The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-12 00:00:00

for lowering or increasing the internal temperature
at pleasure. A copious ventilation is provided. Four
feet around the whole of the basement part of the
building being made of luffer boards, and at the top of
each tier of lights a similar provision is made, and s
very copious supply in the centre aisle; these will all
open and shut in the easiest possible manner by
very simple machinery. The transept is 72 feet wide,
and 105 feet in height, with a circular roof to inclose
the large elm trees opposite Prince's Gate. Mr.
Paxton went on to explain that since the first state-
ment as to the quantity of glass to be wed had been
published, it had been decided by the building com-
mittee to substitute wood round the lower tier ; but
should the building remain, as he trusted it would—

(Cheers)—the wood might readily be replaced with
glass. He also stated that the foundation of the
building would be completed by the end of this week,
and the whole of the shoes for the columns be shortly
in their places; and the progress Mr. Fox talked of
making in the course of the next fortnight was almost
incredible. As the ground plan showed, several
small plantations would be enclosed in the building,
and the transept was for the accommodation of the
large trees that were to remain undisturbed. Mr.
Paxton proceeded to advert very briefly to the uses
to which such sort of buildings might be applied. The
exceeding cheapness of iron and glass would give an
impetus to the erection of similar buildings, though
perhaps on a smaller scale ; for there was hardly any
purposes of ordinary covering to which the same plan
might not be adopted with advantage. He had
already been consulted by various parties—by York-
shire manufacturers as well as other persons—with
reference to the application of the principle in covering
large spaces. Mr. Batty, the equestrian, of London,
had wished him to design a circus to be erected near
the park during the Exhibition, and a friend had sug-
gested an excellent idea, namely, the covering over
of Shakspere's birth-place at Stratford, to protect it
from decay. Most of his hearers were aware that Mr.
Punch had made a special application to him to build
glass Houses of Parliament, but as he had not yet
received her Majesty's commands to commence the
erection, he feared they could not be ready in time
for the spring meeting.—(Laughter.) He would
I avail himself of that opportunity of stating, that all
the apace provided in the Exhibition building had
already been applied for; so that if there were more
applications from the present time—and it was certain
there would be many, probably enough to cover
nearly double the apace provided—selections would of
course have to be made, or the accommodation in-
creased. And now they must allow him to say a few
words upon the object of the proposed Exhibition. He
as an humble individual, the moment the scheme
was proposed, hailed it with feelings of the greatest
possible delight. He thought at the time that
they had arrived at a grand period in our history,
when a Prince nearly allied to the throne was engaged
in doing all he could to foster the arts of peace, in-
stead of lending his name and the bad example of his
influence in fomenting petty distractions and stirring
up passions which tended to the perpetuation of strife
and ill blood, and the destruction of human life.—
To foster the arts, to promote the extension of in-
dustry and commerce, to knit nation and nation
in the bonds of universal brotherhood, was a noble
object for Prince Albert to be engaged in ; and from
the outset he (Mr. Paxton) wished it that full measure
of success to which he now believed it was certain to
attain.--(Cheers) At the same time regard for truth
led him to acknowledge that the project had not re-
ceived that amount of encouragement in some quar-
ters to which its merits fully entitled it. This was to
be regrefted on many accounts, for depend upon it no
means were so beneficial in the improvement of the
human race as those which brought men in contact
with each other, thus rubbing off the rust of prejudice
and and cementing them together by feelings
of amity and mutual consideration for each other's
prosperity and happiness.—(Cheers.) If that was
good between man and man, how infinitely greater
the benefit as between nation and nation !—(Loud
cheers.) And be sincerely believed that this project,
in conjunction with the appliaeces of steam and the
wonder-working powers of the electric telegraph,
would lead nations to see each other's interests in a
different light than hitherto, and demonstrate that the
true happiness and welfare of all was bound up in the
reciprocation of mutual good offices, kindly feelings,
,'and a right appreciation of our duties to each other.
The Exhibition would attract the people and products
of all nations, and we should all assemble on neutral
ground. It would be felt by other countries that on
no other occasion had England displayed more mag-
nanimity and liberty than in the projection of this Ex-
hibition ; and the inhabitants of those countries were
preparing with zeal and alacrity to meet us next
year. He hoped Englishmen were not afraid of being
beaten ; if they were beat, perhaps it might do them
good. He believed it was a good thing to have the
conceit taken out of one.—(Laughter.) He had
often had it taken out of him, but the next morning
he started again with new vigour, and a greater deter.
mination to reach success. He had no doubt that
the Exhibition of 1851 would not be the last exhibi-
tion of the kind in England ; for the more closely
they watched the signs of the times, and saw the giant
strides knowledge was making, the more convinced
must they be that they had entered upon a new era
of the world's history, pregnant with great:changes for
the better in the social condition of the people.
He confessed he had been puzzled at the apathy
shown by the great manufacturers, and not a little
surprised at the ignorance displayed by some persons
in reference to the Exhibition. When in Ireland, the
other day, he met a person whose notions were
generally very liberal, and who, after conversing
about the building, expressed fears that the large im-
portation of foreigners would be attended with great
danger to our institutions, and result in an attempt to
create a disturbance.—(Laughter.) That was the
most extraordinary idea he bad heard promulgated ;
but he endeavoured to dissipate the fears of his friend
by saying that however numerous, they would be but
as a drop in a bucket, and rather than endanger our
own institutions they would return home with a far
higher appreciation of the real liberty Englishmen
enjoy, and new ideas as to the right way of obtaining
equal rights and privileges with ourselves. He (Mr.
Paxton) cared not how many foreigners came, for be
was convinced their visit to this country would end in
great good. Then, again, the great shopkeepers in
London were panic-stricken, lest peradventure the la-
bels on the goods in the exhibition should ruin their own
trade. He (Mr. Paxton) did not know a better
speculation than to give the Regent-street shopkeepers
two years' profits for their shops during the next
twelve months, for he conceived that the Exhibition
would add very greatly to their business. He had only
one other objection to answer, and that was as regarded
the products of foreign workmen injuring the products
of our artisans He would state a fact within his own
knowledge. Frenchmen were celebrated for orna-
menting glass. The establishment of Messrs. Chance,
of Birmingham, employed a number of Frenchmen
for a particular branch of the trade, the snaking of
glass shades. By degrees the English workmen in the
establishment became as proficient in the art as the
French, and about a fortnight ago a trial of skill took
place between them. The establishment received
orders for an enormous glass shade. The Frenchman
tried his skill, and failed ; an Englishman, who pre-
vious to the importation of the French, was unac-
quainted with the art, then made an effort to accom-
plish the task, and succeeded at the first attempt.—
, (Cheers.) These shades would be made for all parts
of the world, and as well as they could be made by
Frenchmen, and this fact showed how little they bad
to fear competition.—(Hear, hear.)

