The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-03-14

ANOTHER TERRIFIC GALE IN ENGLAND.
On Wednesday, February-20th, furious gale
swept over London and the surrounding country.
In fact. it amounted to a perfect hurricane, and
great was the CONSERVATION generally caused
by the falling of stacks of chimneys, walls, pali-
sades and rything which afforded butt to the
wind and was not sufficient strength to resist its
violence. The houses in the more exposed situa
tions were shaken to their foundations, much to
the terror Of the inhabitants. large destruction
of property is reported. The north wing of the
Crystal Palace at Sydenham totally de-
stroyed.
In Worcestershire and Worcestershire the loss
of property very great. Trees in hundred
were thrown down, and many houses were unroof
ed. At Southampton and other points on the coast
great damage was done to the shipping Through
out the west of England the trains were delayed
and teegralhfc communication seriously inter-
rupted. sn
From Tie London Times, Feb 90
FALL OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
During all Thursday the wind blew over the
hills at Norwood with extraordinary fierceness full
against the front of the Palace facing towards Lon
don. That violent here than in other
suburban districts is evidenced by the broken
branches of trees the palings, and even garden
walls blown down in the neighborhood. But, al
though the pressure of the gale upon the whole
surface of the Palace must have amounted in the
aggregate to several thousand tons, not the small
est perceptible effect produced upon it, and, as
! we have stated, not single pane of glass was
| broken. All stood well till about halfpast Z
| o'clock on Thursday night, when, during one of
the fearful gusts which then swept over the hill,
| some men in the carpenters room heard little
crashing of glass and iron, and Immediately ran
| out on to the terrace garden.
In another minute, with an appalling crash the
| huge tower fell over among some trees, and lay
smashed into millions of fragments on the ground
in the course of two three minutes more the rest
of the wing went, by 80 or 40 yards at time, til
total length of about 10 yards srewed the earth
a mere mass of splinters of glass, wood and iron
Anything more complete than the destruction il
| would be difficult to imagine. The appearance o
the ruin rather suggests that every part of the
building has been carefully broken into small
| pieces than thatit has been merely blown down. A
tremendous explosion could not probably have
shattered the place more etfectually. The wood
work is all in small pieces, the cast iron column
are broken up like glass, and tho rods twisted anC
torn into every shape. Fortunately, there wa
nothing in this wing but the empty pens used at thu
late poultry show, and number of garden ITS
all these, of course, are more or less destroyed A
far as can be judged from the way in which th
ruins have fallen, it would seem that the corne
column nearest the railway must have had to sus
tain the thrust exercised upon it by the othe
columns yielding to the force of the gale.
As the wind came in gusts, it is supposed th
tower must have Oscillated to such degree as t.
force the corner column, which the main straii
came, out of its perpendicular, when, of course, i
snapped at once. 1t was no doubt the breaking O
this which the carpenters first heard, and ran gu
to he terrace, when the tower, thus deprived o
its main support, fell instantly before the mex
blast 1t is great proof, however, of the strengt
of the structure that when the rest CT the VIM
was thus weakened and broken by the fall of III
tower it not instantly overthrow also. /
stood for several minutes, and only fell piece b.
piece the wind swept down upon it with almos
the force of hurricane. The strength of eithe
of these wings, however, is not to be compared
with the enormous strength and compactness witl
which the main building is put together. The cos
Of rebuilding the north wing, It is stated, wou
not amount to more than $4,000, but as lately i
was never used for anything but the poultry shows
which just well be held in the south wing,
is not probable that it will be rebuilt at all.
| THE sPIRE CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL.
On the afternoon ofthe 22d the beautiful spire o
Chichester Cathedral, together with its tower an
supporting arches fell in crash. For som
time past the attention of the architect has bee
directed to the restoration of the southwest an
northwest piers, which were in a very defectiv
state: Every precaution has been or was in th
course ofbeing taken to give the tower proper sup
| port, but on the 18th some of the old stoneworl
gave way and workmen set on to strengthen
the supports. Still, no fear of such a calamity wa
anticipated, two eminent engineers and the cathe
dral architect holding the opinion that the spir
was safe. During the morning of the 22d, however
a very ominous cracking, giving way of plaster
and falling of pieces of stone, gave warning of dan
ger, and the men ordered to desist and leay
the building.
Another fortunate circumstance is, that in fallin
the spire crumbled into itself, the area of ruin be
ing little larger than the space occupied by tn
tower and its supports. The transept, nave an
choir remain apparently safe. The fall seemed t
| be gradual subsistence. The spire preserved il
erect position until the vane vanished beneath tn
roof. In about five seconds this beautiful structur
presented a mass of ruins 1t was an object
beauty for miles around, and served as a kind
landmark for the traveller, go which way he would
The Bishop and other inhabitants residing in house
adjacent to the cathedral, had timely Warming
The fabric with the exception of portions of tn
north and south transeps, is apparently uninjuret
The gale of the previous night doubtless accelerate
the fall