Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-11-07
The Last Day of the Exhibition.


ing account of the final scene the last public day
As the day wore a remarkable concentration of
people in the nave began to be discernble. The
side avenues and courts deserted and from end
to end of the building nothing was to be seen bnt
great sea of human beings filing up the centre and
agitated by thousand different currents of curios
ty. which kept the in motion without progress
Time passed. and the circulation in the transept be-
came rather impeded The people seemed to be TAX
ing up their position there, and the galleries, as far
as the could reach. occupied by spectators
who. as they gazed the vast assemblage beneath,
evidently appeared to expect that public DEM
about to be made.
The organs which had been played continually
during the early part of the day, were now silent;
and even that wonderful man. Herr Sommer with
his still more wonderful instrument sent forth no
longer those astonishing volumes of sound which
have rendered him. par ercelence. the trumpeter of
the Exhibition. Nothing to be heard but that
strange and mysterious hum Of voices which, rising
from all large asSemblage> is imposing but which
in the Crystal Palace, swelling upward from more
than fifty thousand people leaves an impression up
on the mind not to be forgotten. 1t was draw
ing near five o'clock, the whole east and west the
area of the transept and the galleries might be
packed with dense Of black hats through
which. at intervals. struggling female bonnet
emerged here and there into light.
The vast multitude had now become stationary,
and were evidently awaiting in silent but intense
excl cement, the last act of great event immortal
III the annals OF the nineteenth century. 1t was q
most solemn and affecting scene, such has rarely
been witnessed, and for which opportunity
not soon again rise. Words cannot do it justice
and fail utterly to convey the mystery and the gran
deur thus embodied to the eye Let the reader fam
cy what it must have been to comprehend with
glance fifty thousand people assembled under one
roof in fairy palace with walls Of iron and glass,
the strongest and the most fragile material happily
and splendidly combined Let him. if he can. pic
ture himself that asSpmblage in the centre of that
obi cd rf Nd
natural wealth. from every civilized community and
the remotest corners of the globe. Let him tax his
ina ination to the uttermnSt and still beyond the
material magnfcence of the spectacle presented to
him-let him remember that the stream Cf life
which he looks down contains in it the intellect and
the heart of the greatest metropolis in the most pow
erfu empire in the world-that strong feelings. such
as rarely find utterance in a form sublime.
about to find expression from that multitude. and
that in heather times, even when liberty still
new power upon the earth the voice of the people
was held to be the voice of God.
Not only the DAYS. but the minutes Of the Great
Exhibition numbered. and the first sign of its
dissolution given by O~ler's crystal fountain.-
just before five o'clock struck the feathery jet of
water from O<erS crystal fountain suddenly ceased,
and the silence of the vast a>semblage became deep
er and more intense. The moment at last came
Mr.. Bradshaw appeared at the west corner of the
tranSept gallery the south side. bearing large
red flag in his hand This he displayed as the clock
were hurting into the air the well known notes of
the national anthem. At the same moment the
sembled multitude uncovered and those who
this act of loyalty from an advantageous position
will long remember the effect which it produced up
on their minds Where just before nothing was Wis
ble but mass Of black hats stretching away until
lost in the distance Immediately there appeared
great of upturned animated faces and to the
lemn silence of expectancy succeeded a volume of
sound in which the voices of the peoble
heartily joined
As soon as the anthem had closed there arose such
cheers as Eneli>hmen alone know how to give. These
were continued for several minutes and when the last
of them died away there passed over the entire build
ing and with effect truly sublime, tremendous
rolling sound. like that of thunder. caused by thou
sands Of feet stamping their loyalty upon the floors
Under this demonstration every part of the edifce
tremhled. and as it swept from west to east, many
an eve was raised with anxiety to the grders and
pillars which in long perspective stretched out
before them. And now the time had arrived for the
death peal of the Exhibition be rung out Some
hung out from the gallery of the ransept piece
of calico which inscribed The well known
passage from Shak>peares Tempest, &c.
g Our revels now are ended these orr actors,
As foretold you. were all spirits. and,
Are melted into air, into thin air.
And. like the ba>eeS> fabric of this vision.
The elqud-esrped towers, the goTgeogs palaces
The soemn temples the great globe itself
Yea, all VIII CT Il l. herii shall dissolve.
And like this un<ubStantial pageant faded,
Leave Lot rack behind
A minute or two was allowed TO elapse before the
fatal signal given. and during this brief interval
the asSemblage remained silent and motioness. At
last it and perfect storm of bell peals broke
over the building. The committee seemed to have
collected all their strength for last effort in this de-
partment of their duties, and do hope that the
other statistics Of the great undertaking closed
may at he added the number of tympanums
broken the final day. Ireland has sent the most
powerful bells the exhibition but @ese resources,
added to the bells of all nations, deemed insult
tcient, and China had to come to The with
her gongs, and India to strike up some fine savage
notes from her tom toms, before the signs of in
tenton to depart were Enthusiastically manifested
The concourSe of people for long time remained
massed together. if no power could separate or
fuse them: but last small currents and rippes OF
human beings might be setting towards the ex-
Indoors. and these gradually increased in volume
and rapdty the shades of evening fell. One by
one the gas lamps lighted, and the building
divided between the empire of day and night, as
sumed an aspect curiousy in harmony with its de-
! funct character.
The crowds flowed out faster every minute, and
first the and then the portions of the
nave began to show vacant spaces. In the mean
time the ringing of the bells was occasionally sus
pended. and in the intervals hearty cheers Civ
en- for Prince Albert, for the Prince Of Wales. fo
Mr. Paxton, for Mr.. Fox, for the exhibitors and up
on various other grounds. An attempt, too wa
made by some vocalists to get up musical perfor
nance. but their efforts were instantly drowned b.
the revived energies of the ringers. Some one pro
posed cheer for koSsuth but it met with no res
ponse. except some derisve laughter The gallerie
and the eastern and western naves had now bee
completely cleared but a dense body still clnn
round the crystal fountain many filling bottles wit
! water from it a memento, and others strugglin