Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-25
LONDON ABLAZE.
Illumination of tho Metropolis in
Honor of Her Majesty.
JUBILEE BEACON FIRES LIGHTED.

JUBILEE BEACON FIRES LIGHTED.
Wonderful After-Darlk Decorations
of the City-A Description of the
Most Notable Displnys-Am>r-
icans Take Part.
London, June %. = With the COM
Ing of night the crowds which had
filtered out of the procession streets
after the great show wedged back
again to view London alight. The il!umina-
lions were achieved more artistically than
the metropolis were, like everything that
had previously transpired during the morn
ing hours, greater and more respondent
than anything in her history. The symbols
of loyalty and affection, of imperial grand
eur and the growth of the empire that had
met the eye in painted and gilded
notices, devices of paper and punt
ing and spangled cloth, were now re-
fected for miles in lines Of fiarins
gas, glow-worm oil lamps, opal globes,
paper lanterns and transparencies. mean
descent lamps, celluloid flowers and hum
dreds of devices in thousands of colored
CRYSTALS. Everywhere was brilliancy, spar |
kle, color. Every house showed light IN
some way. and where 1t was sufficiently
brilliant the effect was decidedly enhanced
by the day draperies. though the empty
stands added rather a weird effect.
Leaving Hyde Park, the first notable
illumination was that of the Bachelors
club, where large medallion surmounted
by crown, the center bearing the ~. X.
l." all in colored crystal and the en-
blazoned words, God Save the Queen"
marked the front of the club, every window
Of which poured out a stream OF light.
Other clubs followed suit with many-col-
ored devices, while the private residences
facing Green Park were not for moment
outclassed.
At marlborough House.
Marlborough house instantly caught the
eye Across the four pillars at the en-
trance to the grounds was noticeable q
large branch in the form Of laurels In va
rious shades of green and natural berries
around a own-surmounted medallion In
scribed "V. r. l." The prince of Wales
feathers and badge figured in the design,
the whole being of the most beautiful crys-
tai. Round the corner, at York house,
Illuminated crystals, large heart formed
of rose petals and May blossoms. Passing
out Of Pail Mall, the celluloid balloons
quite justified French taste, the mean
descent glow lamps hidden in flower petals
suggested nothing so much as child's
dream of Titania's court. Fleet street from
the law courts to Ludgate circus was a
dazzling vista of prismatic and radiant de-
vices, ending upon Ludgate hill in the
massive dome of st. Paul's brilliantly lit
by searchlights. standing with Its huge
golden cross beacon to Greater London
and beyond.
At the Mansion House.
| Nothing in all London or elsewhere ex.
| ceeded in artistic beauty and brilliancy OF
| display the scene from the wellington
| statue, with the Bank of England on one
side and the mansion house on the 9th
err The official home of the lord mayor
| was bathed In so much light that all the
| beauties of the day seemed to fit In and
charmingly mingle with that of the night
| On the top of the pediment a splendid star
| OF India turned Its brilliant points into
| the sky. Prismatic gas globes outlined the
facade and portion of the side, while
| the royal crown encircled by wreath OF
| laurels in tncandescent lamps stood out
prominently in front of the building, en-
cIrcied by wreath Of laurels In mean
| descent lamps.
| The Bank of England, that hotbed Of
old-fashioned British royalty, had a super
/ structure or frame Of amber lights along
the Threadneedle facade, within which
hung festoons of white-lit globes fastened
| ut short intervals with illuminated deep
red bows.
| An Unsurpassed Scene.
Turning from the bank to the Liverpool.
| London & Globe bulding-at the apex OF
ture from basement to roof was outlined
\ in red and blue and gold. The clock, famil-
lar to all Americans who ever came to the
city, was surrounded by six circular boxes
Of flame shining through colored glass
The windows and roof were also outlined
in exquisite and gold settings. Old sight
seers pronounced the scene as one of ar
tistic brilliancy in illumination, unsur.
passed even by the fetes for the czar ir
Paris or for him at Moscow.
On the Thames.
Father Thames furnished an impression.
list color scheme. The sweep seward from
the pool-myriad lights here and there, just
touching into ghostly form the shipping
the tower, the heavy lines beyond on the
long necklace of shimmering gems away
:. towards Westminster, With St. Paurs
shadows of the silent waters, the small
string of coored lamps on some wandering
tug or cumbrous barge, lines of lucent
color on nearby bridges, the streaming
rays darting skyward from the dazzling
streets-made more marked the gloomy
apreheuses, dark patches of almost i'm
penetrable shadow that on the rivers edge
seemed to fringe the glory of 1t all.
Among the many displays of one sort OF
another between Westminster bridge anG
the Horse guards, one in particular de-
manded notice-that of the London &
Northwestern Railway company, at the
E6cIer OF Bridge and Parliament streets
the most extensips Imagination by electric
light to be seen in the metropolis. There
| We're 5000 16-candle lamps arranged tt
outline the building. The chief feature
was a large crown surmounttng the dome
IL tle corner containing 600 lamps. They
were mostly white. but the jewels In the
crown, the orb and cross were shown b,
clusters Of colored lights. The column.
supporting the dome were picked out IL
white. and there We're horizontal lines o,
light over each floor. With lines vertically
on the Bridge and Parliament stree,
frontages in large letters Of white light
: initials In ruby-the words: Longest
: Noblcst, Wisest Reign''-stretched aroun(
both frentages. Enormous gas flames ovel
: the parapet OF each frontage completed the
I scheme.
r Display by Americana
}. Victoria street was notable for the II
. Elimination Of the United States embass,
and the offices OF the colonial agents gen
eral. The most prominent and success
full OF these was that erected by Sir Donal
Smith, at the Canada office, in which tn
: shield and armorial bearings of the do
I minion were surrounded by the names O
the provinces painted on white glass an,
: Illuminated SO as to show bouquet o
q color. All the stately houees in Carltol
v House terrace, including Mrs. Mackay's an
q Mr.. William Waldorf Astor's, are blaz
of light, but the two splendid mansion
q occupied by Americas two ambassador.
Col. Hays hnDse on one side and MI
Whitelaw Reds on tie other, were spe
cially brilliant. and called forth many ar
j. proving comments The two houses wer
;. Illuminated in the same design, the ia
miliar big ~. r. surmounted by crow
y and the dates 1s37-1S97." On either side @
g the central design Was large America
n shield surmounted by the eagle, and wit
. the significant number Of the 10 stars in tn
}. Geld