THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16762, 11 June 1920, Page 3

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

USED AS AVAR MUSEUM,

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright, (Received June 11, 8.40 a.m.)

LONDON, June 9.

After six years’ utilisation for war purposes the Crystal Palace is being reconsecrated to public use. The King and Queen opened the Imperial AVar Museum, which is housed ni the palace. In the course of his speech his Majesty urged none to - forget that Britain owed her success in war under God, not to armed forces, but to the labours and sacrifices" of soldiers and civilians, men and women alike. It was a democratic victory, the work of the nation in arms, organised as never before for a great national struggle.

[The Crystal Palace was erected in Hyde Park in 1851 for the great exhibition, and was the first largo building in which iron and glass were used. Its length was 1851 feet and width 408 feet, with an additional projection on the north side 93(1 feet long by 48 feet wide. The highest part was 108 feet. Tho entire area covered was iiTjout.l9 acres, and the cost was £IIO.OOO. Tho area of glass in the roof was 19 acres. At tho close of the exhibition the materia! of tho' Palace was sold for £70,000, and it was re-erected at Sydenham, where it proved rather a white elephant, since it was difficult to make a building which could hold 93,000 people pay tho cost of upkeep. The original company became insolvent in 1887, bntjwas reconstructed later. In 1903 the palace was paying expenses and tho total' admissions for the year reached 3,000,090. As a war museum it should prove very successful.]