The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-30 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE FETE.

The grand military fete given on Saturday " in aid of
the several funds for tho relief of the sick and wounded
and widows and orphans of her Majesty's forces en-
gaged in the Russian war," has proved so successful
that we believe every one present, although expecting
something great, was literally astonished at the splendid
event of the day. Long will it be before the quiet neigh-
bourhood of Sydenham, Norwood, and Anncrley forgets
the multitude that assembled last Saturday.
The doors of the Palace opened at 10 o'clock, and the
French Guides, who were the "lions" of the day, and
who occupied a conspicuous platform raised in the great
transept, played "God save the Queen," accompanied
by the palace band. However, the day had not yet
begun, and the visitor who had heard nothing of the
fete might have supposed that this was a mere ordinary
occasion, had not his attention been arrested by a large
trophy erected in the very centre of the building;. This
was composed of flags, cannon, and other arms from the
Tower stores, and had been designed and executed under
the seperintendence of Mr. G. Stacey, storekeeper at
the Tower. The base consisted of a round platform,
with two steps, covered with crimson cloth, on which
were placed rows of cannon-balls. Above the base were
two brass cannon taken at Bomarsund, and at opposite
angles two mortars. The whole structure, which com-
prised weapons of all kinds, as well as four complete
suits of steel armour, was in three compartments, each
smaller than the one below, and terminated in a lofty
pole, from which were suspended the flags of France,
Turkey, and England, crowned with a wreath of laurel.
This trophy was the conspicuous sign of the day ; but
the lounger at 11 o'clock—at which hour louttging was
not only practicable but inevitable—might observe
another symptom of the fete in the medal-striking estab-
lishment of Messrs. Pinches and Co. The ordinary
function of this firm is to cut, stamp, and finish, before
the eyes of admiring spectators, cheap medals, impressed
with a likeness of the Crystal Palace. On Saturday the
employment was as usual, but the die was changed, so
that the medals bore a trophy composed of the flags of
the three allied nations. They were largely purchased
throughout the day.
Somewhere about half-past 11 o'clock a change came
over the aspect of the palace. A considerable number of
persons had assembled in the centre of the transept im-
mediately opposite the " Guides," and the fronts of the
first galleries in the same region were pretty densely oc-
cupied. All at once, the " Guides" struck up the
" National Anthem." This was the first time it had
been heard by anything like a multitude, and it was en-
thusiastically cheered. It was immediately answered
by the Ist Life Guards, who were stationed in the gal-
lery opposite to the " Guides," and played " Partant
pour la Syrie." Here the enthusiasm was redoubled, for
here was the occasion to demonstrate that feeling of
fraternity which was the actuating spirit of the day.
The " Guides," conspicuous from their scarlet dress
and prominent place, were the grand object of attention
to all present ; but the let Life Guards, who were sta-
tioned in friendly opposition to them, made so brilliant
an appearance as to attract much curiosity. They had
placed before them in the gallery the splendid kettle.
drums of solid silver presented to them by his late Ma-
jesty William IV., and these, surmounted by the stan-
dards of the regiment, had almost the effect of a military
trophy.
From this time till the migration to the terrace took
place the various bands who were present on the °eel-
sion, and were stationed in various parts of the building,
played in succession. The effect of this arrangement
was meet singular. Some national air or other, " The
British Grenadiers," "Auld lang Syne," and what not,
was constantly breaking forth from some new part of
the building, as if a musical hint given by the central
transept was suddenly taken up by the Gothic screen,
and then acted upon by one of the galleries. As the
oaks of Dodona were endowed with voices, so it seemed
as if every nook of the Crystal Palace was impregnated
with music, impatient to break out on every occasion.
The following is the official list of the bands and their
conductors, as stated in the programme :

Imperial Regiment, "lAes Guides"—Conductor, If. Mohr.

First Life Guards—Conductor, Mr. Waddell.
Second Life Guards—Conductor, Mr. Grattan Cooke.
Royal Horse Guards—Conductor, Mr. Tutton.
6th Dragoon Guards (Cara bi neers)—Genductor Mr.Cuconi.
Grenadier Guards—Conductor, Mr. Schott.
Coldstream Guards—Conductor, Mr. Godfrey.
Scots Fusilier Guards—Conductor, Mr. Reese.
18th (Royal Irish) Regiment—Conductor, Mr. Kutle.
94th Regiment—Conductor, Mr. Froehnert.
RoylArtillery—Conductor, Mr. Smyth.
Royal Sappers and Miners—Conductor, Mr. Youlo.
Royal Marines (Woolwich)—Conductor, Mr.Winterbottom.
At the time while the bands, by their alternate per-
formances, were most effectively demonstrating their
power and their precision, the portion of the building
devoted to refreshments vras largely occupied. The

