The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-02 00:00:00

TIIE ILLUMINATIONS.

Until long after midnight the leading thoroughfares of the
City and of the West-end were thronged by persons who lsad
turned out to see the illuminations. The police had abso-
lutely excluded all vehicles from the illuminated thorough-
fares, and, indeed, from the Streets within the City.
Therefore all the spectators within the limits of the
City were on foot. In the entire absence of vehicles
it was often possible to walk a great distance
In comparative comfort; but even without a horse
or vehicle in the way the streets sometimes became
blocked with a dense 17112,99 of converging crowds of sight-
seers. This was the case at Ludgate-hill. At one time the
scene under the railway arch was frightful, notwithstanding
the effort made by the police to divide the opposing streams,
and keep them on different sides of the street. The attempt
succeededwtailmirably in some places ; but where division
NM most necessary the attempt to keep it up liometimes
failed.

Our limited space precludes us from giving a detailed ac-
count of the illuminations, which excited general admira-
tion, and were splendid in the extreme—both public and
private—and we must be content with noticing a few only
but, nevertheless, many of those left unmentioned w. re
quite deserving a posing eulogy :—To commence in the
City, the Mansion house was illuminated with a row of jets
ruining along the top of the cornice both of the porch and
the building. The tympanum of the porch was lit up with
the words God bless the Prince of Wales," in two lines,
the letteis being lit. Pin, in height. Each of the live
candelaln a lately erected between each column of the porch
was surmounted by an illuminated design • the centre one
bore a crown, the two next had the Prince of Wales' feathers
and the too at the outside stars, that occupied the whole
space between the columns. Tine two windows at either
aide of the porch were also filled with stars, of the same
height and sine am the others. Thus, the crown, feathers,
and stars were all in one line, and presented a bold appear-
ance. Above, the words and the row of jets counterbalanced
the effect of the lower illuminations.
Opposite to the Mansion House, the Bank of England dis-
played the following design i—ln the centre a Prince
%V,llee's feather, and on each side of it a large star, with a
use of seven smaller stars, reaching to the extremity of the
building, terminated by a large Brunswick star. Above the
main part of the building there was a row of jets along the
main cornice, and another row along the attic story cond. e
The Guildhall was illuminated with a large crown occupy
the w-hole space of the second floor windows above the
entrance porch, and on either side the Prince of Wales's
feathers were placed in the centre of the lower windows. The
whole front was surmounted by stars, one in the centre and
one on either side. There was a row of jets running up
each flute of the pilaster., tour on each side of the entrance
porch, and three at each side of the building.
At St. Paul's, ship's lights from the Admiralty, green,
white, and red, surrounded the dome at three altitudes-
-51 at the stone gallery, 33 at the base of the dome, and
21 at the golden gallery ; and twelve seamen from the
isjard placed, trimmed, and attended to the lamps, a
duty involving much rare. The lamps were lighted about
seven o'clock, and burned themselves out. Then, from an
opposite house and from the top of a church limelight,
lit up the west front of the Cathedral -that is as much of the
front as came within the rays of the light. But the great
display of all was tole of coloured fire—red from the dome,
and many colours from the area in front of the western door.
Tnese lighted up the whole facade most brilliantly and
vividly, with an effect which had never been produced be-
fore, awl WWM extent UN oxperimeni WM d,tivic4up9n