AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8557, 10 August 1888, Page 6

AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

—■. i "i " ■ ■ THE BUSTLE OF PREPARATION. THE NEW ZEALAND COURT. THE GREAT PROCESSION. THE OPENING CEREMONIAL. [prom our special correspondent.] MELBOURNE. July 31. I have just returned from the Exhibition lluildinga, the time being 10 pan.; and the scene I have left will remain impressed on my memory a a long as I live. Brilliantly illuminated by the electric light, and numerous gas jets, which bad a reddish glare in contrast with the steely blue of

the arc, the building was one enormous workshop, in which on all sides the sounds of preparation were to be heard. The enormous ?ize of the building can bo estimated from the (fact that it covers thirty-three acres of land. All this space is occupied by the finest productions which the industry, ingenuity, and cultivated taste of mankind can 'bring together. The nations of the earth are vying with one another in the efforts to secure a

foremost position in what is the ,WGrid's Pair of 1888. As was to be expected, 1 Victoria has the lion's share of the space, and right worthily does she occupy it; but New South Wales runs her close, and the other Australian Colonies make a very fair show, Germany and France, however, have dons wonders, while the Mother Country is fairly represented. Compared with the vast space, occupied by other countries, A ■■■, ' THE NEW ZEALAND COURT / is very dwarfish; hut Sir James Hector, L Mr Callis and their assistants have striven hard, and by no means unsuccessfully, to present a creditable appearance. The prol cess of clearing up was in full swing, and Sir James congratulated himself tome"*on' having just got rid of his last empty case. The number of packages He had to deal with was close upon fifteen hundred, from which fact some deduction can be drawn as to. the total number of packages which mast have been unpacked throughout the Exhibition. A brief mention of the most prominent exhibits in the New Zealand Court will not be out of place, now that • most of them are in position, and more or less open for inspection. A large gilded obelisk, resting on a granite coloured pedestal, and representing the quantity of gold that has been won from the New Zealand goldfields, is a capital beacon to direct the visitor in search of our Court. Splendid specimens of magnificent forest trees and tree ferns, with toi-toi grass, &c., give character to the Court's frontage. Conspicuous among the trophies js'the grand display of Mosgiel cloths and woollen manufactures. Another striking collection is that of the Gear Meat Preserving Company. The Maori Hpuse, surrounded witff - a pretty fernery, must attract notice. Then, there is a splendid trophy o.E cereals, and another of wool. A good collection of biscuits is shown by a Dunedin firm, and another firm from the same city shows a tasteful trophy of soap and candles. The Midland Railway Company utilises a very prominent position for the display of West Coast timber, coal, coke, &c. Hard by, the Springfield Pqttery Company shows an excellent collection of its' products. Reefton and Brunnerton send colossal pieces of coal and coke. Hematite is shown by Nelson, and antimony, displayed, by Otago. The New- Zealand Government have sent relief and other maps of the Colony, which are marvels of detail. Manning cud Co. and Vincent and Co. worthily represent the brewing industry of Christchurch. Mr Thompson, of Milner and Thompson, has his patent tuning system on view. ’ Auckland shows kauri gum in a raw and in a manufactured state. The several harbours of the Colony are elaborately reproduced in nicely moulded charts. Auckland sends some exquisite iplaid cabinet work, and the same city sends a handsome collection of building timbers. Other noteworthy collections are churns and beehives. A Dunedin dressmaker has a lovely specimen of her handiwork, draped upon a remarkably elegant ■ wax figure. Mr J. T- Matson has a very fine collection of ostrich feathers, some * dressed and some in their native state. A couple of carriages from Auckland and Nelson represent a very important industry. Mr Luke Adams, of Sydenham, sends a collection of pottery, and Mr Henry Homer, of Dunedin, does the same. Cooking ranges are sent by Messrs Atkinson, of Christchurch, Kirkpatrick, of Nelson, has -a tempting display of jams, &c. The New Zealand Government send models of some of our finest bridges, and a good geological collection. Mr Ashcroft, of Dunedin, exhibits a working model of his hydraulic lift for railway trains. ! THE FINE ARTS

are represented by photographs and paintings, among the artists being Messrs Beetham, Brookes, Elliott, Eodor, Gear, J. Gibb, W. Gibb, Gould, Smyth, Walsh, M'Cardell, and Lambert, and Misses Rosa Budden, NoraQard’ner, Beatrice Partridge, I'lora Partridge, and others of Chriat- - church. It is much to bo regretted that Canterbury has not shown- as much interest in other departments as in art. A PEW PIGUBES as to the cost already incurred on account of- the Exhibition, not counting the expenses of individual exhibitors, will be of interest. I think the total disbursements are said to amount to .£156,573. Of this, temporary annexes account for £85,346, and the electric light for £24,000; the expanses in London have scaled up to over £51,000, and the bill for decorations comes to. almost as much, Office expenses . are £SOOO, and general wages £4500, The refreshment rooms bare cost £2500. The receipts of the Exhibition of eight years ago amounted to more than £55,000, and for materials used in construction of temporary buildings £27,000 was allowed. The present Exhibition is to be open at night, and this, together with the facts that the population of the Colony has greatly increased, agd the railway lines have been considerably extended, while the community appears ..to be revelling in unprecedented, wealth, renders it extremely prqhable that the receipts from all sources will be considerably in excess of those enumerated above. * THE CEREMONIAL

