FIRST REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS.

xlvii

were of immense size, and contained from 10 to 25 distinct internal packagesfrom as many diflbrent contributors. The first arrival in the Building took placeon the 12th February 1851, and from that time to the 1st of May the labours ofthe officers were incessant. The staff, engaged under the direction of Mr. Rolls(who was assisted by Mr. Lucock during a portion of the time), consisted of 17landing waiters with their weighing porters. The Corps of Royal Sappers andMiners also rendered material assistance. The warehousing department was placedunder the control of Mr. Fairrnan with a staff of four clerks. The landing andexamination of the goods involved nearly 1,700 long-room entries, and 842 landingorders. At the close of the Exhibition the goods taken for home use were deliveredon upwards of 2,000 duty-paid warrants and deposit notes, and those to be returnedwere packed on more than 4,000 requests, and delivered on 80 removal orders tooutports and the regular bonded warehouses, and on 2,300 direct export entries.*

Precautions against Fire — Water Supply.

The Commissioners have placed in Appendix No. XXVI. a Report which theyhave caused to be prepared on the steps taken to provide against the danger of firein the Building. This important subject occupied their attention at an early period,and, as was to have been expected, was the occasion of many anxious inquiries fromintending Exhibitors. Although the Building itself was in some measure constructedof incombustible materials, this circumstance could not be regarded as affording anygreat security against the risk of fire, nor did it appear possible by any contrivanceto render so large an edifice fire-proof. The Commissioners accordingly declinedlrom the first to give intending Exhibitors any guarantee as to the security of theirgoods, though they readily undertook to adopt every precaution to prevent firebreaking out, and to extinguish it, should it unfortunately occur. It was left toeach Exhibitor to insure his own goods if lie thought it desirable to do so, but thearrangements adopted by the Commissioners ultimately proved so satisfactory thatmany who had at first intended to take this precaution abandoned it as unnecessary.A Plan to illustrate the arrangements made for security against fire, accompaniesthis Report. (Sec page 130.)

Tire supply of water required for the various purposes of the Exhibition, such asthe steam for working the machinery, the hydraulic apparatus, the centrifugal andother pumps, the supply of the fountains, refreshment rooms, and water-closets, thewatering of the trees, roads, and the building itself, as well as the supply in case offire, was obtained from the works of the Chelsea Water Company, situated on thenorth bank of the Thames at Chelsea Reach, about two miles (by the course of the

* It may bo noticed that no loss than 270 gallons of Eau do Cologne, Acqua d’oro, and otherscents wore distributed (duty free) through the building ; that upwards of 500 lbs. of snuffand 250 lbs. of tobacco in other forms wore consumed by porsons tasting in the Portuguese ,Turkish , and American departments ; and that as much as 480 lbs. of chocolate drops weroconsumed in tlio Saxon division alone, besides a largo quantity in tho French , and 140 lbs. inthe Turkish division.