The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-22 00:00:00

(7o be continued.)

A KING BORN. TO SPAIN:

On Sunday night the Queen Regent, who had been
indisposed since the evening of her visit to the suf-
ferers from the cyclone, felt the premonitory syiti-
toms of her accouchement. At half-past twelvo
o'clock on Monday a new King was born to Spain, the
first time on record in that country of a child being
King from the moment of his birth. The infant,
who appears, according to accounts received from
various sources, to be healthy and well formed in all
respects, gave immediate proofs that he was destined
to make a noise in the world, as he cried lustily when
presented on a silver salver, according to ancient
custom, by the Prime Minister to the assembled
Ministers, deputations from the Cortes, commissioners
of the princioality of the Asturias, and representatives
of the grandees, the army, the navy, the Order of the
Golden Fleece, the Church, the military orders, and the
Municipality. Senor Sagasta, on making the presen-
tation, uttered a "Viva at Rey !" which was heartily
responded to. A salute of 21 cannon announced to
the inhabitants of the capital that they had a new
King. Senor Sagasta and the Ministers next pro-
ceeded to the Congress, and the President, Senor
Martos, announced the event to the assembled Depu-
ties in a speech which carried the entire House with
him. At the conclusion a spontaneous cheer was
raised for the King as yet unnamed. "If, by the will
of Providence," said Senor Martos, "King Alfonso
has been prematurely taken from us, to the profound
grief of Spain; if his loss has cast a gloom over the
nation, there is now a rift in the dark clouds which
had overshadowed us."
The Pope agreed to become godfather to the child
in such warm and considerate terms that his message
produced a very cheering effect upon the Queen. The
Nuncio visited Senor Sagasta on Sunday, to thank
him in the Pope's name for the manner in which
Spanish relations with the Vatican were treated in the
Speech from the Throne. The foregoing incident
(says the Times correspondent) has some importance
at the present critical moment. It would appear to
be meant as a reproof by Leo XIII. to the Carlists,
some of whom have made no secret of their intention
to strike a blow if they can for their political creed,
Pope or no Pope.

MONUMENT TO GENERAL GORDON
, IN ST. PAUL'S.
On Monday afternoon the plaster cast of the sarco-
phagus of the late General Gordon, executed by Mr.
Boehm, R.A., was placed experimentally in the posi-
tion which it is to occupy in St. Paul's Cathedral.
The recumbent figure is remarkable, not only for its
great artistic merit, but for its extraordinary resem-
blance to the deceased officer. This is the more to
the artist's credit as none of the photographs of
General Gordon can be said to have caught his ex-
pression or to have attained the life-like fidelity of
this figure. Mr. Boehm is to be congratulated on
having so successfully carried out the commission
with which he was intrusted by General Gordon's
only surviving brother, at whose expense this monu-
ment has been erected. General Gordon is dressed
in the uniform of the Royal Engineers, with a cloak
drawn round him hiding his right side, and his
right hand lies flat upon his breast. The left side
is uncovered, and the left band reposes on the
Bible. The base of the pedestal will be ornamented
with an alto-relievo of the school at Khartoum
mentioned in his Journal, a suitable inEcription,
and the Gordon crest. IL may be mentioned
as a curious coincidence that as Gordon is the
Danish for spear so the Chinese characters equivalent
to Gordon signify a spearsman. The positions which
the sarcophagus will cccupy in St. Paul's is the centre
alcove of the northern aisle, and next to that contain-
ing the tablet to the crew of her Majesty's ship Cap-
tain, in which his nephew, a midshipman and Sir
Henry Gordon's eldest son, perished. Immediately
behind the sarcophagus will be placed a memorial to
Sir Herbert Stewart, in the form of an alto-relievo,
also executed by Mr. Boehm. The two sides of the
alcove are already occupied by mural tablets and
alto-relievos to Sir Arthur Wellesley Torrens, killed
at Inkerroan, and to the officers and men of the 7th
Fusiliers; but it is probable that these may be trans-
ferred to another part of the Cathedral, and the
vacancies in this niche or compartment may then be
filled up with memorials to the other heroes of the
Soudan. Dean Church is sympathetically disposed
towards such an arrangement. The statue will be cast
in bronze in Brussels, and the base of the sarcophagus
will be composed of black marble.