Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-06
Closing Of the crystal Palace.

Closing Oh the CryStA1 F0fAcC.
The public show of the Crystal Palace
closed on the 18th, after being opened five
months and eleven days. The following
account of the final scene was taken from
the Times:
As the day Wore on, remarkable con
centration Of people in the nave began to
be discernable The side avenues and
courts We're deserted, and from end to end
Of the building nothing was TO be seen bu,
gree: sea Of human beings filing up the
centre, and agitated by thousand differ
ent currents of curiosity. which kept the
mass in motion without progress. Time
passed, and the circulation in the ,ransep,
became rather impeded. The people
seemed to betaking up their position there,
and the galleries, as far as the eye could
reach, We're occupied by spectators, who,
as they gazcd on the vast asscmblage be.
meath, evidently appeared to expect that
some public demonstration was abou, to be
made. The organs, which had been play
ed constantly during the early part OF the
day, were now silent, aud even that Won
deriul man Herr Sommcr, with his still
wonderful instrument, sent forth no longer
those astonishing volumes Of sound which
have rendered him. par ezce1eace. the
trumpcier of the Exhibition. Nothing
was to be heard but that strange and mys-
terious hum of voices which. rising from all
large assemblages, is imposing, but which.
in the Crystal Palace, swelling upward
from more than $4,000 people, leaves an
impression upon the mind not soon to be
forgotten. 1t was near five o'clock, the
whole nave, cas-, and west, the area of the
transept, and the galleries nigh, be seen
packed with a dense mass OF black, hats
through which, at intervals, struggling
female bonnet emerged here and there into
light. The vast multi,uJeh had now become
stationary. and were evidently awaiting,
IN silent but intense excitement, the last act
of great event, immortal in the annals of
the 10Th century. 1t was most solemn
and affecting scene, such as has rarely been
witnessed and for which en- opportunity
cannot soon again arise. Words cannot
do it justice, and fail utterly 10 convey the
mystery and the grandeur thus embodied
to the eye.
Lctthe reader fancy what it must have
been to comprehend within one glance ff.
ty thousand people assembled under one
roof in fairy palace, with walls Of iron
and glass, the strongest and Tie most fra
giie material, happily and spiendidly COM
bined. Let him, il he can. picture to him
self that assemhlage in the centre Of that
ediiicc filed with specimens Of human in
dustry and natural wealth, from every
civilized community and the remoiest cor
ners Of the globe. Let him tax his in,agi-
nation TO the uttermost, and still beyond
the material magnilicence of the spectacle
to hin-let him remember thEt
the stream Of lie on which he looks down
contains in it tie Intellect and the heart OF
the greatest metropolis in the most power
ful empire in the worl that strong feel
ings, such as rarely find utterancc in form
SO sublime, are about to find expression
from that multitude, and that in heather
times, even when liberty was still new
power upon the earth, the voice. Of the peo-
pie was held to be the voice OF Cod Not
only the days. but the minutes Of the Great
Exhibition Were numbered, and the first
y IN olits dissolution was given by Osler's
crystal fountain. Jnst before FIVE O'Clock
struck, the feathcry jet of water from its
summit suddenly ceased, and the silence Of
the vast asscmilage became deeper and
more intense. The moment at last came
Mr.. Belshaw appeared at the west corner
of the transcpt.callery on the south side,
bearing large red flag in his hand. This
he displayed as the clock struck, and in
stanIly all the organs in the building were
hurlng into the air the well-known notes
of the National Anthem. At the same mo
mcnt the assembled mutitudes uncovered;
and taose " no witnessed tbs act Of loyal
ty from an advantageous position, will
long remember the effect which it produc-
cd upon their minds. Where Just before
nothing was visible but mass Of black
hats stretching away until lost in the dis
tance Immediately there appeared great
sea Of up-'urned animated faces and to the
solemn silence ofexpectancy succeeded a
volume Of sound in which the voices oft'.a
people were heartily joined The Crystal
Palace is not adapted for organ music,
and Notwithstanding the number Of them
exhibited, they cannot, from the size Of the
building, be played in concert. The cot,
sequence was that, as musial performance
there being no proper organizationin the
singing Of "God save the
Queen" was a very discordant demonstra-
ton Of loyalty
Herr Sommer did everything in bis pow
er and in that of his instrument to keep the
people in tune, but he was only partially
successful. Some professional singers also
gave their aid upon the occasion. and in
spired the assemblage with courage to fol-
low. On the whole. however. foreigners
would have managed this matter better;
and, thought it is useless now to express
regrets. it does seem a pity that proper
steps were not taken to make the perform
ance of the National Anthem as elective
as it might have been. About the feeling
which accompanied it there could lie nc
mistake, for as soon as it had been closed
there arose such cheers as Englishmen a.
lone know how 10 give. these were con-
tinued for several minutes. and when the
last of them died away, there passed over
the entire bulding, and with an effect truly
sublime, d tremendous rolling sound, Ike
that Of thunder, caused by thousands Of
feet stamping their loyalty upon the boar
ded floors Under this demonstration eve
ry part Of the ediice trembled, and, as il
swept from west to east, many an eye was
raised with anxiety to the girders and pill
lars, which in long perspective, were
stretched out before them. And now the
time had arrived for the death peal Of the
Exhibition to be rung out. Some one hung
out from the gallery Of the transcpt piece
Of calico, on which was inscribed the well
known passage from Shakspcare's TEN
pest, &c:
sour esel- now ended: these our actors