The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian CourtLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
History
The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian Court
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Crystal Palace (Sydenham, London, England)
The great circular fountain, which occupies the central position below
the terraces, is the principal one of the upper series. Its highest
columns, which rise in an imposing mass from a gigantic cradle formed by
the water, attain the altitude of 150 feet. Rising from the surface
around this, are single upright streams which beautifully fill in the
design, throwing their spray to almost an equal height. The whole is
surrounded by a delicate trellis of water, in which the jets appear to
interlace with one another. On the right and left of this, but in lower
positions, are two smaller circular fountains of great beauty, which,
with those already described, complete the upper series. The largest
circular basin is 196 feet in diameter.
We now approach the two Water Temples which head the cascades on either
side of the broad central walk. These Temples are octagonal in shape,
with dome-shaped roofs, and are constructed of ornamental ironwork,
gaily coloured and gilded. On the apex of each is a bronze figure, from
beneath which the water, which is forced up the hollow columns, bursts
in a glittering film till it falls over the roof and down the sides. The
Temples are about 60 feet in height. The head or basin which surrounds
each one, and from which the water flows down the cascades, is a
parallelogram of 72 feet, with semicircular extensions in the two sides
of 18 feet radius. Bronze fountains ornament each side of the cascades.
The great fountains are the crowning effect of the whole system, and are
the largest in the world. The basins, which are designed with a
graceful and diversified outline, are 784 feet each in length, having a
diameter in the semicircular centre portion of 468 feet. A great central
column rises in each, streaming upward to the height of 280 feet when
undisturbed by wind. These columns are each composed of 50 two-inch
jets, which burst forth under a pressure on the mouth of the pipes of
262 lb. to the square inch. The design is carried out by an infinite
variety of water display. The effect is gained by the water alone, which
assumes many forms, from the giant and stately column, to the most
delicate crystal tracery. When the whole system of fountains is
displayed, no less than 11,788 jets are in operation, throwing 120,000
gallons per minute. A grand display usually consumes 6,000,000 gallons
of water.
These stupendous and magnificent works were designed by Sir Joseph
Paxton, the engineering operations being executed by Mr. W. Shields, the
resident engineer of the Company.
PART IV.
EXHIBITORS’ DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE.
[Illustration: PLAN OF SPACE FOR EXHIBITION.
A}
B} Non-Selling Division.
C}
⁂ The Selling Division comprehending the South Gallery and the Galleries
on the South-Eastern side are devoted to Miscellaneous Articles.]
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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