The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-03 00:00:00

THE CLOSING CEREMONY.

On Wednesday the Fisheries Exhibition in accord-
ance with previous announcement was brought to a
close with appropriate ceremonial. In the morning,
long before the hour announced for opening, the doors
in Exhibition-road were besieged by the public, eager
to gain admission—people who had come from all
quarters of the metropolis, and very many from the
provinces. As soon as the doors were opened, the
building rapidly filled, the visitors being marshalled
to their places by members of the police. The ar-
rangements of the interior of the budding were
admirable, in keeping, indeed, with the management
of the Exhibition since the opening day—facts which
reflect high eeedit, upon M. E. 1361Lboelr, leiP., and
the members of the Executive Committee, over which
he presides. Short!), after ten o'cli.ck the vestibule
presented a picture of bright colours, with its fringe
of 11.48 and foliage, the scarlet uniforms of the
Ist Middlesex Engineers, who formed the guard
of honour, and the 'Lela of the training ships on
the Thames, in their blue jackets. A special fea-
ture was the presence of some forty Welsh fisher-
women attired in the quaint costume of the Prin-
cipality. The majority of these " Ancient Britons"
were young girls, selected by Mr. Mitchell, manager
of the Burryport Railway, South Wales, from
that neighbourhood, and sent to the ceremony by
desire of the Baroness Burdett Coutts, who, together
with Mr. Burdett. Coutts, welcomed them previous to
the arrival of the Royal party. :At a quarter to twelve
o'clock the Prince of Wales arrived at the main
entrance, his arrival being announced by the band
playing six bars of the National Anthem as a salute.
His Royal Highness, who was accompanied by the
Duke of Riiuburgh, the Duke of Albany,
and the Duke of Cambridge, was received
at the entrance by Earl Granville, Sir William
Harconrt, Lord Northbrook, Secretaries of State;
the Special Commissioners appointed by Her Ma-
jesty's Government, &it d the Chairman of the
Executive Committee. Peocession was then formed,
and as the illustrious party passed through, the choir
of Welsh girls sang, in their native language, the
" March of the Men of Harlech " and"" God bless the
Prince of Wales." By this time the immense gallery
of the inland nsberies, where the ceremony took
place, was filled to overflowing. The boys of the
training ships Arethusa and Chichester, together with
a number of fail;grown sailors, sentinelled the line of
the procession, the immense crowd of spectators
behind tendering silent salutation to the Royal party,
As his Royal Highness entered the gallery, the
National Anthem was played by the band of the
Grenadier Guards, stationed at the west end, which
band, during the assembling of the visitors, performed
a selection of national airs of the countries represented
in the Exhibition. The President was conducted to
his seat on the dais, which was placed in the centre of
the gallery. General admiration was elicited by
the appearance of this etructure, which was
draped with fishing nets of seemingly delicate but
really stout textures, hung with life-saving
apparatus, supported with columns formed by
clusters of oars, the whole being surmounted by
sheaves of national flags springing out of splendidly
painted shields. Having reached the dais his Royal
Highness motioned to the Ambassadors to take their
place at his side a gracious invitation of which they
immediately availed themselves, Near the cists were
seated the Vice Presidents, the members of the
General Committee, the Foreign and Colonial Corn-
nuissionere, the jurors, and other persons of distinction.
The Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Hon.
General Manager, then read an address from the Corn-
mittee, to which his Royal Highness made a suitable
reply.
At the close of his Royal Highness's reply, Mr.
Bi. k beck banded to the president two splendidly
bound volumes containing contributions to fishery
literature, published by the Executive Committee
during the exhibition. The Duke of Edinburgh, as
one of the commitee appointed by her Majesty, Men
. _

read the report of the I-Yedident. _
After which the Home Secretary expressed to his
Royal Highness the thanks of her Majesty's Govern•
ment for the important part which his Royal Highness
had been pleased to take in connection with Interim.
tional Exhibitions.

------------
His Royal Highness then formally declared the
Exhibition closed ; whereupon the procession was re•
formed, and returned through the foreign courts to
ths board-room of the Committee, where he partook
of light refreshment, after which the Royal party
took their departure, amidst the strains of the
various bands in the building and grounds and the
cheers of the large crowds assembled in front of the
entrance.

The number of visitors to the Exhibition on Satur•
day WAS 60,523, making a total for last week of
212,104. The total nu.: ber from the opening of the
Exhibition has been 2,580,247.