The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-03-05
NEW YORK CRYSTAL PALACE
FOR THE EXHIBITION OF TIE INDUS
~ ,IIlNG

FOR THE EXHIBITION OF TEE INDUS
TRY OF ALL NATIONS.
This building constructed Of Iron and Glass.
is electcd on Reservoir Square in the City Of
b New York, by the Association Iur til" EXhhi-
/ ton OF the Industry ot all Nations. incorporated
under an Act OF the Legisature OF the stale OF
New York, the / th day OF March, 1852. The
use OF Reservoir Square is granted by the Mu-
nIcpa! Authorities OF The City. The Ground
Plan OF the Building forms an ocasun. and is
surmoHntcI BY IA Greek Gross, with Il Dome over
the intersection. The extreme length and
breadth Of the building are each 800 feet.
Height Of Dome to the top of Lantern - feet.
Entire space On Ground Floor, II 900 square
feet. Galleries, $4,000 square feet. Whole
area, 5000 square feet, or acres.
/ 1t was very natural that those citizens Of the
/ United States who were in London in The sum
mer OF 1881, and who saw and Ielt the crafty
ine iriunphs that our people achieved durin,
that yraI, and who also saw the peculiarly pop
ular character Of expeditions Of this kind. and
their beneficial tendencies in regard to the
working glasses, should early have entertained
the idea Of repeating the Exhibition on this side
oi The waller Accordingly. shortly after the
close OF the London FAIR, steps were taken FOR
the purpose.
The main features orthe building are as fol-
| lows 1t j., with the exception Of the floor, en-
! tirely constructed Of iron and glass. The gen.
era idea OF the edlicc is a Greek cross. sur
mounted by Il dome at The intersection. Each
diameter OF the cross will be 365 feet inches
! long. There viii he three similar entrances:
one on the Sixth Avcnue, one on Forieth, and
one on Forty-Sccond street. Earh entrance
will be Il feet wide, aud ih;.t on the sixth Ave-
nue. will be approached bv flight OF eight steps;
over each front is large semi circular iun-lieht
i feet wide and Il feet high, answering TO the
arch of the nave. Each arm Of the cross is on
the ground plan lia feet broad. This is djvii-
cd into a central nave and Two alslcs, one on
each side; the nave 4 feet wide, each aisle 81
| feet wide. The central portion or nave is car
ried up to the height of 81 feet, and the semi
circular arch by which it is spanncd is ! / feet
J broad. There are thus in effect two archrd
naves crossing each other at right angles, Al
feet broad. o. feet high to the crown Of the arch
and 365 feet long; and on each side OF these
naves is an aisle 81 feet broad, and 10 feet high.
! The exterior of the rldgeway Of the nave is II
/ feet. Each aisle is covered by u gallery OF It's
own width, and 81 feet from the floor. The
central dome is 100 feet in diameter, IS feet i'll
side from the floor to the spring OF the arch, and
| Is feet to the crown; and on the outside, with
the Lantern, 149 feet. The exterior angles of
the building are ingeniously filled up with a
triangular lean to "a feet high, which gives the
ground plan an octagonal shape, each side or
face being 149 feet wide. At each angle is an
octa eoual tower s feet in diameter, and rs feet
high.
There are on the ground floor 100 aclaeonal
cast iron columns, 81 feet above the floor, and
inches in diameter; cast hollow, Of different
thlcknesses, from half an inch to one inch.
These columns receive the cast iron glrders.
These are 26a feet long and 8 feet high, and
serve to sustain the galleries and the wrought
iron construction OF the roofas well as to brace
the whole structure in every direction. The
eirders, as well as the second story columns,
are fastened to the columns in the first story, by
connecting pieces Of the same octagonal Shape
as the columns, 3 feet inches high, having
proper fAanges and Tugs TO iasten all pieces
together By bolts. The number Of lower floor
grders is 252, besides II wrought iron girders
of the same height, and Al feet span over part
OF the nave. The second story contains l4S
columns, OF the same shape as those below, and
II feet inches high. These receive another
tier of Orders, numbering 100, for the support
of the roofs of the aisles, each nave being COW
cred BY Is cast iron semi-circular arches, each
composed Of pieces.
The dorae is supported by "a columns, which
go up above the second story to a height of 81
feet above the floor, and support combination
OF wroughl-iron arches and cilderS, on which
rests n cas-iron he'd plate, so constructed as to
receive the 30 ribs OF the dome.
The quantity of iron to BE- used for the build
Ing will amount 10 about $50 tons. The roof