within the pale ce was to cease, and the bands were to
play in union e n the terrace. The grounds outside of
the palace had • therefore attracted many from the interior
and a traffic' con 2menced for chairs and benches, that the
concert might t.lie enjoyed with something like ease..
More cautions :individuals had secured chairs.ineide,..and
aright be se en working their way through* arowdqrith
the eneumb creme& of these articles of !army. These *he'
were less cautious became the customers of sundry boys
who fernisl ked seats at prices ranging from ld. to 6d.,
according t o the varying ratios of demand and supply.
The time that elapsed before the commencement of the
"concert" .on. the terrace was hero and there occupied
by convers:ttion between those who had arrived early
and those who had arrived late, when the former, who
had anticipa tel the mob, heard strange legends of the
difficulties thait had attended the approach to the Lon-
don-bridge staition at the hour- of noon and thereabouts.
Perils to hats, a promiscuous use of carriages, without
regard to the, relation that nominally exists between.
price and class, and that peculiar operation of a mob
which is described as " lifting off one's feet," formed the
principal them( ,s of divers narratives.
At last the: " concert" began. The united bands
were stationed on the lower terrace, surmounted by Mr.
Schallehn, the director of the company's band, who
stood in the centre, raised half his length above the rest,
and conspic axons with his baton. Himmel's air to an
English version of Theodore Kerner's "Prayer" ( Vetter,
ic/i rufe dich) was given with admirable precision, and
the voices coin biped with the multitude of instruments
produced a grand effect. A potpourri, consisting of
divers national airs, of the sort heard over and over
again in the earlier part of the day, was played shortly
afterwards in the best spirit of military hilarity. Had
there been no attempt to explain the order of succession
in which the airs were played the enjoyment would have
been perfect; but there was a little sprig of rue, in the
shape of a programme, which teazed several persons
into an attempt to establish a connexion between the
list that was presented to their eyes and the sounds
which saluted their ears. There was, in fact, no "con-
cert" in the Hanover-room tense of the word, or any
leisure to listen to it, if there had been. The whole
thing was a grand, free, unencumbered exhibition of
national feeling, to which the military music gave a sort
of poetical tone. People were not there to compare the
respective merits of the various bands, and to balance
force on one side with precision on the other ; crowding
and crowded, pushing and pushed, as they were, how
could they de, anything of the kind ? But they were
there to give vent to an universal feeling, and right
heartily they availed themselves of the opportunity.
One curious effect of the performance on the terrace
is well worth notice. So sensible was the vibration of
the glass, that every note played by the band was
distinctly reverberated, and it seemed as if the band
without was accompanied with miraculous precision
by a hand within. Some persons, indeed, declared as a
matter of fact that the expedient employed on the stage
when the prompter represents an echo had been adopted
on this occasion, and that there were real substantial
musicians playing on real substantial brass inside the
palace in response to their brethren out of doors. How-
ever, on inquiry, we are of opinion that this statement
was a mere hypothesis, which prematurely took the form
of fact.

The most exciting moment of the day was when,
shortly before 4 o'clock, the " Guides" returned to their
station in the interior of the palace, and again played
"God save the Queen," which was followed by "Par-
taut pour la Syrie." These airs had been played count-
less times during the earlier part of the fete, but now
they derived new importance from the circumstance that
they were executed in the presence of the whole con-
densed multitude. All the galleries were crammed ; a
long perspective of waving hats and handkerchiefs reached
into the furthest distance, and thunders of encore pealed
through the vast edifice, to be promptly and vigorously
answered by the willing band. At that moment the
" Guides," not a 3 accomplished military musicians, but
as Frenchmen, as the representatives of an ally, were
objects of actual idolatry to a throng which, for number
and distinction combined, was perhaps unparalleled. To
give its full value to this colossal demonstration, it should
be borne in mind that the assembly at the Crystal Palace
was a respectable crowd—a crowd without a mob.
The prudence of the earlier diners was now made ma-
nifest. A reasonable hour for dinner had arrived, but
comestibles were scarce. Cold roast beef was indeed to
be procured, and this is a good national article of con-
sumption, but then cold roast beef without bread -or
vegetables is not appetising, and the hungry for the
most part looked wistfully at the piles of picked chicken
bones, which stuod as monumental records of the pru-
dence of their predecessors.
After the great demonstration of the visitors en masse
a gradual departure took place. The subsequent his-
tory of the day is a history of difficulties in securing
homeward vehicles. There is no occasion to go into the
details of these latter events, which, though comprising
many interesting episodes of station squabbles, are with-
out that unity which alone gives a charm to narrative.
It is sufficient to say, that those who walked to Anerley
found themselves in a better position than those who
sought the " Crystal Palace train," and that on no oc,
casion during the retreat was a third class man known
to avoid a first-class carriage from motives of conscience.
Indeed, on the arrival of one of the trains at the ticket
station near London-bridge, when the tioket-taker, en-
tering a first-class carriage, received every form of ticket
save that of the first class, and was told that he ought to
consider himself lucky to get anything, he seemed to
think the remark perfectly natural, aid pocketed his
tickets without comment.