The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-02 00:00:00

The FUNERAL of the LATE EMPEROR
of RUSSIA.

The St. Petersburg Correspondent of The Times gives the
following interesting description of the funeral of the late
Czar:—

To-day (Sunday) just two weeks since the perpetra-
tion of the infamous crime, the murdered remains of
Alexander IL, which for six days and nights have
constantly received the tearful homage of all that is
great and noble in Russia, were consigned to the tomb
within the Fortress Church of SS. Peter and Paul.
From all parts of the Empire, both peasants and
nobles, high and low, old and young, had sent their
tributes of grief and sorrow; and innumerable wreaths,
from crowned heads, from all ranks of the population
from foreign colonies in Russia, and from Russian
colonies abroad, lay thickly clustering round and
half-covering the glittering bier. It has even been
impossible for the authorities to satisfy all the
eager solicitations for admission into the presence of
the deceased monarch, owing to the limited space
within the church and the small number that could
pass through it at one time. Many deputations
arriving late have perforce been doomed to disappoint-
ment, and it was a physical impossibility for every-
body having the right of entry for the funeral cere-
mony to finl room within the small church to-day.
C msequently, the original programme had to be
altered so as to exclude those of the third class in the
official scile of rank, and also those knights of Orders
and their female relatives who generally have admis-
sion to Court, leaving only the first two classes, beeides
the Imperial family and foreign Princes, with their
suites, to gather round the grave.
To-day the ceremony, albeit the last great rite paid
to the deceased Emperor, was confined almost ex-
clusively to the interior of the Fortress Cathedral,
where the prolonged and impressive funeral service of
the Greek Church preceded the lowering of the Imperial
remains into the vault beside marble-encased relics of
bygone Sovereigns of Russia, No public procession or
pageant of any kind entered into the performance of
the last honours to the Imperial dead. Yesterday, a
herald with flourish of tlumpets, went before all the
palaces and in all public places of the city and
timed the burial of the departed Emperor for half-
past ten this morning, and punctually at this hour a
salute of three guns of the Fortress gave the signal
for the distinguished mourners to assemble at the
church. Mourning carriages were soon making
their way to the Neva from all parts of the city
through half-blinding snow, the partial thaw of
yesterday having early this morning been suc-
ceeded by a heavy storm of ',mow, which so loaded
the air and obscured the sight that scarcely more
than outlines of the sombre walls of the Fortress
could be seen through the drift.

