Page images
PDF
EPUB

statue of Shakspeare stands looking into it. Next to this is a new fashioned light-house. I enter it by ascending steps, and find the glass sides of the lantern of immense thickness, and cut so as to radiate light with a wonderful power. In it is a monster telescope by Ross, the optician, some of the glasses of which are twelve inches in diameter. An equestrian group here strikes my attention. It consists of the steed of a slain Crusader, just fallen from his back; the horse stands with one fore-leg over his body, while his mistress clasping the steed's neck weeps, and finds fellowship in grief with the grave-looking animal. In advance of this is a feather Trophy, embracing a collection of feathers from almost all the birds of the world, most beautifully grouped. Next is a fur Trophy, from Hudson's Bay-displaying a large number of richest skins. Adjacent to these are Irish poplins, brocades, waistcoatings, alpacas, shirtings, leather harnesses, boots, whips, and optical instruments.

Next is a model of a suspension bridge erected over the Dnieper at Kieff in Russia. The model was made for the Emperor, and cost $60,000. It contains 6,880 pieces of wood, 87,097 pieces of metal. It is the most perfect thing of its kind in the Palace. A massive fountain of artificial stone, near this, astonishes and delights a great number of visitors.

A model of the Undercliff of the Isle of Wight, exhibiting the fields, houses, gardens, roads, woods and mills, is an interesting geological representation on a scale of three feet to a mile. There is also a model of the Plymouth Breakwater, showing its action in a storm.

Beyond this is a model of the Liverpool Docks. It is forty feet long, ten feet wide, and on a scale of eight feet

to the mile, representing a surface of five miles. The docks are represented as filled with tiny vessels, sixteen hundred in number, fully rigged. It shows the magnitude of Liverpool. The model rests upon elephants cast in iron. It cost $3750. It is is one of the prettiest things in this part of the nave.

The last object, at the west end of the principal nave, down which we have been passing, is an immense square of plate-glass, exhibited by the Thames Plate-glass Company, measuring eighteen feet by ten. The difficulty of producing so large a square was so great that the workmen broke the first three, before they accomplished that one on exhibition.

In noticing the foregoing articles, it should be remembered, that we have only passed down the last half of the principal nave, from the Transept to the west end of the Crystal Palace, and have mentioned only those articles, and but a few of them, which are placed in the great passage way between the gallery walls, and the columns supporting them. If the reader will suppose himself looking, as he passes down, into the courts and saloons, and machinery rooms under the deep galleries to the right and left; also upon the two stories of gallery floors above him; and that he sees the immensity of articles in exhibition thus all over the building, he will be aware that the matters we have mentioned thus far, are but a very small part indeed of the contents of the Palace. The few things we have hitherto spoken of are all English; but not a tenth part yet of what England has herself supplied.

In the gallery over the west end is an organ, built on the German plan, with 4,500 pipes, the largest being

thirty-two feet, the smallest one-eighth of an inch. Here also are a model of the battle of Trafalgar, and an astronomical clock which occupied thirty-four years in completing.

If, when at the west end of the Palace, we pass out of the building by one of the eight great doors, we shall see Kensington Gardens, just beyond us, where the Queen was born and reared. But before the Gardens are approached, a space just outside the Palace is appropriated to matters that do not appear to have found room in the building. Here, under ground, is the huge steam boiler, that supplies power the whole length of the Palace for all the machinery that is in motion in it. Almost all sorts of machinery, from cotton factories to printing presses, are in motion by this power in various parts of the Palace. Here, too, are two noble great life-boats, large anchors, three hot-houses, a granite column thirty feet high, fireclay goods such as pipes, retorts, &c. There are also gutter-tiles, Portland cement, Bangor slate, steam-coal, a filtering machine, figures in artificial stone, a granite obelisk, &c. In advance of the whole, still farther from the Palace, very near the Kensington Gardens, is a splendid equestrian statue of Richard Coeur-de-lion.

LETTER XXXII.

WALKS IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Saloons of the S. W.-Seed Sower-Seed Plough-Castle Beehive-New Jersey Bees-Draining Plough-Dibbling Machines-Broad-cast Seed Sower-Clod-crusher-Machine Spading-Garden Engine-Velvet and Paper Hangings-Fine Yarn-Needle making-Papier Mache-Veneerings-Alarm Bedstead-Mediaval Court-State Fabrics-English Ladies shoes and dresses.

HAVING in our last walk reached the west end of the building, let us enter the south-west quarter of the Palace, and pass down the aisle that runs midway to the Transept, observing things to our right and left as we go.

The first three saloons on our right are occupied by Agricultural Implements, of English invention and manufacture. The first that arrests our attention is a Scotch Seed Planter of cereal grains, which plants and covers. several rows as the horse walks with it over the ground. If all our wheat was sown in this way, it would be better for the hardiness and growth of the plants, and for the convenience and perfect work of the reaper. Next to this is a patent subsoil harrow which operates on the lever principle and scarifies and harrows the subsoil after the plough. Next is an important invention a machine for making hollow bricks. Prince Albert's model cottages erected at his expense outside of the Crystal Palace, are made of these bricks, and I believe he is the inventor of

them. They are lighter, drier and warmer than solid bricks. The model is fire-proof.

Lord Willoughby, exhibits here a machinery for ploughing land with a stationary engine, that he says will drive the plough five miles per hour, at better command than if drawn by horses or oxen. Perhaps it may be so; and if farewell to oxen and horses for farm work hereafter.

80,

I

do not recollect the strength of the engine, but believe it is a ten horse power, and Lord W. claims that it will not cost half so much to plough by means of this, as by horses and oxen.

The Castle Bee-hive- a royal thing for Queen women or queen bees, is here, the one that Queen Victoria has at Windsor Castle, where she breeds bees and princes. It is prolific, of course. By the way, the only working bees in the Palace, were several merry swarms from New Jersey, which had apartments in the American end of the edifice. They gathered honey from the flower gardens of Hyde Park and Kensington, and brought it to the Crystal Palace in presence of all beholders, and deposited it in glass boxes that lined one side of the American Office. It was a pretty sight, and I could but feel proud of the Yankee bees at work in the Crystal Palace.

I should like one of those machines, called the Sulphurator, and Fumigator, designed to diffuse powdered sulphur, quick lime and smoke amongst trees and grapes, hops, rose bushes, &c., for the destruction of insects. One of the most useful inventions, as it struck our mind, was what is called a draining plough, which leaves a drain behind it through which the surplus water may pass off. If this operates as pretended, it will be a good implement on wet lands. It can be moved by a windlass for applying horse

« PreviousContinue »