to l)e observed to-day—for it ia now past midnight—will be of a fittingly splendid and imposing character. The day is to be observed'as a public holiday, and nothing is heeded but fine weather, of which there appears to be every probability to ensure the complete success of the "opening proceedings. The city and suburbs are cjrowded_with visitors, and trains will be run, while special tram and omnibus arrangements have been made. The procession will probably be the grandest ever witnessed-in Australia, and will comprise a large contingent of the naval and military forces, if’iro Brigades, Friendly Societies, the Trade Unions, with numerous bands of music. Sir Henry Brougham Loch, who. is to; open the Exhibition, will be accompanied by the Governors of New Zealand, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, with their suites, arid will be escorted by Cavalry, Mounted Kiflea, and mounted men of the Nordenfeldt Battery. The vice-regal party will be received by the Commissioners, and Sir Henry Loch ia to open the northern door with a gold" key presented him by the President, Sir James M‘Bain. The inaugural ceremony will be opened with prayer by the President, who will then present an address to His Excellency. The Governor will then reply, concluding by declaring the Exhibition open. A cablegram will at once be sent to the Queen. The opening cantata will then be rendered, and the song of thanksgiving will follow. The Old Hundredth, the Hallelujah Chorus,, and the -National Anthem, will

conclude the inauguration, at an hour when it will be too late for me to send you particulars. August 1, 8 a.m, AS TO THIS WEATHER, the hopes of the most sanguine were more, than realised, for it is a cold, bright sunshiny morning, with every probability of a brilliant day. August 2. The postponement for twenty-four hours of the departure of the Mariposa from Sydney, enables me to chronicle at once MY OWN IMPRESSIONS of the proceedings at the greatest festival in which it has ever been my good fortune to be present. For the opening of the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, as I have already intimated, the morning was bright and sunshiny, and though heavy showers fell in the afternoon and steady rain in the evening, these were so timed by the clerk of the weather as not to interfere in any serious degree with the generalfeativitips. The gatherifag of representative bodies who were to take part in the procession began at an early hour, and though I was too anxious to secure my place within the building to allow myself more than a glace at

THE PROCESSION, I saw enough to enable me to confirm the accounts given in the newspapers. The magnificent numerical strength of the labour representatives particularly struck me; and as I watched banner after banner, each borne on a trolly drawn by splendid teams of horses, I could not but congratulate this Colony on the_ success of- its Protective poHcy, which had brought about so grand a development of native industries. But, imposing as was the array of banners and companies of artisans marching behind, it became insignificant in comparison with the vast throng of well-dress,ed and well-behaved who were looking on at the pageant. Throughout the route to be followed by the procession, every spot from which a glimpse could he obtained was fully occupied, and.it made me dizzy to see women, some of them with children in their arms, leaning out of windows, and even standing on unprotected parapets, st a height of from fifty to ninety feet from the ground. The utmost order and good temper characterised the enormous crowds, and the police arrangements were perfect. Occasionally loud cheers greeted the Volunteers or some specially popular personage, hut there was no excitement or horse-play. The procession was headed by the blue jackets of the Naval Squadron, five hundred strong; next came the men of the Victorian fleet; following these were the Victorian Militia, and a dozen pieces of artillery; • the Volunteers; the Governor's party escorted by a fine body of mounted Riflemen. Then on came the Fire Brigades, the Oddfellows, the Foresters, the Druids, the Hibernians, &c., with banners and insignia. Finally, the trades. Some idea of the length of the procession may be formed from the fact that it occupied the attention- of the crowd for close upon _ three hours, during which time the strains of more than twenty bands could be heard at various points. The naval and military procession numbered about three thousand, the Friendly Societies twelve hundred, the Fire Brigades eight hundred, the Trade Societies six thousand four hundred. Having satisfied myself with this peep at the procession, I hastened to THE EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, where avast crowd of ticket-holders besieged the entrance gates. Thanks to the admirable forethought of the authorities no difficulty or confusion was experienced, and for more than an hour the steady influx of visitors was never;once interru.pted, but each one entering was shown his appointed seat. My chair was on the floor, where I could see and hear everything that could be seen and heard. The long interval that lapsed between my taking possession of my chair and the arrival of-. His Excellency Governor Loch, was filled up by my taking stock of the crowd, of otner visitors, among whom 1 recognised some old acquaintances, who kindly welcomed me. Evening drees had at one time been stipulated, for the entree cards contained a request that it should bo worn, hut a protest against this had been vigorously made in the public press and elsewhere, with the result that very few appeared in a “claw hammer." Court uniforms, however, were abundant, and among those resplendent in gold lace I recognised Sir Archibald Michael, at one time a prominent politician in Victoria, hut now apparently consigned to the “cool shades of respectability.'' The Mayors of Colonial municipalities were arrayed in their fullest robes, and their cocked hats, and I looked about anxiously for Mr Louisson, in hopes that I should discover him in official costume. I could not see him, but in the afternoon came across him, and found, to my great disappointment, that his only distinctive ornament was the gold chain of his office, which, handsome as it is, looks very trflirig compared to the heavy loads of bullion with which the Right Worshipful of Melbourne was encumbered. Pretty punctually THE VICE-REGAL PARTY arrived, but as they had to come in procession through the Avenue of Nations, and had to listen to the several national anthems as they passed the various Courts, the da'is was nob reached till half-past twelve. There the Governors of all the Australian Colonies took up their positions, our own Excellency, Sir Wm. Jervois, looking every inch a soldier, standing on the left of Sir Henry Losh. And now had arrived THE SUPREME MOMENT

