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IN ALL ITS GLORY.

THE GREAT NATIONAL EXHIBITION.

This truly magnificent structure, designed by Mr Paxton, and erected by Messrs. Fox and Henderson, in little more than three months, is a long parellelogram, 1848 feet long, and 408 feet wide; with an addition on the north side, 936 feet long, and 48 feet wide. The height is 66 feet. Nearly midway, 900 feet to the centre on the west side, and 948 feet on the east, a transept is formed, with a semicircular roof, 108 feet high from the ground, to enclose a group of trees. This further serves to break the long line of the side elevation, and marks. out the central entrance. There is another principal entrance at each end. The main parallelogram is formed into 11 divisions longitudinally, alternately 24 and 48 feet wide, with the exception of the great central walk, which is 72 feet broad. There are three large refreshment courts, enlosing three groves of trees. The area on the ground floor is 752,832 square feet, nearly 18 acres; the area of the galleries included in the contract, is 102,528 square feet, making a total of 855,360 feet, and the cubic contents 30,000,000 feet. The exhibition surface, including galleries, will be 21 acres. Other galleries may be introduced if nded, at an extra cost, affording an additional availab area of 90,432 square feet. The frame-work is of

iron; the sides, ends, and roof, of glass. The architectural form of the building is very elegant. It is in three stories, one behind the other, so that the ends show as a pyramid of three steps, each story being formed by fluted pillars, and arches of iron, with walls of glass, and are surmounted by an ornamental and frieze architrave. The design of the endless range of arches is very tasteful. The roofs are nearly flat, but consist of ridges and vallies, eight feet wide, so formed as to easily carry off the rain.

The iron columns are from designs by Mr. Burry. They consist of four raised fillets upon a circular column, and although of great strength, have a remarkably elegant appearance. They are placed 24 feet apart, and in each space between these, externally, are two wooden columns of the same size. Of cast-iron girders, there are 2,244, for supporting galleries and roofs; 1,128 intermediate bearers: 358 wrought-iron trusses, for supporting roof; 3230 iron columns, of beautiful design; 44 miles of gutters, for carrying water to the columns, which are hollow, and serve as water-pipes; 202 miles of sash bars, and 900,000 superficial feet of glass, sufficiently strong to resist storm or violence, weighing upwards of 400 tons.

The spaces between the columns next the ground, and elsewhere, are fitted with immovable louvre-plates of iron, for ventilation.

We doubt not but that this palace of glass, the daring conception of Mr. Paxton, will itself form one of the most attractive, aud wonder-exciting features of the Exhibition; nay, that it will be almost as fascinating to men's imaginations, before they see it, and to their eyes when they do see it, as the boundless treasures o the Exhibition itself. It will form a most magnificent aud dazzling spectacle, and will give the utmost advanage of light to every article that may be exhibited

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within it. The reader may be enabled to form some conception of this wonderful chrystal palace, when we state that it is 1848 feet in length, that is, more than one-third of a mile, or three and a half times as long as St. Paul's Cathedral that it is 408 feet broad, that is, nearly equal to the length of Westminster Abbey; that it is open from end to end, and that the great centre aisle, running from east to west of the length stated, is 66 feet in height, while, nearly midway, 9000 feet to the centre, on the west side, and 948 feet on the east. There is also a transept, with a semicircular roof, running from north and south, 408 long, and 108 feet high, or higher than the nave of the loftiest cathedral in England; and enclosing a row of noble elms, that stood in the park, which remain untouched, and which further serves to break the long line of the side elevation, and marks out the central entrance.

In setting forth the advantages of the plan, the designer says, it gives an opportunity of introducing, at a small cost, six galleries, each twenty-four feet wide, of the entire length of the building, by which the floor surface will be increased above one-third; that the whole outside surface of the roof will be covered with unbleached canvass which will render breakage from hail impossible; that there will be a very large extent of surface fitted with luffer-boards, capable of being opened and shut, as occasion may require, to ensure a proper supply of pure air, the amount of which may be modified by passing through canvas, kept wet, in very hot weather; that by employing iron, wood, and glass only in the superstructure, the building will, from the moment of its erection, be ready for decoration and occupation; that the weight of materials in this structure will not exceed one-fourth of those necessary for a brick building, and that the construction of the building has

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