Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
CRYSTAL PALACE,
LONDON SHOW PLACE
Romantic History of the Great
Structure of Glass and Iron.
Prophesies of Collapse.
From the London Times.

From the London Times.
The number of those who We're ASSOC
ciated with, or can remember distinctly
the opening Of the original Crystal
Palace In Hyde Park In 1861 Is now
most Ellzabethan halo surrounds the do
ings of those days. AS in Elizabeth's
time, there was a spirit OF passionate de-
votion to the young queen and her prince
consort, which touched the whole great
enterprise of the fair Of the nations with
a color Of romance In keeping with that
spirit was the splendid audacity which
prompted the building of the palace. in
which the fair was to be held. Of iron
and glass. We have grown so familiar
with its structure that We can hardly
understand the storm of ridicule that
broke upon Sir Joseph Paxton. and thu
courage which 1t needed in the prince
consort and his fellow-directors to hold
to their faith in him. Glass and iron!
Why, the building would collapse at the
first gale! Awful pictures were drawn
of the terrible fate Of those who were
foolish enough to trust themselves inside.
If it did not collapse. tho sun beating
through the glass; would surely frizzle or
suffocate every human being within.
And when the miracle was accomplished.
Thackeray expressed the admiration and
wonder of the world in his welcoming
ode:
4 blazing arch of lucid glass
Leaps like a fountain from the grass
TO meet the sun,
A palace rs for fairy prince.
pavilion such
Saw never, since mankind began.
BY a pretty fancy the original palace.
built in 1851, was 1851 feet long, The
bare cost of the building was El76, go
The enormous success OF the great ex-
hibition Is matter of history: and what
it's influence upon the world has been, in
inspiring all the great international expo
sitionS which have followed it Is inn
possible to estimate. 1t was the earliest
and one Of the greatest Of the peaceful
triumphs of the reign of Queen Victoria.
The queen was unaffectedly in love with
the beautiful building as she was with
her prince, to whom 1t was chiefly due,
and she saw visions of the good which 1t
was to bring in continuing to elevate
and interest as we'll as to delight and
amuse the minds of all classes of my
people,
Removal to Sydenham.
On the close Of the exhibition the pal
ace was Immediately threatened with
crisis not unlike the present one. AT
first it was hoped that the government
would buy the building and let 1t stay IN
perpetuity in the park, but the govern
ment declined to do this. and but for IN
public spirit of Mr.. Farquhar and MI.
Ieech, the palace might have oisap
peared as quickly as it had arisen. win
seven other gentlemen they formed
committee, which bought the bulinlng a
1t stood for f7O,OOO. The Crystal Palace
Company was organized with a snare
capital Of G5OO.OOO. which sum IS SAID 70
have been practically all subscribed WITHIN
a month: and the work of removal 10 tne
new site on what were then the rurai
heights of Sydenham began. 1t was
huge undertaking. and 1t was two years
before the new palace was reauy " -
opened The palace when aTose oi
Sydenham Hill was new anu iio
go. geous one. The length was increasea
from ISL feet to 2,Io6 feet, OF wen use.
half q mile. It was made ~ Ieet nisnsl'
and the total cubic contents were III
creased by approximately 90 per cent.
But the erection of the building was only
a part of the undertaking. Inc most
eminent men Of the day were calIeu IA "
help in its adornment. In tne Iep. Ouuo
ton Of ancient styles OF aIchl.ece a .I,a
decoration in the courts. IN stoGhs .no
galleries with sculpture. In makins tne
images of the PREHISTORIC animals; aAu,
above all, in laying out the grouhos Anu
designing the fountains. which are ieo
from an artesian well SUO feet deep.
A Place Of Work and Pleasure.
The palace at once assumed its posi-