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EXHIBITION OF 1851.

main pipes) from the Exhibition Building. Some time before the opening of theExhibition, the Chelsea Company had determined to erect two new engines of 20horse power each, and to lay a main pipe from them of 9 inches diameter for supply-ing the neighbourhood of Kensington. The course of this main was fortunately suchas to enable the Company readily to supply the Exhibition with the quantity ofwater required, in a pure filtered state, a circumstance highly conducive to thecomfort of the visitors, great numbers of whom were in the habit of availing them-selves of the supply thus afforded by the several fountains and other reservoirs in theBuilding. No very accurate account of the quantity of water consumed can begiven, as it was supplied without restriction, but the engineer of the Companyestimates it as ranging from 100,000 to 270,000 gallons a-dny.

Prices of Admission.

The important question of the price or prices at which the Exhibition should beopened to visitors, required much consideration. While it was obviously necessaryto adopt such arrangements as might be expected to produce a sum sufficient todelfay the heavy expenses which the public subscriptions were quite inadequate tomeet, it was at the same time a main object with the Commissioners to fix the pricesof admission at so moderate a rate as to allow the greatest possible number of personsof all classes to visit the Exhibition. They were also aware of the importance ofconsulting the probable convenience of visitors, of providing for the security of thearticles exhibited, and of so moderating the intlux of large numbers in the early daysof the Exhibition, as to enable their staff to acquire the necessary experience of theirduties with as few impediments as possible.

A Committee was therefore appointed for the purpose of considering and reportingupon the scale of charges which it might be advisable to adopt; and after receivinga good deal of evidence bearing upon the subject, drawn partly from the experienceof local Exhibitions that had previously taken place in this country, and partly fromother and more general considerations, the Committee submitted a lleport, which wasapproved by the Commission, in which were recommended the rates that prevailedthroughout the whole period of the Exhibition, with one or two slight modifications.Those rates were as follows:—

£. 8. d.

Season Tickets, Gentlemen’s . . . . .330

,, Ladies’ . . . . .220

(These were not transferable, and on the 1st of Mayseason tickets only were available.)

May 2nd and 3rd, each day . . . . .10 0

May 5th to May 24th . . . . . .050

On and after May 20th :—

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays .010Fridays . . . . . . . .020

Saturdays . . . . . . . .050