The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-31

The works Of tho Exhibition building. slvs
the London NEWS of tho ION, have been
pushed with the greatest energy during tn,
past week, but, rs the principal exertions were
concentrated on the domea much progress could
rot be observed. As thesc dom,s are no y so
rapidly Approaching completion, few detailed
particulars rcspeC log them may no, prove I'M
interesting:
These u,incs arc the largest that have ever
YET been eSecutsd. Tho Exhibition domas a,e
100 j.. IN exterior diameter, tho dome Of st
Peters il 80 it, and thi' Of S. Pauls III
H. but, although our dom's aye in themselves
larger IN every way han any vet c1ustruc ed
they viii not rise to so great height above
tho ground as either Of those. The Exhibition
d'mes spting from height Of III f.. which
makes the top Of the final 2G0 f.. above the
ground, while the cross on S. Peters l. 1874 IT,,
and thai OF St, Pdul's $40 f, above III, plve.
mCnt.
So much for the dames upon which at the pre
sent time ntarly all the energies Of n, c,ntrac-
tors are concentrated for the rest Of the work
we have have Only TO say that it progresses in
the most rapid aud sltittIctcry amor Near
ly tho whole buil'ing may now bc ,aii to be-
rooied in, giving tbs enormous to'al # gHS. ODO
square feet OF roofing as snius' g53 900 of the
Paris Exhibition, ans being 200, 600 more IA 40
that Of the London Exhibition Of 1851. Tle
eastern courts are neatly finish I'd, aud the pie.
| ture gallery is now pe'f,ci work 9roat thin q
HfNNNNN AiNiiA NV pllHNlHltN hlNplt'l IN
| lighting this important depar ment Of the buill-
ing, and Captain Philpots gives tho following
| description OF the thing TO be done, md the
ode In in which IL is prop os,d TO be effected :
The chief desideratum of picture gallery ia
an equally distributed light throughout, al.
| mtted in such way ~ will praveut its riv-
being directly reflected from the surface of the
| picture 20 the eye Of the visitor. A light.
therefore, satisfying this condition, when III,
| observer Is standing at a convenient distance il
the only one which can lie called perfect. M
| one can have observed pictures lighted by ordi.
nary vii dows without eXpIienc ny the un,
| pleasant effect produced by The improper reh e.
ton Of the rays, or glitter from the pictures, a.
| IL is called. II is for this reason that one /,
often puzzled where TO find place from whict
10 see the whole Of large pic ure to advanta 20
The defect exists In many Of the finest galleries
both in this country and on the continent and
| the result is that some pictures can scarcely b,
seen at all, while Others can only be observed
from one or two points, which are always more
| or less crowded, according to the merits lf the
| subject. This Is o1viAted by admitting tn,
light at particular angle from the roof b,
means ofA sky light extending along its entir,
length, and which in the present case measure,
| 81 feet in width. In this space Transparent
calico ceiling tcereafter TO be replaced by
ground glass; is introduced, which is raised
10 feet Z inches from the floor. These p'opor
ticns will afford the gallery as much light a.
possible, and glitter from the surface Of thu
| pictures will be avoided.