and, as a writer in the Arg.us says, “ Mr Cowen lifts his baton, organ and orchestra peal forth, the choir join in a full chord, and the music of the everlasting antbem of Old England rolls away over the heads of all the people, and fills the dome and roof’ and transept and nave with loyal and devotional sound.” . The same writer continues: —“The colour of the scene took every eye : the abundance of scarlet and gold, the frequent blue, the blaze of unfamiliar glory which proceeded from many persons, the rich lustre of the feminine attire, and over all the colosral figure of victory. Extending either side of the vice-regal chair, the Queen’s colours, supported by two pairs of blue jackets, with straw hats pushed back, exposing their tanned faces and keen eyes; bared blades held right, and a look about them that would give a timid person courage, though all the enemies of tho Empire were leagued for her destruction.” But OTHER PICTURES, claim attention. There is the choir and orchestra, almost a thousand strong, tworanks of female forms with sashes of blue and cardinal on dreacea of universal white, backed by the useful sables of the men, with the gilded-organ pipes filling in the background. It is a charming picture, but it lacks the strength and significance presented by the dais. Right opposite is the crowded gallery, with Germany’s magnificent tribute. Australia, too, in drapery as bold in form, and only lacking perhaps in the classic grace which should characterise emblematical outlines. All the 'floor, all tho galleries are fiMed., There must be thirty thousand people assembled .though there is very little noise or stir amongst them; for all are impressed with tho dignity and grandeur of the occasion, and desire to be in it and of it, with a seemly and proper decorum. Sir James M'Bain having read a specially written prayer, the OLD HUNDREDTH was sung with marvellous effect from its, majestic simplicity, to which grandeur was' imparted by the greatness of the choir. Mr Cowen’a BONG OP “ THANKSGIVING ” followed. The words of this, chosen from the Holy Scriptures, are appropriate to the occasion, and the music setting has been done by a master. Conducted aa it was by the composer, ample justice was given to its rendering. It consists of three choruses, one of which is unaccompanied, and occupies about-twenty minutes. THE CENTENNIAL CANTATA, the words of which were written by a Congregational minister, and the music composed by a native musician, followed. The solos in this were entrusted to four artists, three of whom are favourites*in Christchurclur-Miss A«jy Shqjwin, Miap Christian, and Messra Armes Beaumont

and Otto Fischer. They acquitted themselves well, and the composer, who, of course, conducted this portion of the programme, must he congratulated on the interpretation given to his work by soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Previous to the cantata, however. Sir James M f ßain read an address to Sir Henry Loch, who suitably replied. Just at this moment a brilliant sunshine flooded the building. A gold key was presented to His Excellency, who then declared the Exhibition open, and handed to the Superintendent of Telegraphs a cablegram for despatch to the Queen, which was sent off by an operator who had his apparatus on the dais. To-day the Argiis states that the message reached Her Majesty in thirty-six minutes, and her reply was received by His Excellency at six minutes past nine o'clock the same evening. After the cantata had been sung, Messrs Co wen, Allen, and King were presented to the Governor, and received his congratulations. This caused

an unfortunate hitch in the proceedings, and was perhaps the only mistake made in the arrangements. The large audience became impatient, and began to leave their seats, and for some time a general break-up seemed eminent. However, the Hallelujah Chorus and the National Anthem, given with clockwork precision, and with a complete appreciation of the niceties of expression, restored order, and the great majority remained to join in the hearty cheering for the Queen and the Governor with which the proceedings closed. I subsequently took

A RAPID RUN THROUGH THE BUILDING, and was astonished to notice bow mueh had been done, especially in the New Zealand Court, towards completing arrangements and clearing away debris jdnee the previous evening. The immense size of tho.building is only beginning to dawn upon me, and every visit shows more and more how little of it I have seen. Now that the workmen are finished there will be a better chance of becoming acquainted with the treasures of all kinds which have been gathered together, under a roof covering a larger area (we were yesterday assured by the Governor) on one floor than any previous Exhibition in the world. Official records give the attendance yesterday at 36,31)5. The railway returns show that up to four o’clock yesterday afternoon 60,000 persons, exclusive of season ticketholders, went through to Melbourne. The tramcars also must have brought thousands in from the suburbs. One accident occurred, caused by the explosion of a charge while a gun in the Government Domain Battery was being re-loaded during the firing of the salute. Bombadier M'Kenzie received snch injuries that his right arm had to be amputated, and it is feared he may lose his sight.