Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-05-29
MISCELLANY Y.
The Worlds Fair.

The Worlds Fair.
The following account Of the opening of the
grand exhibition, we extract from the letter of
foreign correspondent Of the Boston Post.
LONDON, May Cd, 1851.
You cannot well understand in the United
States how great the excitement has been in
regard to the opening of the exhibition. The
Times has not issued number for seven weeks
in which column of original matter has no,
been devoted to this subject. Neither has the
Gazette, nor the Chronicle, nor the Observer.
The previous day. Wednesday, the Both of
April, being devoted to the immediate prepa-
ration of The building for the ceremony, many
and indeed most of the contributors were de-
barred entrance after o'clock Among these
there CHANGED to be several of the foreign
commissioners. While they stood parleyinp
at the gate, and vainly endeavoring TO induce
the police officers to admit them, our Mr.. Rid.
die happened to pass out at the door, for the
purpose of gaining admission of some Ameri-
can contributions that had just arrived from
Liverpool. No sooner was he esped by the
| foreign functionaries, than the cry became gen.
eral among the impatient walters at the gate,
Monsieur Amerique, Monsieur Amerigue, let
me in, let me inn 1t is perhaps no undeserved
compliment to our commissioner to say that
his influence gained admission for every one
of the excluded whose presence in his depart
ment was necessary through the day.
Thursday, the first of May, was a great
London jubilee. The workmen were released
from their employments, the shops were clos
ed, the great warehouses of the city manumit-
ted their clerks, and the whole of the vast pop
ulace seemed to be poured in one overwhelm-
ing stream towards Hyde Park AS early as
| seven O'Clock in the morning every entrance to
the building was thronged with an immense
crowd, and from the north end of the transept
to Buckingham palace, distance of l IA
miles, both sides of the way by which the roy
al procession was to pass, were lined by tens
of thousands of spectators.
1t was 8 l-2 o'clock when | arrived and at
that hour the immense building was apparent
| ly filled with spectators. The numerous gal
leries, the deep bays, broad transept, and long
nave-One third of a mile, in fact, in length
were crowded with the beauty and wealth and
rank of England. The only vacant place
which one could see was the broad platform
occupying the centre of the transept, with the
elevated chair of state in its centre. Around
this were ranged the Goldstream Guards in full
uniform, and the Tower Guards in their quaint
old costume of two centuries ago.
| AT 10 l-2 O'Clock the foreign commissioners,
Mr.. Riddle, and Mr.. Dodge, his secretary, in
advance, and Mr.. Zohrab, the Turkish effendi
in the rear, came into the building, ranging
themselves around the left side of the platform
There were thirty-eight of these present, each
one dressed in the uniform of his country, and
covered with bands and stars and belted in
sigma, excepting our own.
After these followed the royal commission
ers, then the members of the house of lords,
then the great officers of state, and then her
majesty's ministers. In few moments after,
dressed in his field marshal's uniform, and EN-
blazoned by the scarf and stars and badges that
Europe has never wearied to heap upon him,
tottered along the carpeed floor, the duke Of
Wellington. His entrance was the signal for
shouts of applause, which, taken up as he pass
ed along, soon became general through the as
semblage. The old duke nodded and smiled
and tottered on till he reached the conspicuous
place assigned him in all state ceremonies.
AT precisely II O'Clock as had been an
nounced, her majesty, led by Prince Albert,
attended by her ladies' in waiting, and accom-
panied by the two eldest of her children, en-
tered the building. The prince of Prussia, the
Duchess of Sutherland, the princess royal, and
the little prince of Wales in Highland dress
of the Rothesay tartan, attracted much alten-
ton. The entrance of the queen was the sig
nal for such rapturous and long continued ap-
plause as we republicans know nothing of.
must accord TO her majesty, however, the praise
of great modesty and womanly reserve, and
dare say no one of the vast assemblage rejoiced
at the termination of the whole parade more
heartily than she did.
The anthem, sung by eight hundred voices,
and accompanied by three hundred instruments
beside the organ, God sdue the Queen, an
nounced the commencement of the ceremony
Prince Albert leaving the queen, then took his
place at the head of the royal commissioners,
and advancing with them to the throne read
the report, to which her majesty made gracious
answer. The prayer by the archbishop of
Canterbury followed, and then the long pro-
cession of foreign and royal commissioners,
great officers of state, ministers, ambassadors,
and others, preceding the queen, passed
through the whole length of the building
lhls last was most imposing ceremony
Nation after nation, throug their representa-
tlves, took up the applause as the queen ap-
peared-organ after organ hurled forth its i'm
mense volume of sound-choir after choir scat
tered through the galleries, caught and contin-
ued the strain, until the whole vast building
rang with the cordial greeting of the world to
the sovereign of England. 1t was throughout
great and magnificent spectacle, foleign to
our feelings as citizens of republic, and yet
touching chord of sympathy which the heart
lest king-hater could hardly have paralyzed.-
Upon the return of the royal procession, the
queen again ascended the throne, and through
her lord chamberlain declared the exhibition
opened. She then departed amid cheering,
and the vast assemblage scattered themselves
| throuphOut the buildup d.