The record-union., 1897-06-24

at the castle gates, where the addresses
from the Windsor bodies were re-
ceived. As the Queens carriage ap-
peared at the entrace to her home the
national anthem was chanted in well
come by 300 voices. The days festivi-
ties We're brought to an end by an illu-
mination of the palace.
NIGHT SCENES.
LONDON, June 23.-Great crowds
viewed the ilIuminations this evening,
crowds much greater than those OF
Tuesday night. The professional route
and the widest streets were packed
with every conceivable sort of vehicle,
from costers' cart and tumbrel to hand
somely appointed coaches, private open
carriages and omnibuses especially
chartered for the occasion carrying Ia
dies and gentlemen in gala dress. In
many parts where the police divert the
traffic into the streets men and some
times women can be seen leaving the
carriages and mingling with the crowd
in order to get a better view.
At the West End the route from the
Strand to st. James street was packed
to suffocation. The heat was intense,
many women fainting and the ambu-
lances We're kept busy.
Trafalgar Square was the center of
an immense throng, and the police had
hard work to keep the people moving.
The route along which most of the
royal family drove to and from Covent
Garden Opera-house was kept clear.
The sidewalks We're crammed by the
populace, who cheered the royal car
riages very furiously.
Tonight was a gala night at Covent
Garden Opera house, where the whole
programme and performance reflected
the greatest credit on Maurice Grau.
The event fairly rivaled the procession
as an attraction to Londoners. For
miles around Covent Garden the streets
were crowded, and the crush of car
riages was so dense that many men
wearing gogeous uniforms and covered
with jewels had to walk for long dis
tances, amid the varying comments of
the crowd. Many others, like the Duke
of Marlborough and the Duke of Dew
onshire drove to the opera-house in
state carriages, with coachmen and
footmen resplendent in state livery.
In front Of the Opera-house was a
mounted guard of honor; inside the
Earl of Latham, with a lot of gold
sticks, awaited the arrival of the royal
party, while bee eaters lined the stair
way and mounted guard outside the
royal box.
Meantime the house filed, and the
scene was most gorgeous. The wo-
men blazed with jewelry; nearly every
man wore a uniform of some sort, while
the Indian Princes dressed in native
costumes, occupied prominent boxes
and We're curious spectators of the gilt
tering display.
At length the royals began to arrive,
the Princess of Wales coming first
Her costume was white, embroidered
with silver; upon her head he wore a
beautiful diamond tiara, is around
her neck and a long ro, orders
across her bodice. AS she entered the
royal box, the audience arose, and the
band played the national anthem
The rest of the party then filed into
the box. each preceded by the Earl of
Latham, walking backwards Among
them were all the visiting Princes and
all the members of the English royal
family, except the Queen, Empress
Frederick of Germany and Princess
Beatrice
AS soon as they were seated the cur
tain rose, disclosing the entire cast of
the opera, among them Nine. Melba
and Nine. De ReSzke, grouped upon the
stage. Then followed such rendering
of the national anthem as it never be-
fore, after which was carried out Mr.
Grau's carefully arranged programme
including the second act of ''Tannhaus-
er," third act of Gounod's Romeo and
Juliet" and the fourth act of the
''Huguenots. The efforts of the sing
ers and the orchestra We're received
with the greatest enthusiasm. and the
performance surpassed in every way
the famous gala performance given at
Covent Garden for the Empress of
Germany
The scene was one of incomparabl BILE
loveliness. The whole interior of the
structure was hidden by freshly cut
flowers, principally roses The upper
tier of boxes was a. mass of Marechal
Mel roses. The next tier a mass of
pink roses, and the bottom tier of rich
dark red roses. White flowers adorned
the royal box, which was surnounted
by an enormous floral crown of Grim
son roses and golden orchids The box
vas uetoTdleQ IN the Louis XVI. StVln
the chairs and settees being covered
with white and yellow silk. The same
material, f1uted and patterned into din
monds, formed the ceiling. The box
was beautiful picture.
The Prince of Wales wore the red
uniform of field marshal and among
all the other Princes there were no two
uniforms alike
The royal group seemed a collection
or gllttering orders and beautiful lew
els The Princess of Naples wore some
wonderful diamonds, and the Grand
duchess Sergius displayed the largest
emerald in the world
IL was noticeable, however. that the
royals We're less lavish in jewelrv than
many ladies in the other boxes. who
We're fairly plastered with gems
The audience included all the leaders
OF Official and social England and all
the ambassadors. ambassador Hav
ana Miss Hay and Spencer Eddy oc-
cupied his own box.