Class VII.]

II.R.IT. rPIVCE ALBERT’S MODEL COTTAGES, Ac.

207

Strongly contrasted •with this building in its magni-tude and in every one of its principal features, and in allits ostensible objects and uses, stands the Model Dwel-ling-house. But though contrasting in pretension, it isin importance second neither to the building itself, or toanything within the Exhibition. And in respect to thenumber of those whom it seeks to benefit, and the extentto which their physical and moral condition may beameliorated, and the amount of additional comfort andhappiness to be created by the simple means thus sug-gested of improving the dwelling of the working man, noobject in the Exhibition yields to it in value, or suggestsmore weighty considerations for the political economistand the philanthropist.

To place within the reach of all a large proportion ofthose comforts most conducive to health, to habits ofcleanliness and decency, which have hitherto been en-joyed as luxuries only by the few; to remove that painfulnecessity under which the poor man now labours of sub-mitting to privations and inconveniences, which arc*destructive of moral habits and utterly inconsistent withdomestic comfort, and to place at his command a certaindegree almost of luxury, which tends to refine the mind,and substitutes a comfortable home for a miserable andbarely efficient shelter from the elements, is the am-bitious hut wise and benevolent design of those who,with the example and under the leadership of His RoyalHighness Prince Albert, have of late actively pro-moted the improvement of the dwellings of the workingclasses.

Separate dwellings for a few families, and many largelodging-houses have been built at the expense of privateassociations and individuals, as specimens of what is de-sirable, and examples of what may be done. These ex-amples have already produced a marked effect upon thedemands of the tenant, and upon those who have to sup-ply the demand. But iu order to secure permanentlyand sufficiently these benefits to the million, for whomthey are intended, they must be provided at a pricewhich the occupier can afford to pay, and which shall atthe same time induce the builder to erect the houses.'This has been the principal difficulty, and one which Mr.Roberts, the architect, who designed the houses nowunder consideration, has long laboured to overcome.The present example has been erected under the direc-tion and at the expense of His Royal Highness, and con-tains all the latest improvements of general arrangement,material, and workmanship. It is fair to assume that ina new branch of industry such as this, great improve-ments may be made; and if so, we may hope in a veryshort time that the houses of the labouring classes mayexcel iu cleanliness, equality of temperature, and per-fect ventilation, the best houses now constructed for thewealthier classes.

In the houses exhibited, accommodation is afforded fora sufficient number of separate sleeping-rooms for averagefamilies. By the use of hollow bricks the walls aremade to he less perfect conductors of heat and sound:and the rooms are more economically heated, and arcrendered more equable in temperature. By the use ofbrick and stucco floors, and glazed bricks in the sidewalls, the whole building is rendered fire-proof, and thewalls and floors cannot harbour insects, and may be keptperfectly clean at the smallest possible expenditure oftime and trouble. The hollow bricks are used for air-passages in the cornices and around the upper part of theroom and communicating with the chimney, in the man-ner practised by Dr. Arnott, and tints excellent ventila-tion is easily obtained. A supply of water is providedupon each floor; and the whole is stated to have beenconstructed at an expense which allows a set of rooms,capable of affording a really comfortable home, beinglet at as low a rate as is now paid for the wretchedlodgings from which the poor man escapes to the streetor the public-house, and to which he cannot return with-out disgust.

It is difficult to over-estimate the magnitude and im-portance of the effects of such a change upon the popula-tion of the country, whether as adding to their individualhappiness, or improving their physical and moral condi-

tion, and thus rendering them more valuable and usefulmembers of society.

The Jury have unanimously recommended to theCouncil that they should award the Medal reserved totheir gift to His Royal Highness Prince Albert, as theexhibitor of this most useful aud interesting contributionto the Exhibition, and to whom the nation at large isso deeply indebted for the promotion of this importantsubject.

The views of the Jury upon the merits of the two im-portant objects for which they have recommended theCouncil Medal, have been stated at some length; but itwill he desirable, in order to avoid any invidious distinc-tion, to refer more generally and less in detail to thosecontributions for which, after the approval of the Council,it is proposed to award the Prize Medal. The order inwhich they will be mentioned must not be considered asindicating an attempt to classify them according to theirrespective merits, but as resulting from a pre-arrangedclassification, according to the circumstances under whichthe objects might be supposed to be sent. Thus modelsof works executed, and which were contributed by thedesigner and executor, and as explanatory of the design,and not as a specimen of workmanship in the model, areclassed before models contributed by the modeller or byothers than the authors of the works, or which are dis-tinguished principally by perfection in the art of model-ling, and both as connected more or less directly withthe construction of important works iu architecture andcivil engineering, have been mentioned before amongst“ Building Contrivances.”

Amongst the limited number of models of works suc-cessfully executed, contributed by the authors of the ori-ginal works, and explanatory of their designs, that whichhappens to fulfil most completely all the conditions of theproposed classification, is one which also well deservesmention for its merit. It is the model of the dome ofthe Observatory of Paris, constructed by M. P. L. Tra-vers, of Paris (1044, p. 12:28). The difficulties to beovercome in this work were serious. It was desired toestablish on the lop of an existing cylindrical wall ofmasonry, of about 40 feet in diameter, and having nosufficiently solid central support, a steady centre for anequatorial of large dimensions, and a revolving floor anddome of the diameter above stated, the motion of whichshould not affect the steadiness of the instrument. Mr.Travers has for this purpose fixed the instrument upon asmall central floor, resting on a conical framework ofstrong iron ribs radiating from the centre and fixed intothe inner surface of the cylindrical wall: a second seriesof radiating ribs also fixed to the wall and placed inter-mediately to the former, carries a ring concentric to thesmall floor, and which sen es as the centre of motion forthe revolving floor and buildiug. The building, with itsdome and floor 40 feet in diameter, and weighing about40 tons, revolves round the central guiding circle beforementioned, and upon a series of rollers working upon aring bedded upon the wall. The attempt was a boldone: the design shows sound mechanical knowledge andskill in construction: the model illustrates the designclearly, and the result of the attempt is said to have beenemmently successful.

Mr. Travers (p. 1228) also exhibits a model of an ex-cellent iron roof of 120 feet span, constructed by him forthe Custom-house, Paris .

Captain Sir Samuel Brown, R.N\ (No. 334, pp. 331,332), exhibits models of slips for hauling-up ships, asdesigned by himself, and which have for many yearsbeen successfully employed: also numerous models ofworks which he has executed, and of projects for variouscontrivances connected with the construction and movingof ships.

Messrs. S. and H. Morton (24, p. 311), have exhibiteda model of the patent slip which has so long borne theirname.

Of the models exhibited under circumstances approach-ing nearest to the condition above named, are the modelsof railway drawbridges, constructed upon the Dutchrailways, and sent by the Railway Company , by whoseengineer they were designed and executed, and—