American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-11-07
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
Communicated
Crystal PaIac ce--GIass Market-hOuse I'm
washin gt0n, &c. E


The Crystal Palace in England is to be taker
down. Arrangements for its demolition are al
ready made For one, / regret that the Brit
ish Parliament failed, before its recent adjourn
ment, to interpose its authority to save the
splendid structure at least for awhile longer
by directing the Commissioner of Woods and
Forests to suspend the execution Of the CON
tract with the Royal Commission, which stipu.
lated its removal from Hyde Park Immediately
after the close Of the Worlds Fair. That i'm
mense and magnificent house Of glass and iror
is worthy to be called the eighth wonder Of tn,
world 1t marks an era in architecture. Every
age should have its peculiar style to distinguish
it in after years. The Crystal Palace will rep
resent the 10th century. 1t has no antecedent.
Nothing Of the like has gone before it. The
style is useful and economical, and is susceptible
of much esthetic effect. The successful erec-
tion of that great glass house, in an incredibly
short time, capable of bearing on its floors and
through its galleries the startling number ot
one hundred thousand people, without single
accident, commands universal attention and adj
miration. Its entire and Incompatible adapta-
ton for public or private structures, where
are essential, will have controlling influence
in the architecture of our age and generation.
The railway companies of England have already
adopted the style for their new station-houses,
(depots) We saw one ut Oxford, (the city Of
colleges,) which was declared to answer the
purpose better than any other building that
could have been put up.
The Crystal Palace, in Hyde Park, may be
demolished; but Mr.. Paxtons design will live
forever, and will be recreated in every part OF
the world, in many shapes and for many pur-
poses.
We propose a Crystal Palace IN Washington
City not for the g exhibition of the works OF
industry of all nations" as the English express
it, but for the exhibition of beef and bread,
vegetables and veal-for the practical and
everyday business Of supplying the diplomatic,
Legislative, and mechanical dinners of the fed
eral capital Let us have o glass market
house IA large, light, airy, and elegant struc
ture, after the fashion of the Crystal Palace
The whole of our extensive Market square
might be placed under glass canopy for the
protection of every wagon and STALL every pur-
veyor and purchaser. If it be the determine
tion of the city corporation to remove from our
beautiful Avenue the present unsightly old pile,
or range of sheds, known as the Centre Market,
we respectfully commend to the favorable con-
sideration of the city fathers and our able
Mayor Lenox the idea Of an mon-ribbed and
glass covered market-house. Instead of adver-
tising for millions of brick, quarries Of stone
and forests of timber, and consuming many
months of labor, to build huge, heavy, dark
and probably ill-ventilated market house, lie
the authorities call upon Mr.. VIM. P. Elliot
the architect who, having devoted unusual at
tention to Paxton's design, will doubtless fur
nish drawings for a structure that would be o
splendid ornament to the city-a convenient
and capacious place of business-safe, durable,
and economical brilliant, pure, and clear as
CRYSTAL
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 1851.