New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-15
From he Ioodoa Noraas Hsf.a
THE CRYSTAL PALACE
IN HYpE PARK.

all combine TO insure for il large share ct nat
attention which the Exhibition is likely TO attract
and to render its progress matter OF great public
interest 4 building designed to cover 792,S32
Superficial feet, and to have an exhibiting surface
OF aoout u acres, to re rooted IN and handed over
toIhe commissioners within little more than three
HonthsIroIn It's commencement, to be constructed
almost entirely of glass and iron, the most fragile
ana the strongest OF working materials, 70 com
blne the liShtness OF conservatory with the sta
blilty OF our most permanent str,Ictures-such
building VIII naturally excite much curiosity asto
the mode in which the works connected with il
are conducted, and the advances which are made
towards its completion
Enchanted palaces that grow up in night 80
confined to fairy land, and In this material worla
of ours the abors of the brioklayer and the carpen
ter are never. ending 1t took 500 years to build
St Peters at Rome, and 80 to complete our OWE
St. Pauls. The new palace of Westminster has
already been - years in hand, and is still unRn-
ished. We up houses, 1t is true, quickly
enough in this country, but Ii there be touch OF
magic in the time occupied there none IN the ap-
pearancc of so much stucco and brickwork as our
streets exhibit Something very different from
this is promised for the great edihce in Hyde Park
Not only is it TO rise with extraordinary rapldty
but IN every other respect is TO be suggesuyeo OF
Arabian Nights remembrances. In Its favor
the window law is to be ignored, and SVQ,UOO sa-
periical feet of glass weighing upward0 400 tuns,
are to be used in its construction. Not stone nor
brick will be employed throughout the spacioas
structure, which to rest upon $500 cast IRON col
/ umns, and to be strengthened and kept together
/ by 1924 girders Of the same material. The plan
of it which has been published represents an dice
in every respect qualified to become the repository
ofspecnens ofthe world industry the basement
and two upper tiers diminishing IN aree as they
ascend, and thus securing graceful variety OF
| outline while the mOnotOnous effect OF a t6cdds
l,s48 feet long is broken by a spacious ttansept.
1 This transept 4OS feet long ard - feet vide will
be arched and will rise to The hight OF 10 teet in
closing within IT. in glass row OF trees,
which respect for the Park timber has induced the
! Commissioners to spare.
The rootof the entire building resting on the cast
iron Orders will be what technically called ridge
and valley" and will look like an unduletmg sea,
the whole being cover with canvass to exclude the
RAYS of the summersuu and prevent any lnconyen'
fence arising from excessive heat This VIII oe
the case in every part of the structure except the
transept where the presence Of trees render light
| necessary, and where therefore, the arched glass
roof will remain uncovered When closed IN and
completed, the view presentedby the interior Wlll,
it is anticipated be wonderfully graceful and
splendid. The central avenue, l,84s feet long, Is
feet broad, and SO feet high, with rows oil pillars
shooting OFT from it on either side, and SO arranged
that the eye can traverse freely to every part OF
the building, must have very grand appear
ance Care has been taken to have the coluInns
upon which the whole fabric rests distributed with
| such regularity that no confusion or lOfestilke
effect can be proposed By them. 1t will be the
same in all the avenues as the central one, al
! though there, from its proportions and the entire
absence of galleries or upper flooring TO break
the perspective, the view presented viii be most
imposing.
Beside the immense space thus devoted to the
general purposes of the Exhibition, there viii be
on the north side of the building & room set apart
for the reception of machinery. THIS apartment
will be 24G feet long IS feet broad, and "a feet
! high. Another feature of the building VIII be tho
Refreshment Courts, which are to be divided INTO
three classes. Those whose means and taste IN
cline them to patronise the first will discuss the
decacies of the season under the branches OF the
trees which occupy the north end Of the transepti
those whose habits OF life are less ambitious, or
whose paates are less discriminating must move
westward while for the crowd OF humble visitors
the requisite accommodation will be provided on
the northeast side of the building.
While from north to south, and across the
breadth of the structure the flooring will be per-
fectly level, from west to east it will be slightly
inclined, ike the stage Of a theater, though not
of course to the same extent. THIS 1t IS be-
lieyed will add much to the effect OF the nterloI
by enabling visitors at the lower end TO see al
most at a glance over the whole edihce. Though
from north to south the flooring will be quite hoF'
izontal, the land slopes little, and this enables
the architect to give the building that side the
appearance Of raised foundation, which VIII Dc
faced with green sod. light iron railing WI
inclose the building at distance OF eight teet
from its exterior, and beyond that there VIII De Z
foot path. The grand entrance will be nearly OPP
posite the Prince gateway, and will have seven
pairs of doors. Ample arrangements nave oeeh
made, however, Tor the entry and exit oil Yistots
at other points. The exterior surfaces Of the
first or ground tier viii not be Of glass but OF
wood for the purpose OF greater security and
laH
quire to be hung up in order to be seen TO ad'
vantage. Some conception Of the work to be
performed may be gathered from this, that the
calculations oil Messrs. Fox, Henderson 20, ths
contractors, estimate among other requisites, 81
miles OF cutters, 202 miles Of sash bars and
miles OF table for exhibiting.
1t is now only a month since the actual work oil
construction commenced In that time the ioun'
dalton pieces Oh which the columns rest baYs
nearly all been fixed upon their beds OF concrete,
and the earth filled in around them. The columns
required for large section OF the southern ana
central parts OF the building have been put up and
connected together by Orders. The framework
begins to indicate the form of the future structure,
Just as the ribs and bones of the mammoth at the
British Museum shadow forth what the animal
must have been when alive The graduated cat
Ines OF the structure ascending tier above uss'
the cathedral-like effect oi the transept, and the
long extended avenues and rows of slender pi
lars, branching off symetrically on either SIDE Oh
them, already be discerned. Sleepers sna
iosts Tor the flooring above have been laid u one
or TWO parts, and enc small piece OF windo" tram
ing has been fixed in its place. The external "a;
eng Of the ground tier has been commenced, aha
willie the framework of about o9e,thlrd q 5.. a
structure is in forward state nearly every de1a'
OF the work has been begun.
Messrs. Fox and Henderson have already one
small crane established the girders for b9isIns
up materials, and in few days they wiii nsy1
several more The rapidity with which the 0a fa"e
iug progresses may be estimated from tae ed ed
that two columns and three Orders can 9J l n1 "
in about Is minutes While the actual laoof -.
construction proceeds, vast amount Of pfega, I,
the wooden arches required to span the 'fa agS
are completed Sash bars window frames asd Ip by
MEDIATE bearers and cutters are got feq 10 .y
hundreds Of worknen under sheds, .o9sa =, gorE
Of floor panking The hydraulic PfeSs ~ ,es srs