The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-09 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1862.

All the works connected with the South Kensing-
ton Palace are in a most satisfactory state of for-
wardness, excepting only those for the construction
of the enormous glass and iron domes. These, in
fact, are the most difficult works in iron that have
ever been undertaken. Never were so many
awkwardly shaped pieces of ironwork designed to
fit into one erection. It is, in fact, like putting
together a colossal puzzle, each of the component
parts of which averages three tons in weight, and
has to be bolted into its place at a height of 200
feet from the ground. At such a fearful elevation
in anything like rough weather the danger of
accident becomes so great that the men will not
risk their lives by continuing the work, and the
gigantic scaffolding itself offers obstacles to rapid
progress, as it frequently requires a whole day's
labour to conduct an awkward piece of iron
through its intricacies to the spot where it is to
be lifted to the summit. With such drawbacks on
rapidity, and the knowledge that bad weather at
all timea interrupts this portion of the building,
our readers will not be surprised to hear that all
hope of getting them completed by the Ist of
January has been abandoned. The Ist of February,
it is now thought, is more likely to be the
date of their completion, though a repetition of
anything like last year's weather would be certain
to make even this date liable to further postpone-
ment. The chief difficulty consists in fixing the
wrought-iron groined ribs. Four of these awkward
pieces have to be fixed under each dome, spanning
the intersections of the naves and transepts. The
ends rest on double groups of columns, and are
about 20 feet apart at their base, converging till
they meet in the centre in a massive wrought-iron
box girder, which forms the crown of the arch.
Each of these groined arches weighs some 60 tons,
and as they, in fact, have to carry the whole weight
of the dome above, the utmost care is requisite to
adjust them with perfect accuracy. The Thames
Company have handed over the erection of the
western dome to Mr. Kelk, and Mr. Ashton,
who has charge of the ironwork, is making
rapid progress with it. The eastern dome has
also got on very well, and two of the groined ribs
are fixed, though it is said they will require a certain
amount of re-adjustment before they can be said to
be complete. In the meantime, to lessen as much
as possible any causes of delay that may arise from
the non-completion of the domes, all the other
works are being most rapidly advanced. The picture
galleries will be complete to the minutest particular
before Christmas, by which time, also, the walls of
the refreshment department will be finished, and a
great portion of the 50 feet courts glazed in. Early
in January all excepting the domes will be com-
pletely covered in, so that the decorations may be at
once commenced, and the flooring of all but the nave
laid down. The nave will be kept open for the
passage of articles into the Exhibition till the very
last moment ; and here, of course, the floor cannot
be laid till the domes are finished and the scaffold-
ings all removed. It is calculated, however, that
all this floor, as it is already cut and fitted, could be
nailed down in a few hours; so that, beyond the
hurry and scurry inevitable at the last moment, and
which would be just as groat if the Commissioners
had another year allowed them, everything will
have shaken down pretty well before the day fixed
for the opening, Thursday, the Ist of May. Of one
thing intending exhibitors may be sure —that, what-
ever apparant want of punctuality there may be in
the completion of the domes, it will not be admitted
as any excuse for the non-delivery of articles within
the allotted time—that is, between the Ist and
31st of March. Anything coming later than this
date, no matter what it is or where from—even the
Koh-i noor itself—will be denied admission. There
is one most important matter which is just now a
source of deep anxiety to the chief promoters of
next year's display, for on the course which is now
taken with regard to the approaches to the building
very much of the comparative success or failure of
the whole scheme must depend. Every one has
said that " something ought to be done," but no-
body has done it, till it is now evident that some-
thing must be done, and done quickly, if we don't
want the roads to the Exhibition next year to be
such a scene of turmoil, danger, and confusion worse
confounded as will stain our local and metropolitan
administrations with lasting disgrace. If we take
the data afforded by the number of visitors to the
last Exhibition, to which the means of communica-
tion from various parts of the metropolis were much
greater than those we have for next year, we find
even in these numbers cause for infinite anxiety on
the subject of approaches, No reasonable man, how-

ever, can doubt but that, with a tolerable proportion
of fine weather, the number of visitors next year
will be greatly in excess of those of 1851. It is iu
the nature of all these international displays to
develope and improve with each succeeding occa-
sion. The experience of all foreign countries
shows us this, and, other chances being equal, there
is no reason to suppose that the English Exhibitions
will prove the only exceptions to this rule. The
total number of visitors in 1851 was 6,039,195.
But at that time there were only 6,700 miles of
railway open throughout the United Kingdom.
Next year there will be nearly 11,000 miles. The
general system of railway management has im-
mensely improved also since 1851, and managers
have now learnt to appreciate the return ticket
system and the excursion traffic at reduced rates,
which they would not even hear of ten years ago.
Indeed, to such an extent have these increased
facilities induced the public to travel, that we find
from the Board of Trade returns that the numbers
of railway journeys performed throughout the king.
dom has continued steadily increasing at the enor-
mous rate of nearly 10,000,000 a year, and that the
number has more than doubled since 1851. In that
year there were 85,000,000 journeys performed;
last year there were 177,000,000. In 1851 the
railways could only bring and take away from
London 40,000 visitors daily ; now it is computed
that they are equal to a passenger traffic to and
from the metropolis of not less than 140,000 daily.
It is not unreasonable to suppose, then, that, with
the great inducements that will be hold out by
railway companies in the way of cheap excursion
trains and long return tickets, the number of visitors
from the country will be nearly doubled this time,
and that, instead of 3,000,000, as in 1851, we may
not improbably get 6,000,000 next year. Now,
nothing is more easy than for these people to come
to London, but it is quite a problem how they are
to get to and from the Exhibition by means of the
present roads. For all practical purposes there is
now, in truth, only one main road—that along Pic-
cadilly, past Albert-gate, off by Knightsbridge to
Brompton. This is a good wide road till we come to
Knightbridge, but from there the narrows" com-
mence in earnest, and as fbr the traffic of this kind no
road can be considered wider than its narrowest part,
it is easy to see what a continuous block there must
be from this point up to the very doors of the build-
ing. It is absolutely necessary that immediate steps
should be taken with this most irregular and con-
tracted thoroughfare. The roadway, in short, must
be widened, and this can be done at a small cost if
the gardens at the north side are appropriated. The
Kensington Vestry, we are glad to hear, are now
taking steps in the matter, and we hope they will
do the work effectually, for it must not be forgotten
that much of next year's building is to be perma-
nent, and that, with the attractions of the South
Kensington Museum and the New Horticultural
Gardens, the traffic along this road will be perma-
nently increased, and will increase every year.
Just now intending exhibitors are very anxious
about their allotments of space, and the Commis-
sioners' office is daily inundated with letters of com-
plaint or remonstrance on the subject. We are
requested to state, therefore, that the spaces are now
in conrse of allotment with the utmost speed that
the whole staff at the disposal of the Commissioners
can work them out. All the allotments will be
complete and issued to the exhibitors by the 15th
of this month.