THE FASTNET ROCK LIGHT-

HOUSE.

This rock, which lies 10 miles out from the main
land and five miles west half south from Cape Clear,
is of a pyramidal shape. The crown of the rock,
which was 98 feet above the level of the sea, has been
cut down some feet, and a tower for a light has been
erected. It was determined to erect the lighthouse
after the loss of the Stephen Witney on an adjacent
rock. The captain of the unfortunate vessel, having
been unable to see the Cape Clear light, which was
enveloped in a fog, to which its height made it sub-
ject, being 455 feet above the level of the sea, ran his
ship into the bay, and, sighting the Crookbaven har-
bour light, mistook it for the Cape, and believed he
was running up Channel when his fine vessel dashed
on the Alderman Rock and immediately sank. Such
an accident cannot, it is believed, occur when the
Fastnet is lighted, its position being lower, while it
stands more prominently to the westward. An idea
of the dangers and difficulties encountered in the
erection of the tower may be formed from the
following :—A few days since, when the sea around
was without a ripple, a few gentlemen got into
a boat at Crookhaven and rowed for the Faetnet,
believing they could run the boat ashore. On near-
ing the rock they were astonished to find the sea
beating upon it angrily. Being about to return, they
were hailed from the rock and were told that " the
box would be lowered." In a few minutes a pole
about 40 feet long swept round from the rock, to
which a box was attached, and in which a mu]
stood. The point of the pole having been brought
directly from the rock, the receding of the wave was
i
watched, the boat was signalled to row n, and the
box was lowered over it. " Come, sir," said the man
in the box, "be in quickly, or the boat will be
swamped," and one or the gentlemen at the moment
sprang in and stood upright, facing his new com-
panion.
The boat was instantly dashed back, and
an effort was made on the rock to heave up the bcx,
but the rope having fouled, the returning wave en-
gulphed
its Thye,
fferaiernindgs
ain
deplorablethe boat lookedresult.
nn
suspense
h hre att contents.wi ta,sss
dardful. At last the exertions of
dreadful.
n
The
those on the rock drew the box and the:party from the
surge. But the danger was not over yet. The fouling
of the rope prevented for some ten or fifteen minutes
the drawing in of the pole, and during that time the
box and its contents dangled over the roaring waves.