The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-05-26
n. R. ii. AS A FREEMASON,
TIE PRINCE Of WALES Tgr
GRAND MASTER OF
ENGLAND.
The Grandest Masonic Ceremony of the
Cent ry.
BRILLIANT AssEMBLAGE OF THE GRAF
IN THE GREAT ALBERT HALL
IN LONDON.
LONDON, Ese. J
April 20. '75,G

Yesterday His Royal Highness AL
bert Edward, Prince of Wales, next
king of the United Kingdom, was in
stalled as NJ. W. Grand Master of
England, in the presence of the larg-
est Masonic body ever convened since
the building Of King Solomon's lem
pie Seven Thousand of the most adj
vanced, intelligent and eminent Ma
sons of England assembled in Albert
Hall, and participated in the ceremo-
MES. The Hall is situated on the
Kensington road, opposite the south
side of Hyde Park, 1t was built by
a stock company, and named after
the late Prince Albert. 1t has a large
and magnificent organ in the south
end, in front Of which, for the install
lation, stood the great chair of NJ. W.
G. M. The ceiling of the entire
room is of glass, arched in the form
of a dome. The seating capacity is
Just seven thousand; but had the hall
been ten times greater it would have
been crowded. The committee, how
ever, limited the tickets of admission
to the exact number of seats; and
confined their invitations to officers
of the various Grand Lodges, to
few reporters, and to eminent men,
bers Of the craft from abroad. So
great was the general anxiety of the
craft to be present on this suspicious
occasion, that from ten to twenty
pounds was offared for the privilege
of acting as substitutes for delegates,
but each ticket was filled with the re-
cipient's name, and the holder was
made to understand that the card was
not transferable.
The hall is oval in form, with an
immense concave parquette holding
about two thousand persons. Rising
above this, and extending clear round
the building-except where they are
broken by the organ-are five tiers
of boxes, or galleries, The front of
the platform, containing the Grand
Masters chair, was profusely gar
nished with rare plants and flowers
in pots arranged with artistic effect.
The three chairs used 10y the Grand
Master, the Senior Warden, and the
Junior Warden, were large and an
Client frames, covered entirely with
heavy gold leaf, and the upholstcring
was in rich blue silk velvet. Near
each chair was a lighted wax candle
representing the three "lesser lights
by magnificent golden can
die sticks. A new and gorgeous vel
vet carpet, ten feet in width, having
n light blue ground with appropriate
figures in yellow and orange, was
laid in the broad centre aisle, from
the grand northern entrance to the
front of the platform in the south
end. From the top of the Grand
Masters chair waved the tripactite
white feather-the traditional plume
of the Prince of Wales.
There are twelve doors of entrance
to the hall, and every ticket of adj
designated distinctly where
The holder could enter.
The doors were opened at precise
Iy l o'clock, and the throng poured
in in twelve continuous currents I'M
til the house was filled. When the
arose to their feet, the pic
lure resembled and immense unbro-
ken and
BRILLIANT BOUQUET
Every man was dressed in fine
black coat, vest, and pantaloons white
shirt and collar, with white neck tie,
and white kid gloves. Over and
around the shoulders were worn Ma
sonic collars of gold, scarlet, purple,
and dozen tints of blue. Through
these shone the immaculate white
shirt and neck tie, surmounted by
heads supporting flowing locks of
black, gray and white. For the eff
feet oflight and shade, nothing could
be grander. The brothers all sat so
near together that the grouping of
colors was continuous in one i'm
mense circle, like the interior of a
large and brilliant flower. The time
was passed in social conversation and
In forming new acquaintance until
3 O'clock. Then the officers Of the
Grand Lodge, followed by HI. r. H.,
the Prince of Wales and his brother
Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, en-
Tered the room, passed up the grand
aisle, and took seats on the platform.
The Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Lieu
tenant of Ireland who was actinU "a