8 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



had ever before been collected in any one place ; in fine, every 

 branch of American industry, and every natural product of our 

 country, were fully represented. 



The managers of the fair had the gratification to find that their 

 efi'orts were appreciated. The receipts from visitors equalled 

 their most sanguine expectations, and warranted the conclusion 

 that the heavy preliminary expenses would not only be fully 

 repaid, but that a large surplus would remain to be devoted to 

 the encouragement of the meritorious exhibiters. 



On the 6th of October, a melancholy end was put to these 

 agreeable, but not over sanguine expectations. By the act, in 

 all probability, of an incendiary, a few minutes sufficed to sweep 

 away all hopes of success. The building, intended by its planners 

 to be proof of fire, presenting to outward view no other materials 

 but iron and glass, the artistic pride of our city, was brought to 

 the ground in a shapeless heap of ruins, in a time so short the 

 officers and servants of the Institution had barely time to escape 

 with their lives. The great preliminary outlay made by the Insti- 

 tute was thus, in a great measure, lost; property to a great 

 amount, belonging to exhibiters from sixteen States of the Union, 

 was totally destroyed ; and what was even more to be deplored, 

 many valuable inventions were obliterated under circumstances 

 which may prevent the inventors from attempting to revive 

 them. 



It is not surprising that many of the exhibiters should have 

 desired that a new place should have been provided in which the 

 duplicatCvS of the articles they had lost might be brought to the 

 notice of the public. The subject was investigated by the mana- 

 gers ; after mature deliberation it was found impracticable to hold 

 such a fair, that would be satisfactory to the public, and promote 

 the interest of the exhibiters. 



The wisdom of the course of the managers is now rendered 

 palpable by the result of the exhibition which was attempted as 

 a substitute. The lamentable failure of this attempt is not 

 referred to in any spirit of exultation, but as atfording the most 

 complete evidence that had the Institute yielded to the instances 

 of parties desirous of a re-opened exhibition, it would have 

 wasted its remaining resources in a hopeless enterprize. 



One providential circumstance attended the catastrophe at the 

 Crystal Palace. The conflagration took place at an hour at which 

 visitors are rarely numerous. An hour earlier would have found 

 numerous loungers, while two or three hours later would have 



