GREAT OF 1851. A.D. 1849-1852. Appoint Reid as Executive Henry Cole, Mr. C. Wentworth Dilke, Mr. F. Fuller, Mr. G. Drew, Mr. M. Digby Wyatt (Secretary). Of these, Mr. Drew had been nominated by Messrs. Munday to represent their interests, according to the provision in the contract. Immediately on the Commissioners availing themselves of the power to annul the contract, and thereby assuming a different relation to the management of the Exhibition, the then Executive Committee considered it becoming to leave the Commissioners wholly unfettered in the choice of their Executive Officers, and accordingly tendered their resignations. Under these circumstances Mr. Robert Stephenson retired, and was nominated a Commissioner by a supplementary warrant from Her Majesty; and Lieut.Colonel, now Colonel Sir William Reid, R.E., was appointed by ment of Col. Her Majesty's warrant dated February 12, 1850, to succeed him Chairman of in the Executive Committee. The other Members of the ComCommittee. mittee were requested to continue their duties, but Mr. Fuller and Mr. Drew stated that they were unable to devote the whole of their time to the service of the Commission, and the principal part of the duties fell therefore upon Sir William Reid, Mr. Cole, and Mr. Dilke. It then became their duty practically to carry into effect all the decisions of Her Majesty's Commissioners, and to exercise that continued watchfulness in every department which was requisite in so vast an undertaking, and which could only be secured by the agency of persons constantly engaged in its management, and possessing authority to dispose of such questions of detail as could not conveniently be delayed for the consideration of the Commissioners. The Executive Committee have been engaged in this manner without intermission until the present time. Sir W. Reid more particularly undertook the duties of communicating with the public departments, Mr. H. Cole the questions of space and arrangement, and Mr. C. Wentworth Dilke the charge of the correspondence and general superintendence. The services of Mr. Fuller and Mr. Drew were principally employed in organizing the collection of subscriptions in the earlier period of the labours of the Commission." ... "The Commissioners having, by the determination of the contract, taken upon themselves the responsibility of finding the sums necessary for carrying on the Exhibition, proceeded forthwith to invite the public to contribute to this great national object. GREAT EXHIBITION A.D. A subscription list was immediately opened, and in announcing to the public the step they had taken, the Commissioners stated that they would hold themselves exclusively responsible for the application of the funds which might be subscribed, and would proceed Part II. without delay to establish regulations for ensuring an effectual Subscripcontrol over the expenditure, and a satisfactory audit of the tion opened. accounts. "The subscriptions promised to the undertaking were made. public from time to time as they were announced. The total amount reported was £79,224 13s. 4d., of which sum £67,896 125. 9d. had been actually paid to the credit of the Commission on the 29th February, 1852. A portion of the subscriptions received in some of the provincial districts, was retained to defray the expenses of collection and local management." Selections. MR. COLE'S REPORT ON THE SECURITY OF IN THE BUILDING FROM FIRE. buildings. N the estimate of the probable cost of the Exhibition, I have Fire-proof assumed that the Commissioners, in declaring that the building will be fire-proof, intend the term "fire-proof" to be interpreted in a comparative, rather than a positive sense, and I ventured on making this assumption, because the inquiries into the best means of making a building fire-proof, which it has been my duty to prosecute for some years past, conjointly with Mr. Braidwood, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, in reference to the Public Record Office, have led me to the conclusion that a building, fire-proof in a strict sense, would not only be far too costly for the object proposed, but would be, in the very nature of its construction, unsuitable for the purposes of the Exhibition. pro Regulation It is generally admitted by all authorities that the degree of "fireproof" in a building containing combustible materials is regulated of fire-proof chiefly by the amount of cubical space enclosed; and that in buildings. portion to the smallness of the area, and its complete air-tight insulation, so will the draught be minimized, and the intensity of any fire be diminished. Mr. Braidwood has stated that "he had seen GREAT EXHIBITION Houses containing numerous secure from fire than warehouses. a warehouse 450 feet long and 110 feet broad, and that if that building, although constructed on the fire-proof principle, was on fire, there would be no chance of dealing with it, though it would generally be considered safe. The draught of a fire in such a building would melt the iron away like lead." To go to the other extreme, instances might be adduced where small wood and plaster chambers, sufficiently air-tight, although their contents have been on fire, have resisted the spread of fire for want of draught. The superior security of smaller compartments is fully proved by the lesser rate of insurance taken for dwelling-houses than warerooms more houses, although the first are much more exposed to fire. In devising fire-proof security for the Public Record Office, it was considered advisable, in order to insure the greatest amount of safety, that the building should consist of a series of chambers unconnected with each other, and each one should not contain more than 7,000 cubic feet. The walls being of brick and the floors stone, there was a security that even if one chamber took fire the volume of fire would not ignite the