THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. l

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 114, 6 December 1879, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. l

Tl.e dimensions of the edifice now in I process of erection are as follows :-H, „ extreme length will be 550 ft, the breadth « of the east and west fronts 230 ft, the l depth from the maw entrance to the op. « PtiMte end of the transept 320 ft, the I Wght of the external arches 60ft Ac (I ? r rr uo T. ,nro^ l . , °. buiitfor '""Wn." I CO, Ac. lheyw.lljon.on to the oor- ~ uem of the iirosent oi),t aud west front* hj •ijd have a Wage on the one hand 5 f, J.trxoy and on other to Carlton, of ♦'.Oft Mcb, and thus mike the total I l«Btl'Mflb<kcraand^crnfasnd«

090 ft. It is slated that more bricks have been used in the erection of the Eihibition walls and arches than in any other edifice in Melbourne, and nobody nerd Attempt to deny it The work ha* Wn executed with smooth despatch. The circumstance that the contractor has been the maker of nearly all the bricks himself has probably helped to faciliatc ! operations. If any doubts he entertained as to the unsuitableness of the time that, has been chosen for this great effort of ours, wo have this small consolation that bricks Iron, and wood aro remarkably cheap this year, and thus have enabled us to get a gi«it deal of work done for our money. Of iron, xory little has been used ; the internal structure consists almost entirely of wood, and iron is only visible in the I.'l-ton girders of the arches which have to carry, or help to carry, the dome. If we could afford it, iron would have looked much better than wood for loof supports, &0., but the cost would have been increased by £30,000. Bxtcnsivo cellars have been provided under the western half of the nave and the transept. They are well lighted, thanks to the fall of the ground, and ought to be cheerful places of retreat on hot-wind days. The buildings are in Carlton-gardon s and the foundation-stone was laid in February last. Nearly all the brickwork is done, and a considerable portion of the exterior has been plastered. From tho outside a fair idea of the vastness of the building can be formed, but it is hardly safe, even when tho permission of the contractor, Mr. Mitohell, has been secured to attempt to explore the interior, for the carponters are upon the roof, and constantly exercise their time-honoured right to drop loose articles to the ground. Several of tho prominent features of Messrs. Heed ami Barnes's design cau now he studied in brickwork, b'ut the main object of all—the central domehas not begun to show itself to the outside public, and will hardly be visible over the grand entrance for "some weeks yet. The arches which are to support it have been commenced, but they are only to be seen within doors. The most noticeablo object in front just now is tho partly finished arch over the main cntnnce. It is an immense fanlight. The appropriateness of the term fanlight is evident, for the light is exaotly of the shape of a fan, and when it has been glazed the likeness will be complete. At the east end, and west end, and also at the north end of the transept, similar arches, port-lie*, doors, and fanlights appears, the front will attract less attention than tho east, opposite the noble Miburb of Fitzroy, is most advanced, and in the best position to be seen. Until the dome appears, the front will atraot less attention than the east end, which is, compact, and has its towers or pavilions as well as its arch to display for the admiration of visitors. On tho north side, tho supposed rear of the building, some of the plaster work has been finished, and it. will stand very careful inspection. The northern face—or as we have called it, tho rear of the building—looks very well. By the prominence of the transpet, which projects some distance beyond the line of the nave, pleasant variety has been imparted to the design. Tho northern facade has an a lvr.ntage over the south•■rn fat-ado, which makes for the want of some few decorations reserved for tho face presented to the city. It has the Rim to shine upon it nearly all the day long, nod brighten the'whito commit upon its walls, and fotoh its towent and arch into relief, in effective coutrnst with tho shadows thrown by the transept upon the block from which it projects. On the other hand, in the summer months, tho main front will catch some of tho glories of the sunset, and in the warm hours of the day its shade will bo gratefully cool. Just now the unformed surface of the ground is damp, and out up by enrt wheels, but in the summer season it ought to bo a delightful promenade, as fashionable as Oolliusstreot, and not quite so dusty. The vast length of tho nave is best realised from the eastern porch. The vista is extended rather than broken by the temporary supports visible near the centre, where the basis of the dome Min process of formation. The via»rotis choruses of some sailors employed to hoist beams to the ceutral arches can bo heard sometimes above tho noise of the carpenters' hammers. Ample opaoc for tho accomodation of a larc-i multitude of spectators on opening-day can bo safely guaranteed. From the outside it will bo observed that the walls are panelled, that there are two or three windows in each panel, that over the windows there are arches, and alon" the top there aro tablet*. The Exhibi" U to have two floors ; the under is to bo lighted (in part) by the windows. The solid part of tho wall belongs to tho upper floor; intornally Jt is quite plain, and it is meant to hold picture., which will htoe light thrown down to them from tho cloreatory windows. In connection with windows, it should bo .mmtionwl that all (he lights in the building are vertical, none sloping or flat. There will be „ abundance »iiW W,rk ' Bud H B ht »»l he ad"'T'™ W necessary direction, A. fell ll ? 0 wctu r* may U seen to the fullest advantage. An avenue 60ft wide will run from one end of the mm to the other, and on each side there w a breadth of 60ft for the courts of the variou* countries which ■nay be expootad to appear »t the Inhibition, the avenue will be Open from ground to roof, but the upper floor will be exactly üboro tho Voft Brcoath*, aud.it will oxteud uninterruptedly round t|, B U|l ; K , tull'iiltfi

following direction of the walls, and turning mto the transept when it comes to the eentrol"space over which the dome will be suspended. The upper floor ought to nearly doable the -exhibits instead of spreading them over several distinct buildings. The stairs, two at each entrance, or eight iu all are easy, and the publio ought not to find it °ny trouble to ascend from the one level to the other. But the upper floor, while it will give enable the commissioners plenty of space, cannot but pur, some restraint upon the attempts of individual countries to erect gorgeous fronts to their courts. The free space between the floors will be only 17 feet high, plenty, no doubt, for the tallest of American triumphs, if not for colonial trophies of gold-; but Egypt, Japan Brazil, and countries of that sort, which on other occasions have put up lofty facades, to their courts, in order to magnetise the yublic, will hardly be able to do so here. Nor can it be supposed that they will be allowed to build out in the avenue, or " great street of nations," beoauso if they went more than 17ft into the air, they would spoil tho view from the upper floor, and perhaps also shut indispensable light out of their own courts. For the present, however, it is not worth while to dwell upo:i •.his topic. There is every promise of some fine views from the upper floor. From the ends, east or west, one will be able to command not only the avenue, iiut also the under spaces unless they are overcrowded with showcases, as far as the centre. Doubtless the avenue will have its fountains, its groups of green ferns aud tho like pleasant objects for tho eye to look upon, besides the ceaseless traffic of its long lines of pedestrians, such as we see at present in the block of an afternoon. It has been pointed out that visitors ought to bo allowed up to tho top of the dome, in order, as it will be 200 ft from the ground, that they may see all the kingdoms of the earth from it, aud Mr. Reed thinks that steps can be provided to take all classes comfortably up to the height of 100 ft, whence a very extensive prospect may be commanded; but above that visitors will have to ascend by means of ladders.—Melbourne Shetcher.