Crystal Palace.—One especial object of interest in the southern vicinity of London is the far-famed Crystal Palace. This structure, in many respects one of the most remarkable in the world, owed its existence to the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park. The materials of that building being sold to a new company towards the close of that year, were transferred to an elevated spot near Sydenham, about 7 miles from London. The intention was to found a palace and park for the exhibition of objects in art and science, and to make it self-paying. The original estimate was £500,000, but the expenditure reached nearly £1,500,000—too great to render a profitable return likely. The palace and grounds were opened in 1854; the water-towers and great fountains some time afterwards. The marvels of this unparalleled structure cannot be described within a limited space.
The park and gardens are extensive, occupying nearly 200 acres; they are beautifully arranged, and contain an extremely fine collection of flowers and other plants, occupying parterres separated by broad gravel-walks. The terraces, stone balustrades, wide steps, and sculptures, are all on a very grand scale. The fountains are perhaps the finest in the world, some of them sending up magnificent streams of water to a great height, and some displaying thousands of minute glittering jets interlacing in the most graceful manner. A portion of the water is made to imitate cascades and waterfalls. The jet from the central basin rises to 150 feet; and those from the two great basins to 250 feet. There are two cascades, each 450 feet long, 100 wide, and having a tall of 12 feet. When the whole of the waterworks are playing, there are 12,000 jets in all; and when this continues for the length of time customary on some of the ‘grand days,’ the water consumed is said to amount to 6,000,000 gallons. Two water-towers of enormous height, (nearly 300 feet from the foundations,) to which water is pumped up by steam-engines, supply the water-pressure by which the fountains are fed. The illustrations of extinct animals and of geology, in the lower part of the grounds, are curious and instructive.
Railway trains, running frequently during the day, give access to the Crystal Palace, from the Pimlico and London Bridge stations of the Brighton Company, from the Kensington and Chelsea stations of the West London Railway, from the Waterloo station of the South-Western viâ Wimbledon, and from the Ludgate Hill and other stations of the Chatham and Dover. The last-named company have built an elegant and convenient ‘high-level’ station, in front of the main centre transept. The Crystal Palace is a shilling exhibition; but the greater number of visitors only pay 1s. 6d. each for a ticket (third class) which insures admission to the palace and grounds, and the railway journey there and back; first and second class tickets are higher; and there are days on which admission to the palace is also higher. A whole week might be spent in examining the various treasures; for the Crystal Palace and grounds are interesting in each of the following features:—Sculpture; Illustrations of Architecture; Pictures and Photographs; Illustrations of Mechanics and Manufactures; Botany; Ethnology, or Illustrations of National Characteristics; Palæontology, or Extinct Animals; Geology; Hydraulic skill in the Fountains; and Musical facilities of an unprecedented kind. There are also facilities in the grounds for Cricket, Archery, Boating, Athletic Exercises, and Sports of other kinds, either regularly or occasionally. The directors must be credited with the undoubted excellence of their Choral Festivals and Orchestral Concerts. For great holiday demonstrations, too, there is nothing else at all equal to the Crystal Palace in the kingdom; and railways give access to it from almost every part of the metropolis.
Alexandra Park and Palace.—This is situated on the north side of London, near Hornsey, and is reached by means of the Great Northern Railway. It has long remained closed for want of funds, but is expected to be opened in June. Its objects, &c., are similar to those of the Crystal Palace. The building was erected from the remains of the Exhibition of 1862.
