The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-06
The Greni Exhibition In ENGLAND.

The most difficult of all tho works in con
neXion with the new palace at kcnsington, are
those belonging TO the erection Of the dOmos
Gass and iron domcs Of such stepen'Ou mngni-
tuce as those arc new alike 10 architects and
~ gintcrs. A sla's come for the building in
tended for the Amsterdam Exhibition nest
May is now in course OF err ction in. that city but
IA this rs 10 I've Oval-shapod, aud Is little
more than 100 feet in dilmetcr, the dillcul.
ties to bo overcome are mere child's play when
compared with those TO bo encountered In
the construction Of the great homi-phorcS at
kensugtOn. A. yet nothing of their size has
ever been attempted in any material The
dome OF the Pantheon il only ~ II. In diane
ter anl 1On high' the dome Of st. Paul's is
I12ff. in diameter bv 2lift. high that of st.
Peters /. lJsit. diameter by 26Oft. high. from
tho external pinih; lIrunoleschi'' NJ Floronco is
llgft diameter 10y 1854 and even the dome in
the Baths ui Caracllld was Ouly lllit. in dia-
meter. The two dOncs AZ the east and west
end OF the Exhibition are each to be no
less than loot. in diameter and 25Sit. in
height. Each springs from the intersection
Of the nave with the two trnnsepts, 40 that
standing beneath them the view In all directions
will be one OF unequalled beauty. As the level
Of the floor of the building will bc five feet be-
low that OF the surrounding road, Capt. Fowkc
has used this condition 10 obtain u very pictur-
esduc effect a. each end of the building. In
stead of descending into il, the visitor enter
ing will ascend two steps 10 a spacious round
dais under each dome, and thence will descend
into the nave and tTansspts by three noble
tights OF steps, each 80 feet wide aud with tho
ornamental balustrade, decorated al each side
with statues and large vases filled with ferns aud
towering 'hTubs.
The domcs themselves will rest on eight
groups Oi iUBr columns each, so that the form
Ot the base Of the structure will lie duOlecago-
nal. OF these - massive columns eight are no
less than feet in diameter ~ are | ioo diane
ter, ana eight are foot square. Thus, each
group Of four columns contain one square, two
| uf the small circular columns, and one of the
| large ones. All are in % feet lengths, aver.
aging about tons in each length, and all are
| connected together with distance pieces, ma
king the whole four as rigid AZ solid holt. The
| two smaller circular columns only 90 up to a
| height Of 30 feet where they stopto support the
massiyo groined wrOught-iron ribs which span
across the nave and transepts. The great cir
| rar and square columns are continued beyond
| this to a height of l0S feet, when they stop
| beneath tie gallery Of the dome. From the
| gallery rise the ribs of the dome itself formed
| o. semicir, ular wTought-iron pirders, tapering
| gradually from feet deep to about inches at
| the apex of the roof beneath the lantern. To
! aid in the erection of these domes Mr.. Clement,
! has Just completed two Of the largest and most
| curiOusy constructed timber scllf lis that have
ever been seen in this or probably any other
| country Each is a circular wooden tower 1870
tcot in diameter, and rising IN 10 ioors to a
| hoigl,t Of 200 ioet.