ILLUSTRATED ODDS AND ENDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13701, 18 March 1908, Page 9

ILLUSTRATED ODDS AND ENDS.

On December 21 la.-t a collision occurred near faidliiiina. 011 the North-Western railway of India. The engines on colliding reared upright, and remained no with their foreparts together in the air, fonnins; an arch. The debris* of the trains was heaped around on all eidca. lii the accident 20 people were killed. 1 ' * — Illustrated Loudon -News.

i / Above we show the liver elevation of the new County Hall for London, from the suc- I cessful design of Mr. Ralph Knott. The designs considered by the assessors in the final stage of the competition are now on j view at the Medical Hall, Victoria Embankment.. they are 23 in number, 15 having been selected in the preliminary stage, and the oilier eight being by eminent architects who were i hen invited to compete. In the conditions furnished to the competitors, it was laid down that the principal floor of the building was to be devoted to I he Council Chamber, division lobbies, 12 committee-rooms, and private looms for (lie nrincinal officials- I lint .-. !

J±\U\JiM n ;\J»tv cuo:> i i ji.ijju . library and hall to treat 800 persons were also lo be included -. and that there should hi- an approximate area of 327,442 ft super to be provided on the other floors, irrespective of the basement, tor the accommodation of the clerks and minor officials. The cost, too, was to he kept within £850,000, exclusive of the embankment. its superstructure and furniture, or any foundation that might be necessary. In addition, the site is estimated to cost £600,000, so that the. total cost of the building and land will' probably be well over rue and a-half millions sterling. In all these respects. Mr. Ralph Knott, the fortunate young architect who has suddenly leaped into fame and fort-tine, has been careful to carry mil the requirements of i lie Council.

IW CVUi. <U WUJUW, When the building is in actual existence it- will greatly facilitate London's municipal business, but that will not bo for eight or nine years yet. In the sketch design the proposed facade has a rather dumpy appearance at firat sight-, it is not I until one considers the smallne«s of the j scale, ami takes note of the detail--—there ! are. no fewer than eight storeys —that one ' fully realises the effect that will lie conj veyed. The style is English Renaissance, | and, unlike many of the newer buildings i in London, there are no domes or towers. J. Mr. Knott, in designing the building, has j kept iii mind I he surroundings amidst I which ii will be placed. There is somei tiling about, his design that remind* one of - Somerset, House. Gray granite is to be ' iwerl in the count ruction up to the first

floor, ami above, tli.tt Portland stone. How useful the new building will prove may be judged from the fact that at the present moment the Council has 2000 officials who are spattered over 28 separate buildings, only 202 of them being located at Spring (lardens. which was found inadequate even for the purposes of the old Metropolitan Asylums Board. The education offices, which house 629 officials, are nearly a mile off, and some departments . J arc split up and accommodated at different I place*?. Thus the work of the superintend- ; ! ing architect and the education architect i is carried on by a staff spread over .11 dif- • I Cerent buildings. t i A somewl*!, similar thing is at. present : I in existence in Auckland. We icier to the . I (.{overnment offices and officials.