adjoining chamber. But such moderate-sized spaces would obviously be so ill-adapted to the Exhibition, that they need not be further noticed. At a late discussion before the Institution of Civil Engineers, the questions of space and materials, in reference to fire-proof buildings, were brought forward; Mr. Braidwood reiterated his opinion, expressing his conviction, "from upwards of twenty-two years experience, that the intensity of a fire, the risk of its ravages extending to adjoining premises, and also the difficulty of extinguishing it, depend, cæteris paribus, on the cubic contents of the building which takes fire." Professor Hosking, the official referee of metropolitan buildings, said that the law provided that the contents of warehouses should be restricted to 200,000 cubic feet. Even if this rule were applied to the building for the Exhibition, assuming the building to be only twenty feet high, it would consist of upwards of eighty separate chambers. Mr. Rendel, C.E., agreed "that small warehouses for containing inflammable goods were safer in every point of view." Materials which conduce to security against fire. In respect of those materials which conduce to security against fire, all authorities agree with Mr. Farey's remark, that “the old Roman system of strong pillars of masonry supporting groined arches affords the best security." Professor Hosking said, "he EXHIBITION A. D. 1849-1852. Part II. Selections. had carefully examined the results of many of the great fires of GREAT London within the last few years, and had observed the general of 1851. insecurity of buildings, depending on either cast or wrought iron, in cases of fire occurring." He added, "that the use of thin metal as a covering to wood liable to be exposed to heat was a fatal error, as the metal rapidly conducted the heat, and prevented the contact of water in any attempt to extinguish the combustion. Nothing was more common in London than to endeavour to meet the objection of exposing wood to fire by covering it with metal, and nothing was more certain to be productive of mischievous consequences." Mr. Piper, the builder, said, "It appeared to be understood that, for the class of buildings intended to contain combustible goods, the construction should be of fire-proof materials, but entirely omitting metal . . . . and he had never seen a sound brick wall nine inches in thickness burnt through." The conditions of the building for the Exhibition, are, that it is to be temporary, that it must not be too costly, and that the chambers in it must be spacious. Effects of building re quired for conditions of the Exhibition, upon insurance. But as these conditions appear to be incompatible with positive "fire-proofedness,” and as I have reason to believe that no species of building possible, under the circumstances, would sensibly affect the rate of insurance—an infallible gauge of security-I venture to submit that the security from fire should be obtained by vigilant watching, and efficient preparations to extinguish fire, if it should instead." unfortunately happen, and that the materials and mode of construction ought therefore to be selected solely for their fitness and economy. Watching re commended by free police force, clocks. brigade, and tell-tale The Record Office at Carlton Ride, having a very large chamber, To be done is so insecure that it would not be insured at treble the ordinary rate of insurance, but, by the joint agency of the fire brigade, the police force, and tell-tale clocks, it has been most efficiently watched for years, and after a long experience of the system, I beg leave to recommend that principle of security to the notice of the Commissioners. April 2, 1850. HENRY COLE. I have perused the foregoing Report and fully concur in it. JAMES BRAIDWOOD, Engine Establishment. GREAT A.D. 1849-1852. Part II. Selections. Mr. Braidwood's advice. Since the foregoing remarks were written, I have had the advantage of a lengthened conversation with Mr. Braidwood on the subject. He recommends that iron supports should be used, perhaps covered with cement, and that the walls be of lath and plaster. By this means "the building would be the most manageable in case of fire." For security, he would greatly prefer this mode of construction to iron, which would give very great difficulty in case of fire, and, in his opinion, be very dangerous. He suggests "that as many of the draughts between the outside and inside lath and plaster as possible, should be stopped;" that there should be provided the most "easy access possible to and along the roof, so that in case of fire the glass may be broken," and the draught of air and fire led upwards. Fire mains should be laid on; the pipes should be large, "certainly not less than nine inches diameter, along the building." Unless the water could be laid on at all times, cisterns ought to be provided. The summary of Mr. Braidwood's advice, is, that the security will consist in having efficient means to suppress a fire, if it should happen, instantly. His words were, "it must be extinguished in a few minutes, or there will be great trouble." HENRY COLE. Royal EXTRACT FROM FIRST REPORT OF ROYAL AT T the commencement of the Commissioners' proceedings, while they were incurring no expenses beyond those of the remuneration of their officers, and the necessary outlay on printing, advertising, and other comparatively small items, the subscriptions received from time to time were amply sufficient for their wants; and they did not experience any inconvenience from the want of a more definite legal position than that of a mere Commission of Inquiry. But when, in the month of July, 1850, the plan for a building estimated to cost £79,800 had been approved, and it became necessary that a contract should be made for its erection, questions naturally arose as to the power of the Commission to |