The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-23 00:00:00

THE STATE BALL.

By command of the Queen. a State Ball was given on Tues-
day evening at Buckingham Palace.

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, accompanied
by His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Alexis, was presen
at the Ball. attended by the whole of the officers of the
ImpeHal Household. The Prince and Princess of Wales and
the other members of the k yal Family, conducted by the
Marquis of Hertford (Lord Chamberlain), and attended by
their ladies and gentlemen in waiting, entered the saloon at
a quarter before eleven o'clock, when the dancing imme-
diately commenced.

The invitationA to the nobility aw entry were very
numerous.

The Daily Itret, of Wednesday, gives the following
description of the arrival of the guests at Buckingham
Palace :

An indispensable item in the programme of Court festivi-
ties when foreign potentates veit our shores is a State Ball,
and accordingly the visit of the Emperor of Bessie was cele-
brated last night at Buckingham Palace in the usual manner.
The list of guests was a very Icing one, though some of the
number were, front various causes. unalde to be present.
Enough, however, came to render the hall, in the estimation
of experieneed police officials, a very "heavy" one. The
public, in its Inveterate love of sight-seeing, mustered
strongly to see as much as possible of what was going
on outside the palace, This prove.' to be very little indeed :
but what there was to be seen oar made the most of by the
crowd, and if they saw but little of the elegantly attired
guests, they at least had the pleasure of looking at the car-
riages that conveyed (hens. State halls, drawing-rooms, or
levees are always difficult matters to arrangufor outside
the Palace so far as police arrangements 0, and the
bell of last hight oar 110 exception to the general
rule. However, the arrangements of last night, under
the directions of Superintendent Mott, of the A
Invisien, were as perfect as they could be, and Mr. Mott was
assisted by Inspectors Fraser, Lilies, and Sherlock The
people round the gateways were disposed in such a manner
as to leave the largt.st amount of room for the carriages to
pass, and at the same time to afford the spectators the best
passible view of what they wanted to see. In the roadway
constables were placed it different points to direct the
carriage traffic, and so eon was this arduous duty per-
formed, that though these weie three converging streams
of carriages entering the Palace, and the usual traffic
miming athwart of them, there was no delay, and
no accident whatever. The carriages entered at the right
hand gate, going straight through the opposite arch, and
setting down in the quadrargle, from whence they made
their exit by the left gate. The entrance in Buckingham-
gate, which was covered in by an awning, woe reserved for
the Ambassadors. As early as 9 o'clock there were considera-
ble nunibers of people about, though then no carriages had
appeared. A inserter of an hoer later the first brougham
drew lip outside the gate,, and was quickly followed by
several others, the occupants of which were subjected to
the gam of the crowd for some ten or fifteen miseries.
At half-past nine Superintendent Mott gave the order for
the carriages lobe admitted, and from that time there i:As
a constant stream through the gate. Carriages continued tin ,
roll in for another hour, and the crowd wailed and stared, ,
thou zb was sothing to be seen of the guests except
"ooskinal Icshes of the erimeen end gent it ottkers'
furiles, the feathers cla • &tiled bat, or the isomeatary

slicer] of Ilght upon silk dresses. At tvn o'clock the
Dui, of Canibridge arrived, his carriage wheeling off
to the right to the entrance set apart for Riu at visitors
A short tante previously several State carriages
he' left,. the J. flog for Marlborough Mouse to Itch
the rreme a., 71'1,1&,-s Wales. out at about twenty
minute, past tcci the red tick: ',,4 .-inie„lisiple in Marl.
y oil, givin; warning to the polio* in...! the Poya!
ilighhe cc on their way. At half-pest tea preciselY
the road was ,•Ivared fir I e icrsaac ditto troopms of the
Life Guards, sit, whom came t inn late ...alleges Part
, Olin ~aptaiw's follow,d at a shoitt trot. and then
nearne a carriage that vUs meted ~.Wfth a Inane' awl
spontaneous cheer. Though it vrve far all that could
Inc seen to the etldrary, an empty eith closed
win owl, it wils•tlpmwn that it runt eined tile Petite
and Princess of Wales. These were the only notabilities that
eetu rtcognised7 and the en wit began rapidly to thin after
the escort of ale :Itegrla had ridden U. Ths wind woo
keen and the air sold. and few pjAltr'" except the police.
who,e duty kept theta to the spot riven no I to shyer atom I
the entrances m hen there was so little to reward them tot
their patience. The Guard of Honour inside the quadrangle
was formed of the Grenadier G nitrite

THE EMPEROR OF RUEISIA _NT WOOLWICH.
The Emperor of Rusda and the Grand Duke Alexis it
London on Wednesday morning for Weolwich. The Prince
of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge accompanied his
Matesty. Sir E. Watkin, 31 P.. chairman Mr. Shaw,
manager and secretary ; and Mr. Cockburn, superinten-
dent of the tine, were in attendance at the train. His
Majeity was in Russian military uniform. The illustrious
visitors were received on alighting at Woelwich by his
Royal Highness thc Commander-in-Chief, the Prince of
Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Arthur, Sir David
Wood (Commandant at Woolwich), General Sir Linton
Simmons, Brigadier Ad e, the Superintendent of the Arsenal,
Colonel Campbell, it A., Major Hall, and the whole of the
garrison 'tali Inside the Arsenal a number of persons were
admitted by special ticket. Tire streets of Woolwich were
crowded and were gaily decorated. The Imperial and
Royal party at once proceeded to inspect the gun factories.
His Imperial 31ajes.ty and the Royal party completed their
r dind of the Arsenal at half-past twe.ve, and were then driven
direct to tire officer's mess-room on the Comnom. The princi-
pal objects of interest to which the attention of the
visitors was called were the coning mill, in which was shown
the process of winding the wrought-iron bars, and the
pattern-room, in which were exhileted exact duplicates of
guns in the British service the south forge, where the process
of welding together the main portions of a breech coil for a
as-ton gun was going on, was shown and explained the turn-
ing and sighting room, in which was witu, ssed turning and
machining 011 partly built guns preparatory to noir
receiving the several portions required to render them
ready for issue to the service alter they have heen proved.
It. the shrinking department was shown the inetlo.d of uliraily
placinguponitsseat—technicalli called the slainkiogon of a
breech count a 35-ton gun. All the other departments were
carefully inspected. Colonel Philpotts explained to his Im-
perial Highness all metiers to which his attention was spe-
cially called. On leaving the Arsenal the Royal party were
loudly chi ered Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales
and the Grand DUChtSb joined the Emperor at luncheon at
the Royal Artillery barracks.
. .

After luncheon the review commenced by all inspection of
the Otis batteries Royal Horse Artillery, nine field batteries,
and the aupounder battery, which were drawn up on the
common. Alter this the batteries marched past in slow time
on the trot, and finally the llo;, al II cc Artillery
passed on the wallop. Then ensued some military practice,
followed by clever manceuvring of the guilt This lasted
until half-past four, when at a signal the whole of the
troops advanced in line and saluted- the Emperor. The
Royal party then rode off the common, and were shortly
afterwards conveyed by special train to Loudon.