The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-05-24
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Interesting Account of the Exhibition.

ing OF the w orld's Fair:
LONDON, May l, 1851.
The Queen has just opened to-day,
with appropriate State ceremonies, the
Great Industrial Exhibition, and it has
been one of the greatest pageants of the
age. The immediate departure of the
mails for the steamer, compels us to be
briefer in our notice of this great event
than we could wish, but we shall en-
deavor to give you some idea oft, how.
ever faint. Fortunately the day was
fine one, though the Queen, so the COM
mon saying goes, always has beautiful
weather for her public purposes. A
slight sprinkling came up just as the Roy
al cortege was passing Hyde Park to
the Crystal Palace, but it amounted to
nothing and lasted but a few moments.
The streets in the vicinity of Hyde
Park were alive with people shortly af-
ter daylight, and as for the Park itself,
by breakfast time it was impossible. 1t
really seemed as if every house in Lon
don had vomited forth it's contents INTO
this quarter, and the jam was, as YOU
may imagine, immense. There was no
such thing as passing along Piccadilly
at all; the houses and trees from which
the most distant glimpse ofthe Paiois de
| Chrystal could be obtained, were over
loaded with a human multitude, like
flies on bread and moosses.-To see the
Queen was something; but to see her
whole Court--to see all the Nobility,
all the Ministry, all the Lords and La
dies i'll Waiting, all the Ambassadors,
all the Royal Family, the Royal Troops,
the Continental Princes and Processes
here on visit; in short to see, in actual
Court Costume, all the living appendix
ges of regality, was too much to be re-
sisted by an ordinary bit of human Gu
rlosity, and so everybody turned out for
the occasion, ourselves included.
! We knew there would be some glori-
Gus music, for the band of the Scot Fu-
siiers and of the Coldstream Guards
were to be there, and they are distin-
guished; the whole of the band and cho-
rus Of the Sacred Harmonic Society,
with most of the members of the choir
of st. Paul's of Westminster Abbey, of
the Queens own Chapel, st Georges,
at Windsor; of the Chapel Royal, were
engaged. God save the Queen was
to be sung by go voices, as we'll as the
Hallelujah Chorus; all the organs were
T to be played by the most celebrated
professors in the United Kingdoms.
Some Of the greatest vocal talent was
secured, and in it were Miss Birch, Ca
radori Allan, Miss Williams, and a host
of other celebrities. This was induce
ment enough for us, as well as for the
million, without mentioning the august
ceremonies in addition, that three gum
cas- Though a sum worth looking at)
would purchase glance at cheaply, if
onl y for future remembrance.
So we went, and went early. The
Queen and her suite We're to enter the
Crystal Palace at twelve. The doors to
all Others closed at eleven. We were
on the spot at nine, and got position of
indisputable excellence, partly by pass,
partly by 'tin," and partly by our
American politeness. Mem: Americans
are always known here by their saying
Eyes, str," and "no, SIR" Englishmen
don't "sir'' to everybody and by their
snavlty to the women. In that "excel-
Lent place we stood three mortal hours,
looking at the glass building in all parts
wondering how much muslin ('scai-
CO" they call it here) it took to cover
the roof to keep the sun out-wonder-
ing how much per cent. each exhibitor
would find his articles deteriorated
when he got them home again-won-
dering how much the "Mountain of
Light the great diamond displayed
down below, was really worth-and
wondering who canopied the throne for
the Queen with such taste, the blue and
white silk, the golden stars, the ostrich
plumes, &C., mingling so exquisitely
with the crimson drapery that cleaned
over all.
AT length the huzzas of the multitude
IN Hyde Park, the bustling of the officers,
the entry of the Guards, announced the
Queen and her retinue. She reached
the doors and then came the booming of
artillery, the shouting of the people,
the hats and caps and handkerchiefs in
mid air, the organs loud peal, the sono-
rous outporings of the bands, and the
chorus of $40 in the National Anthem.
Phew! We began to feel excited our
selves, but we tried to keep cool, though
everybody else was evidently gone COM
pletely mad.
The Queen and her husband were &C.
companied by their children, and by
certain lords and ladies of the Royal
household. The Queen was one mass
OF JeWelry. Her bust was covered with
pearls over dress of pink silk brocaded
with silver. A tiara of diamonds on