The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-16 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Yesterday the sixth ordinary meeting in the present
or ninety• seventh session of the Society of Arts, was
held in the great room of their house in the Auelphi ;
Mr. Thomas Henry Hope, M.P., Vice-President, in
rotation, in the chair.

The minutes of the preceding meeting on the 18th
ult having been read and confirmed,
Ar. COLE read an address of the council of the
society on its policy during the session, in pursuance
of one of the by-laws, enacted to provide a uniformity
of policy under every management.
The CHAIRMAN then informed the meeting that the
pressing engagements of Mr. Henderson prevented
his attending the society, as he had promised, for the
purpose of reading a paper on the materials used, and
the amount of labour employed, in the construction
of the building for the Exhibition of 1851. In his
absence, however, his partner, Mr. Fox, had kindly
consented to be present; and though not prepared to
read a paper on the subject, he would be most happy
to answer any question which any one present might
think proper to put.
Mr. WINKWORTH then commenced the discussion,
by asking Mr. Fox to state generally the mode in
which the interior of the building was prevented from
external wet, and internal moisture, arising from the
condensation of watery vapour.
Mr. Fox, after expressing his readiness to answer
any questions on the details of the construction, and
inviting inquiry in the most courteous terms, pro-
ceeded to explain the construction of the Paxton
gutter, which we have already done in all its particulars,
and then said that the building acted precisely as a
still, the vapours ascending being condensed under
the glass, and carried off by the side channels of the
gutters. So rapid was its action in this respect, it
was found that a quantity of water thrown upon the
tbors disappeared in a remarkably short space of
time. It was found, by experiment too, that buildings
of the same kind, such as conservatories, are con-
siderably drier than others.

Mr. JOSEPH GLYNN inquired what the arrangements
were to allow of the expansion and contraction of the
iron by change of temperature, and also as to the
effect,of the wind with regard to the stability of the
building.
Mr. Fox first answered the question as to the
energy of the wind. He stated that in a violent gale
of wind the total effect of it on one of the long sides
of the building had been estimated as being equiva-
lent to a weight of 19f tons, which was infinitely
surpassed by the sum of the resistances of the trans-
verse girders. With regard to the expansion and
contraction of the metal, it was so very inconsider-
able, that the girders were keyed hard and fast to the
columns.
In answer to questions from various other mem-
bers, with reference to the sufficiency of the gallery
supports,
them to be closely
Mr. Fox stated thta
hte, aesxsturmetinnegofe
pressurePlalc2l packed with
wpi ofte hrs
tons on each pressure would 13 e
people,squar foot, which would produce a
girder, and the girders
were proved to 15 tons, and would not break under
30 tons. He wished that it were practicable to try
the effect of a locomotive engine moving along one of
them, as he was sure the result would be most satis-
factory.

Several other queitions having been put to Mr. Fox,
with reference to minor matters of detail, and answered
by him with the greatest readiness, to the complete
satisfaction of the society,
Mr. WEBSTER moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Fox
for his kind attendance, in the absence of his partner,
and also for his courtesy in placing the building at
the disposal of the society on the 31st of December
last., for the purpose of a scientific inspection.
Mr. WINEWORTH seconded the motion, which was
carried unanimously, and, after a vote of thanks to the
Chairman, the sitting terminated.