Washington sentinel., 1854-06-18
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENTS.

SOWgFCSy HUfNcf-
Grand Spectaele-IAe Scene Exterior aud III.
ts.ior By Ntght-IAe Mighty lfmhaade-- IHt
Peformances-Ihe Fiyemen's Quadrile-- Ire
mendons Afair- -Barnum and Julien, &c, &c.
New YORK, June 16, 1854.
The lion in New York just now, is the mu-
sical congress at the Crystal Palace. The chief
Of the new directory, the immortal Barnum,
has called it together, grand gathering Of fif-
teen hundred vocal and instrumental perform.
ers, including more than thousand instru-
ments of different kinds, and an extraordinary
coalition of the most distinguished musical &C.
lebrities of various nations in the country. Jul.
lien the great, is commander-in-chief of these
allied forces; and if General ST. Armand does
half as well with his allied French, British,
Turkish, Asiatic, and Circassian troops against
the Russians, as Julien and his grand troupe
did last night, he may be satisfied.
The Palace, fitted up at large expense for
these musical exercises, was thrown open to
the public at four o'clock last afternoon, and
by seven o'clock there were perhaps not less
than twenty thousand people inside, with many
thousands outside. Approaching from any
point in the distance, commanding view of
the building after night-fall, it looked like q
supernatural creation; light, brilliant and
ETHEREAL; the splendid dome appearing like a
gigantic illuminated balloon, about to float
away in the air. In the interior, the scene,
from the multitude present, (which no man
could number" from the innumerable gas.
lights, from the grand array of the "musical
congress" arranged upon an inclined plane
on the eastern nave, looking, for all the world,
Ikea hill of human beings-from the numerous
statues and beautiful works of art interspered
all over the establishment among the dense
throng of fine looking men and beautiful
women on every hand, all the accessories Of
the pageant--in short, contributed to make it
far more impressive than the original inaugu-
ration under the auspices of the President Of
the United States, half of his cabinet and the
generalin-chief of the army.
The exercises Of the evening commenced at
seven o'clock, p. m. The following constituted
the first part Of the performances: Overture;
Recitative, "Comfort ye my People," Air
Every Valley" Mr.. Frazer; Chorus, "And
the Glory Of the Lord ]" Air, "Rejoice Greatly
Madame Wallace Bouchelle; Air and Chorus,
Behold Virgin shall Conceive" and "Ohl
Thou that tellest glad tidings to Zion," Miss
Hawley and Chorus; Air, ,"Why do the Ma.
tions?" Mr.. Camoenz; Grand Churus, Hal
lelujah;" Air, II know that my Redemer
Liveth," Miss Maria S. Brainerd; Chorus,
Worthy is the Lamb"
Handels grand churus of "Hallelujah" was
the only thing of this whole chapter which
filed the spacious capacities of the Palace,
and made all ring again. In the open Dir, in
the quiet country, it might have been heard,
under cover of the night, for many miles in
every direction. have heard more loud and
powerful singing at our western camp meetings
under the enthusiasm of a stirring revival; but
nothing in my life approaching the overwhelm
ing power of Handels "Hallelujah," as rem.
aered by the fifteen hundred professional mu-
sicians Of this musical congress.
The second part of the exercises was made
up too much of instrumental solos and duet.
los, to be appreciated, outside Of the reserved
,eats occupied by the two or three thousand
persons who thought proper to pays dollar and
half extra for the privilege. Indeed, at the dis.
lance of a hundred yards from the performers,
i was impossible to tell what was going on.
But the bulk of the audience outside the circle
Of reserved seats amused themselves in the in
,pection of the curiosities Of the palace in the
until the announcement Of Julens
ireman's dramatic quadrille absorbed the un-
divided attention of the whole house. For fear
that the illusion might alarm the audience,
President Barnum came forward and explained
hat it would include all circumstances and an.
pearances Of a rousing fire, sure enough; but
that it would be perfectly harmless, for it was
not to be real tiger after all.
This freman's quadrille' is thus described |
in the printed programme:
The first, second, third, and fourth figures Of |
he quadre are descriptive Of The annual parade |
The city is alive with the brilliant scene The |
yaily decorated engines and hose carts excite |
universal attention as the companies pass in re-
view, preceded by their military bands--now heard
in the distance, close at hand--the merry
luicksiep, the sprightly march, the sprighty fife /
and drum, waking the surrounding echos, and then
dying away, as the several companies recede from
view. The fifth figure pictures the approach OF
night. The mantle of darkness falls by degrees
The busy hum of the city is subsiding II is night,
and the good genius of New York hovers DER il,
carrying heavenward the prisons Of those now
about TO rest after the fatgues Of the day. Not
sound is heard Perfect
silence reigns ~ n
When The Fire-Fiend,' sweeping onward
trough the night, breaihes destruction around.
while the unsuspecting slumber. Suddenly,
shower Of sparks glitter in the air. and awake the
vigilance of the night-watch while, IN the dis.
ance, the deep-toned tocsin sounds the alarm Of
ire That dreadful word is echoed from mouth
o mouth, and few instants only elapse ere the
attic of engines and hosecarriages break upon
he ear-now approaching rapidly, now fading
lowly away. The alarm-bell continues TO toll,
nd is responded TO from tower and turret, far and
ear, DER the wide expanse Of the city. They
ONE! they come. Engine after engine is rush
ng onwards towards the conHag agration--ihe leader
4 each gallant troop, trumpet in hand, urging on |
is eager followers. The scene is reached. TIE |
evouring element is raging furiousy. A duh,
ed glare illumines the horizon, while the thou.
and forked tongues Of the fre-fend shoot biber