"THE EMPIRE" AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Evening Star, Issue 14574, 24 May 1911, Page 9

"THE EMPIRE" AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

THE ALL • RED ROUTE. Tho Crystal Palace grounds are a remarkable eight just now. I was one of a number of gnaets of the Council of tho Festival of Empire at a luncheon given this week at the Palace, and saw from tho windows above the terrace the progress of the “ Empire City ” that is raising into view. Replicas of every Parliament House in the Overseas Dominions are being built in tlie Palace grounds on a scale of two-thirds the size of the originals. A mile and a-half of electric railway winds in and out among the buildings and through tho grounds, passing now through natural woodbind scenes, now through deverly-contrived reproductions of scenes in the Dominions overseas; This lino will be bordered with thousands of flowers and shrubs. The sum of £90,000 is being spent on the making of this All Red route, as it is called. Mr Leolyn G. Hart, the constructor of the All Red route, estimates that on either side of tho line there are fourteen miles of painted scenery averaging thirty feet in height. Ninety picked scenic artists have been.engaged' for thq past six months, and it is computed that they have used 150 tons of paint, valued at £4,500. Hemp canvas, especially woven in Dundee, has been employed. The largest order on record for “properties” has 1 been given in connection with this All Red route. They range from stuffed lions, tigers, snakes, and monkeys for the Indian jungle to couuiJe?s thousands of artificial grapes and other fruit; from 3,000 codfish for the Newfoundland fishers to an orchard of apple trees for Canada; from full-sized plaster model? of horses, cows, and sheep to a fifty-foot shaft for the African gold mine; and from a, gigantic steamship to the macliinery of’a Kimberley diamond mine. Then a thousand wild rabbits are to bo imported to race about at their own sweet will on ;in Australian farm. A hundred geyseis will throw hot water fifty feet into the air in the Now Zealand section of the route. In the Blue Mountain scene is a cascade down which 65,000 gal of water will msh each minute; live animals will be used in the sheep-dipping and sheepshearing scenes; real vines 'rill grow in the vineyard, but the “fruit” will be “ assisted ” on to the trees for tho. sake o! quick effect. THE PAGEANT OF LONDON. Perhajw the most interesting feature of die whole Festival of Empire will he the Pageant of London, which is being organised and controlled by Mr Frank Lasceiles. who is famed as a pageant master vhe world over. It will be remembered that he was responsible for the ?re-!i.t pageant which was hold in tho Plains of Abraham in honor of tho Tercentenary of Quebec, and also last year lie produced tho great pagcinl, at Cape Town, which was held in commemoration of the opening of the Parliament of the Union of iSoiilh Africa by His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught. For many months past a big staff’ has been at work under the direction of Mr Litsrellcs., organising the pageant, which is to give a pictorial and historical review of London from the days of the Romans. Almost every metropolitan borough is taking part, and in some instances districts outside the metropolitan area will be represented, while, again, in the fourth part visitors from the Overseas Dominions will participate in the eightscenes that have been devoted to tho colonies. The principals in the pageant began rehearsing this week at the Crystal Palace, while the great body of 15,000 performers will assemble for the fifteen or twenty final rehearsals early m May. At these rehearsals 400,000 school children will he present. Tho pageant itself o|iens at the beginning of June, and will be continued everv day until towards the end of July.—London correspondent, April 13.