although a large proportion of the ribs are now up, and
the glazing at the west end commenced, soma time will
yet elapse before this, the most striking architectural
feature of the building, can be completed. The internal
decorations, less affected in their progress by the weather
proceed apace. Egypt, Greece, and Rome are now so
far advanced as to speak for themselves, and the deco-
rator is concentrating his chief energies upon the resto-
ration of the Alhambra. Upon the opposite side of the
nave Mr. Wyatt is also vigorously at work.
The decoration of the Pompeian House is nearly com-
pleted, and Dr. Ferguson is making rapid progress with
his Assyrian Court, which promises to be not the least
successful or splendid part of the palace. Both he and
Mr. Jones may congratulate themselves upon a new ar-
rangement, the result of a compromise on a disputed
point, which may be worth mentioning. It was origi-
nally proposed by the latter, as one of.the earliest ideaast
for securing great effects within the building, figure place
the north end of the nave the colossal seat.eadtorof the
of
the god Rh, with the head of which every v
wi
hi ich is 70
British Museum is familiar. This figure,
feet high, and painted in the strikingcoauarisdwhhaivcahcgoinive.
e
so peculiar character to Egyptian art,
pletely extinguished the fine winged rid vio
human-headed
bulls with which Dr. Ferguson guards the main entrance
• of his Assyrian hall. What, however, was.to be done ?
A solid pile of masonry more than 30 feet high had been
constructed as the seat of the deity ; and Mr. Jones,
having made up his mind to have him there, was not to
be driven from his purpose. The west end of the north
transept was, however, offered, and the privilege of
erecting there two gods instead of one, with a double
row of sphinxes leading up to them, provided the site at
the end of the nave was given up. This was too great
a temptation to refuse, and, accordingly, when in June
or July (for it is now ascertained that it cannot be
earlier) the doors of the Crystal Palace are thrown open
to the public, next to the building, and the fountains,
and surpassing in size even Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins's
primaeval monsters, the largest objects, and those most
likely to fill the minds and eyes of the Londoners with
astonishment, will be these two wonderful representa-
tions of the scale upon which the the sculptors of ancient
Egypt wrought out of the rock the objects of their Pagan
idolatry.

BRICKMAKING AT LIVERPOOL. —The fortnightly meet-
ing of the Liverpool Architectural and Archaeological
Sooiety was held on Wednesday. The first matter of
discussion was a letter on brickmaking, received by Mr.
Verelst, the chairman of the society, from Mr. C. B.
Yarrow, a gentleman of London. Mr. Yarrow draws
a very unfavourable comparison between brickmaking
in Liverpool and London, the bricks made in the former
place being, he says, the worst he ever saw, while those
of London are of a superior character, owing to the
better class of workmen employed, and the mode of
management generally.—Liverpool paper.

_73p--ft, 0
.11
all
DZAZ. GENERAL BCOUIVT BERESFORD,
1
G. 0.8., G.O.H.

This most gallant veteran officer died on Sunday, at
his seat, Bedgebury Park, Goudhuret, Kent, in his 86th
year.

The deceased was created Duke of Elves, Marquis of
Campo-Major, Count of Trancoso, and a Field Marshal
of Portugal, and Captain General of Spain ; Baron Beres-
ford (United
Kingdom), 1814 • Viscount Beresford,
1823 ; was Governor of the Royal Military Academy, a
Commissioner of the Military College and Asylum, a
General in the Army, Colonel of the 60th Foot, and
Governor of Jersey ; was Master General of the Ord-
nance under the Duke of Wellington's administration
from 1828 to 1830. Viscount Beresford eminently dis-
tinguished himself in the Peninsular war, and com-
manded at the sanguinary battle of Albuera ; he was
also highly successful in improving the discipline of the
Portuguese army.
William Carr Beresfoad, who was a natural son of the
first Marquis of Waterford, commenced his distinguished
military career in 1785, when he was appointed an En-
sign of the 6th Foot. His first active service was in
1793, when, as captain of the 69th, he disembarked with
the troops that took possession of Toulon, and was
generally engaged in the attacks which took place until
the final evacuation of that place, when he went to
Corsica, and was present at the attack and siege of St.
Fiorenza, Bastia, and Calvi. In 1799, when lieutenant
colonel of the 88th, he sailed for the East Indies, and
from thence by the Red Sea to Egypt, across the Desert,
in command of a brigade of Sir David Baird's army.
He remained in Egypt till its evacuation, as com-
mandant of Alexandria. After some energetic services
againat the Irish rebels, Colonel Beresford, in 1805,
proceeded to the Cape, and shared in the conquest
of that colony. From thence he was sent in corn.
mand of a small force to seize Buenos Ayres. This
was accomplished ; but after success in the open
field against the enemy, he was eventually obliged to
surrender, after three days' desperate and destructive
resistance in the towns. The force under Colonel Beres-
foad amounted to 1,200, that of the enemy to between
10,000 and 12,000. After being prisoner for six months
he escaped to England, where he had but a short time
arrived (this was in 1807), when he was appointed colonel
of the 88th or Connaught Rangers, and was shortly
afterwards sent in command of an expedition against
Madeira. From Madeira he went to the Peniasula,
where he arrived a few days after the battle of Vimiera,
and returned after that of Corunna. In 1809 he again
proceeded to Portugal, to take the chief command of the
Portuguese troops with the rank of marshal. From that
time Marshal Beresford's achievements are part of the
history of the period, thd greatest of them being his vic-
tory over Soult at Albuera—one of the most bloody and
most glorious of the names inscribed on the list of Penin-
sular successes, For these services Marshal Beresford
subsequently received the dignities of the Duke of Elvas,
Marquis of Campo Major, and Count Trancoso, in Por-
tugal, that of Viscount Beresford in his own country,
and several decorations. By the demise of this vener-
able and gallant soldier the colonelcy of the 16th Regi-
ment and the colonelcy in chief of the 60th Rifles are
rendered vacant.