MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 21 



their edges, are decorated in simple forms, and will be painted of a 

 cheerful color. The whole is lighted from a clerestory. 



Having thus described the structure and general character of the 

 building, we may state some further particulars of interest. From the 

 1st of May to the 15th of October is to be the period of its existence, 

 as it was that of the 1851 gathering. The ground occupied by the 

 whole building is more than twenty -six acres; that of the 1851 Exhi- 

 bition being but twenty-three. The space of the flooring will be 

 1,140,000 feet; nearly 200,000 feet more than its predecessor, without 

 counting nearly 300,000 feet more that will be gained by the appro- 

 priation of the wing building to machinery. One hundred and sixty 

 feet was the greatest height of 1851, the nave being sixty feet high 

 by seventy-two feet wide. The forthcoming building will be 260 feet 

 at its greatest height, that of the domes; the nave, 1,200 feet long, 

 85 wide, and 100 feet high. The first building was 1,800 feet long by 

 400 wide ; the present, as before, 1,200 feet long and 700 wide ; the 

 machinery nearly 1,000 feet long by 220 wide. Messrs. Kelk & Lu- 

 cas, the contractors, have undertaken the erection at the price of 

 200,000, its estimated cost being 300,000, the remaining 100,- 

 000 being to be paid over to them in case the profits amount to more 

 than 500,000, as they did in 1851. 



RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN GALLEY. 



During the past year, the Emperor of the French has caused to be 

 built a vessel on the plan of the ancient Roman galley, or trireme, 

 which has excited much attention and interest among persons who 

 occupy themselves with naval archseology. The emperor, in ordering 

 the execution of this vessel, had for object to throw light on the dis- 

 puted question of the old row r galleys, known by the name of triremes. 

 Ko precise description of these vessels has come down to our times, 

 and we can only form an opinion of them from some bassi relievi and 

 scattered passages in ancient authors. In spite of the researches of 

 savans, among whom may be mentioned those of M. Gal, historio- 

 grapher of the marine, the exact meaning of the word trireme could 

 not be decided on. Now the problem of three rows of oars placed 

 one over the other appears to be practically solved by the experi- 

 ment which the emperor has had made. The trireme now at St. 

 Cloud is 40 metres (131ft. Sin.) long at the water-mark, 5-| metres 

 (18ft. 3in.) wide, and drawing 1m. lOc. (3ft. 7in.) of water. She is 

 propelled by 130 oars, 65 on either side, each moved by one man. 

 They are arranged in three rows ; the lower one is under a covered 

 deck, which explains the name of talamites (talamos, room under the 

 deck), by which the ancient authors distinguished these rowers; the 

 other two rows are open, and the oars of the upper row pass behind 

 the heads of those of the row under them. This arrangement also 

 explains the name zygites (zugos, yoke), given to the latter, as well as 

 that of tranites (tranos, throne), applied to the men on the upper 

 benches. Two rudders are placed, according to the indication of the 

 ancient bassi relievi. The bow is armed at the water's edge with the 

 rostrum, a spear with three points, intended to pierce and lay open 

 the sides of the enemy's vessels. 



