The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-23 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

The gale which during the night of Wednesday
and the whole of Thursday swept over the metro-
polis with such unexampled violence, has done
serious injury to the Crystal Palace, though by no
means so much as to justify the alarming and
exaggerated rumours which prevailed yesterday as
to the greater part of the building havinc, been
destroyed. The building itself is uninjured, not a
single pane of glass having even been broken in it.
It is to the north wing that the damage has been
done, and the destruction of this has been so total
that only a huge pile of ruins—broken columns,
shattered glass, and fragments of painted woodwork
—remain to mark the spot where the wing so re-
cently stood.

In the first design for the erection of the Palace
at Norwood we believe these side wings were not
included. As the works progressed, however, it
was found necessary to have a wing to the south,
in order to cover in the route by which the building
could be approached from the railway, when, for
the sake of uniformity, a corresponding wing was
built on the north side also. Each of these wings,
as our readers are aware, was carried down the bill
for a considerable distance. Both were constructed
on the same plan as the main building, and both
were, for the greater part of their length, 48 feet
high by 40 feet wide. At the end of each was
built a lofty square tower in four stories, 96- feet
high and 80 feet square at the base. These were
erected to carry the water tanks for the supply of
the fountains, and the iron framework therefore
was of extra strength and laid together with un-
usual care. But, strongly as they were built, it
was found when the tanks had. been erected on
their summits that they were not equal to carry-
ing the weight of so large a body of water. The
tanks therefore had to be removed, as everybody
had foreseen they must be, and two water towers
were commenced, which were just completed,
when it was again discovered that they too were
unequal to their duties, and the towers were
accordingly taken down, and the two fine water
towers now standing erected in their place. The
south wing of the building was of course only used
by the visitors going to and from the railway. Tho
north wing was at first set apart as a photographic
gallery, then as a picture gallery, and latterly it has
only been employed for the poultry exhibitions. It
was found, however, after the removal of the tanks,
that from the want of a top weight to steady them
the wind, when violent, acted more against the huge
square sides of these towers than on any part of the
Crystal Palace itself. When the tower of the south
wing was given up to Mr. Strange to be divided
into a number of separate summer dining rooms the
topmost storey was removed, but the north wing
was left of the height it was originally built. Under
this wing was a large storehouse, and this has
escaped uninjured, as has also the carpenters' work-
shop at the end of the wing nearest the building.
During all,Thursday the wind blew over the hills
at Norwood with extraordinary fierceness full.
against the front of the Palace facing towards Lon-
don. That it was more violent here than in other
suburban districts is eviderced by the broken
branches of trees, the palings, and even garden
walls blown down in the neighbourhood. But,
although the pressure of the gale upon the whole
surface of the Palace must have amounted in the
aggregate to several thousand tons, not the smallest
perceptible effect was produced upon it, and, as we
have stated, not a single pane of glass was broken.
All stood well, till about half past 7 o'clock on
Thursday:night, when, during one of the fearful
gusts which then swept over the hill, some men- in.
the carpenters' room heard a little crashing of glass
and iron, and immediately ran out on to the terrace
garden. In another minute, with an appalling crash,
the huge tower fell over among some trees, and lay
smashed into millions of fragments on the ground.
In the course of two or three minutes more the rest
of the wing went, by 30 or 40 yards at a time, till a
total length of about 110 yards strewed the earth,
a mere mass of splinters of glass, wood, and iron.
Anything more complete than the destruction it
would be difficult to imagine. The appearance of
the ruin rather suggests that every part of the build-
ing has been carefully broken into small pieces than
that it has been merely blown down. A tremendous
explosion could not possibly have shattered the
place more effectually. The woodwork is all in
small pieces, the cast iron columns are broken up
like glass, and the tie rods twisted and torn into
every shape. Fortunately, there was nothing la
this wing but the empty pens used at the late
poultry show, and a number of garden seats; all
these, of course, are more or less destroyed. As far
as can be judged from the way in which the ruins
have fallen, it would seem that the corner column
nearest the railway must have had to sustain the
thrust exercised upon it by the other columns
yielding to the force of the gale. As the wind
came in gusts, it is supposed the tower must
have oscillated to such a degree as to force the
corner column, on which the main strain came, out
of its perpendicular, when, of course, it snapped at
once. It was no dcubt the breaking of this which
the carpenters first heard, and ran out on to the
terrace, when the tower, thus deprived of its main
support, fell instantly before the next blast. It is
9 great proof, however, of the strength of the
structure, that when the rest of the wing was thus
weakened and broken by the fall of the tower it
was not instantly overthrown also. It stood for
several minutes, and only fell piece by piece as the
wind swept down upon it with almost the force of
a hurricane. The strength of either of these wings
however, is not to be compared with the enormous
strength and compactness with which the main
building is put together. The cost of rebuilding
the north wing, it is stated, would not amount to
more than £6,000, but as lately it was never used
for anything but the poultry shows, which can just
as well be held in the south wing, it is not probable
hat it will be rebuilt at all.

The following is the official report of the damage
done :

"Crystal Palace, Feb. 22.
" Sir,—l regret to have to inform you that during the
gale which raged here with excessive violence between 6
and 7 o'clock last evening the square block which formed
the termination of the north wing of the Palace was blown
down, carrying with it a portion of the corridor which led
to it, and in which the poultry shows have been recently
held. Both block and corridor were empty, with the ex-
ception of a few garden-seats and trestles stowed there
during the winter. No personal injury has taken place,
nor has anything been damaged, except the shell of that
portion of the structure above mentioned. The main

building and the other portions of the company's property
are entirely uninjured.
" I may add that the block in question, and its com-
panion at the opposite end of the terrace, were originally
designed to carry the tanks for playing some of the foun-
tains. But this idea having been at an early period aban-
doned, the upper storey remained without the weight in-
tended to steady it, and was therefore more subject to the
action of the wind. The south block was reduced in height
last year, when it was added to the refreshment department,
and it was in the contemplation of the directors to do the
same by the other.
" It appears that the wind must have first taken the
upper part of the block, and that this, in its fall, brought
down the adjoining corridor; but as the accident happened
after the closing of the building, no precise particulars are
known as to the manner of its occurrence.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" G. GROVE, Secretary."

IMPE WEAL PARLIAMENT.

HOW SE OF IfSRDS.—(YESTERDAY.
The LOB: o Cni,:sielLLon took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clo eke

CHURCH RATES.
raw, ,Qt against the abolition of church rates were pre-
sented by seveval peers.

riARRIA.GE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.
Lord WODEHOUSE presented petitions from a place
in Norf.olk, from London, and other places, in favour of
legaliP.Lng the marriage with a deceased wife's sister.