Pain's Pyrotechnic Display.

Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 20, 26 January 1888, Page 2

Pain's Pyrotechnic Display.

• ♦ ' ■ ' An enormous eondbnrso of people was attracted to the Basin ' Reserve last evening to witness the wonderful pyrotechnic exhi« bition provided by Mr. James Pain, the world-famed manufacturer of fireworks, andcarried out byhis representative, Mr. Illing* worth. Fully 10,000 spectator* must have assembled within the ground*, not to mention tho crowds who gathered on the vantagepoints" of the Mount Cook Gaol Reserve, the Town Belt, and the numerous balconies which overlooked the scene. Tho display infinitely transcends anytLing of tne kind ever witnessed in the colony before. The grounds were brilliantly illuminated with Chinese lanterns, festooned from the surrounding groves of trees, and rows of tiny lamps of coloured glass were bestowed about the' pavilion -and the band rotunda. The brilliancy of the moon so far from detracting from the success of the affair served to heighten the pleasures of the assemblage. An efficient band occupied the rotunda, and filled -up the time very agreeably until 9 o'clock, when a balloon was sent aloft,' carrying a magnesium light in its car, and as it floated away over Newtown emitted streams of rockets and fire-balls and stare of many beautiful colours. The programme was then begun in earnest, by the discharge of numbers of rockets and pyrotechnic shells, the latter bursting in the air at immense heights, and forming lovely cascades of golden rain, covering an extensive area, or descending in rainbow-coloured

■ l arß. Thin portion of the display wan repeated at intervals in the course of thi B7ening. The mechanical effocts, too, were excellent. First came the performance on the horizontal bar by tho pyrotechnic (fjrilla. a huge fiery figure, which swayed itself in a most natural manner upon an apparently red-hot iron bar. The most striking of these featnres was, however, the representation of the bombardmont of Alexandria, in whioh two warships were shown cannonading a largo lighthouse with its adjacent forts, nntil the latter were blown sky high by ft fearful explosion. A large portrait of her Majosty, in her Imperial robes and jewels, executed in fire, was disp'ayed very effectively, and evoked loud obeers from those present. Nor must we overlook the astonishing forests of palm trees, falls of Niagara, or the enormous elephant, whioh moved across the grounds ii the moßt natural manner. The exhibition concluded with the simultaneous flight of numerous rockets, whioh made one of tho prettiest effocts of the evening. The spectators were held spellbound throughout the display, and the deep-drawn spontaneous exclamations of awo and admiration which frequently came from the vast concourse sufficiently attested the public appreciation. A gooddeal of dissatisfaction was expressed with the arrangements for iiigrenß an etrress, which were altogether inadequate for tho accommodation of tho crowd, and it ia, indeed, surprising that no ocoidonts should have ocenrred. It might be suggested that at the Beit exhibition— which takes plaoe on Saturday night— at least two gates of the Reserve should be utilised instead of only one, as was the oas« last night. A detachmont of the Fire Brigade was present by way of precaution in oose of fire, but their sowiceß were not palled into requisition.