]0C4

rUACTICE OF ARCHITECTURE. Book III.

I'lie site for t!io buildirvr contal.icd about 26 acros, being 2,r?00 feet in length, and
501) fl'et in brea.lth ; tlie principal front extending from west to east. The total area of the
ground -floor wns 772,784
superficial feet, and that of the galleries 217,100 square feet.
Tlie kngth of thesi" galleries extended nearly a mile. The cubical contents of the building
were estimated at 3;i,000,000 feet.
There were used in its construction 2,300 cast iron girders, 3 J8 wrought iron trusses
far supporting the galleries and roof, 30 miles of gutters for carrying water to tho
columns whioh served as water-pipes, 202 miles of sash-bars, and 900,000 superficial
feet of glass.
0;i the ground-floor, 1,106 columns of cast iron, rested on cast iron plates, based upon
concrete
;
t'.iese columns were 8 inches in diameter, and IS feet
5^
inches in height
;
they
were cast hollow, the thickness of the metal varying from
|
to
1^
in
,
according to
tlie weiglits they were destined to support. The sectional area was increased by foui
broad fillets or faces, 3.7 inches in width, and a little more than a sixth of an inch in
thickness.
The principal entrance was in the centre of the south side
;
passing through a vestibule
72 feet by 48, tlie transept was entered, which was covered by a semi-cylindrical vault
7-' feet in diameter, springing fiom a height of 68 feet from the fljor; and tliis vault of
iron and glass was in lengtii 408 feet from north to south. On each side of the transepi
was an aisle 24 feet wide.
Sta.iding in the middle of the transept, the vista or nave, at right angles, extended eas\
and west 900 feet in each direction; the to'al length being 1,848 feot. This na>e was
7'i feet wide, and 64 feet hiuh
;
and on each side was an aisle 24 feet in width
;
and above,
at a height of 24 feet from the floor, weie galleries which surrounded the whole of the nava
and transept.
Beyond these side aisles and parallel with them, at a distance of 48 feet, were second
side aisles, of an equal width to those already mentioned, and also covered with galleries on
a similar level to the others. Bridges of communication were made at convenient dis-
tances, to allow of an unbroken promenade, and from which a view of the several courts
might be olitained. These courts were roofid in, at the height of 2 stories, and were 48
fjet in width. Ten double s'aircases S teet wide gave access to the several galleries.
After the transept and nave were marked out, tiie general arrangement consisted of
a
series of coiniiartments 24 feet square, and as much in height; these bays or cubes were
each formed of 4 columns, supporting girders jmt together very ingeniously. One of tliese
bays or gallery-floors, 24 feet square, containing 576 superficial I'cet, was calculated to
su]iport as many cwts , or 30 tons.
The symmetry and strength of this vast building depended upon the accuracy with which
the simple plan was drawn out, and much credit is due to ]Mr. Broungar, who superin-
tended tliis portion of the work. He had to establish a series of squares of 24 feet, and this
was admirably effected by rods of well-seasoned pine, fitted with gun-metal cheeks.
Stakes were driven into the ground to mark the position of the columns, their precise
centres being afterwards found by the theodolite, and marked by a nail on the top of tiie
stalce or pile
;
and when the digging commenced for the foundations, and there was a ne-
cessity to move the pile, a right-angled triangle was formed in deal, and previous to the re-
moval of a stake, a nail indicating the position of the column was placed at the ai)ex of the
triangle
;
two oiher stakes were driven in, and the first withdrawn. The entire ground jdan
may be considered as co.mposed of 1,453 squares, each containing 576 superficial feet. Tlie
south front occupied 77, the east and west fronts each 17, so that the entire iiaralielcgrani
contained 1,309 of these squares; on the north side were 48 others, 3 divisions in depth,
making an additional
144, thus completing the number stated. The nave, transept, and
courts were formed by tlie omission of the columns, where their width required to be
either 48 or 72 feet, and girders of sufficient strength were substituted to span the space
where such columns were onitted. Had each of the 1,387 squares of which the plan con-
sists had its compleuient of columns to have )icrfectcd each cube, 1,502 would have been
required; but the toraiation of the wider openings occasioned only 1,106 to be employed,
so that, by the omission of a third, the courts, nave, and transepts acquired their adnured
proportions. Each of the 1,387 squares was 576 sujierficial feet, or a total of 798,912
superficial feet. I'lie columns being 8 inches in diameter, the area of the section of the
whole
1,106 was 380 superficial feet, or the points of support were a trifle mure than a
2,000th of the entire area, for
^-^'/ij^'-S
^2,102.
When we compare the Crystal Palace with one of the lightest constructed basilicas of
ancient Rome, we are astonished at the difference in the projiorlicns. For instance, the
total area of the basilica of St. Paul without the walls of Rome, was 108,000 superficial
feet
;
while the points of support were 12,000, or one ninth. The Crystal Palace, which
was seven times the area of the basilica of St. I'aul, had it been constructed in a similar
manner, would have
required 84,000 superficial feet for the points of support, instead of
380 superficial f;ct.