The thinly-scattered crowds skirting the English
Quay and the masses of troops stationed along the
Neva literally shivered in their furs and gray over-
coats, while the wind piled the snow up against
serried ranks of the latter as against a wall. The
gloomy, boisterous weather was in keeping with
the solemn occasion. From the Winter Palace,
over the new Litejnaja-bridge, the Neva Quay was
lined, with their front to the frozen river, by all
the military schools and detachments of troops;
while the Quay from the Winter Palace, in the oppo-
site direction, was crowded with artillery in strong
force. The ice road across the Neva to the gate of
the Fortress was charged at intervals by Cossacks,
who could be dimly seen half embedded, with their
horses, in the deep snow. Beyond this and the
rapidly diminishing ranks of carriages before the doors
of the Winter Palace, and the Cossar.k escort await-
ing his Imperial Majesty's departure, the public
could see nothing outside the Fortress walls. Within
this citadel his Majesty's Circassian convoys, the
Grenadiers of the Palace, and the late Emperor's
Company of Preobrajensky Guards were stationed.
At the door of the Cathedral stood the two sable
heralds, one each side. As the carriages drove up one
after another the following dignitaries and august per-
sonages alighted and took up their places around the
catafalque :—The members of the Holy Synod, the
Confessor of his late Majesty, the clergy of the Court
and from the St Isaac Cathedral, under the direction
of his Eminence the Metropolitan, Bishops of Nov-
gorod and St. Petersburg, Ladies of Honour, Maids
of Honour, members of the Council of the Empire,
the First and Second dignitaries of the Court,
Secretaries of State, Chamberlains and Gentlemen.
The more military dignitaries were the general aides-
de-camp and major-generals of the Emperor's suite,
with their wives, all general officers and officers of the
Guards in the capital, and foreign officers attendant
or not on Royal or Imperial guests. The few civil
representatives who were able to secure room in the
crowded church were Marshals of the Nobility of St.
Petersburg and a few other towns, the Major and
Presidents of the Zemstwos. On the arrival of the
Emperor, with other members of the Imperial family,
at the door of the Cathedral, they were received by the
Metropolitan and the clergy of the Holy Synod, with
a cross and Holy waters, and conducted to the right
end of the catafalque. On the right, behind the Imperial
family, were also placed the Diplomatic Corps. The
Prince and Princess of Wales and the Crown Prince
of Germany arrived after the Metropolitan had begun
the Funeral Mass. It would occupy too much of your
space to describe the brilliancy of the foreign uniforms,
shaded here and there with crape, the richness of the
ecclesiastical robes in black and silver, and the im-
pressive chant of the mitred priests. As soon as the
latter had finished the prayers for the dead, the
members of the Russian Imperial House, beginning
with His Majesty the Emperor, approached, and each
kissed the eYposed hands of their late sire. The
Emperor, deeply moved, bent several times over the
body. His Majesty then folded the Imperial mantle
of gold and ermine into the coffin, and eight general
aides-de-camp brought forward the flower-covered
lid with His late Majesty's sword and helmet.
When the lid had been properly fixed by an official
appointed for the purpose, the Emperor, the Grand
Dukes, and the foreign Princes raised the coffin from
the catafalque and bore it to the grave, a few yards
only on the left hand of the Cathedral, and next the
tomb of the late Empress. The Metropolitan then
pronounced a benediction, and the Imperial remains
were gradually lowered into their place. At this
moment the cannon of the Fortress and the field
artillery in the courtyard suddenly broke the solemn
stillness by a deafening volley, which was repeated six
times, the intervals being filled up by the rolling fire
of musketry. During these martial honours, the mem-
bers of the Imperial family filed past the open grave
as they left the Cathedral and, according to the
Russian rite, threw in a little sand and a few leaves.
Thus ended the last honours rendered to the late
Emperor of All the Russias, Alexander 11., of glorious
and imperishable memory.

The Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, in noticing
the closing ceremonies of the Czar's funeral, st ys :
"So was laid to his rest the murdered Alexander
11. His ashes repose in a fane full of the most
glorious as the gloomiest historic memories. Here, in
this confined Batavian-looking church of St. Peter
and St. Paul, pent up within the narrow walls of a
gloomy fortress, sleep all the Czars and Czarinas who
have reigned in Russia since the foundation of St.
Petersburg, with the exception of Peter 11., who died
and was buried at Moscow.
"Here, at the south door, opposite the sacred image
of St. Peter, lies Peter the Great; and his consort,
Catherine 1., moulders in the same vault. To the
right of the altar screen is the sarcophagus of the
Semiramis of the north, the Czarina Catherine 11.
On the north side lie Paul 1., with his diamond
wedding ring appended to the image near his tomb;
the Grand Duke Constantine, brother of the Czar
Nicholas 1., with the keys of the fortresses of
Modlin and Zamosez, in Poland, lying in his sarco-
phagus. The narrow house which holds all the
pride and ambition of Nicholas himself is in the
aisle, opposite the tomb of Peter the Great; and in
ae same aisle, in a grave strewed high with palm
branches and garlands of roses, cunningly simulated in
porcelain, lies the
_poor young Czarewitch, son of
Alexander 11., who died at Nice, in 1565. Alexis, the
son of Peter the Great, is, with his wife, buried in a
vault under the church. The dreary dungeon, where
he met his sudden death, is within pistol shot of the
sacred edifice where the ashes of so many Czars are
protected by wails covered with martial trophies,
standards, flags, keys of citadels, shields, and battle-
axes, captured from the Swedes, Turks, Persians,
Poles, and Frenchmen."

At Berlin, on Sunday, in sympathy with c3ncurrent
events at St. Petersburg, the Royal Prussian standard
waved half-mast high over the Palace. Their
Majesties, with all the Princes and notabilities of
their Court, attended Divine service in the chapel of
the Russian Embassy, which was crowded with dis-
tinguished mourners, including, among others, the
Diplomatic Body, the Federal Council, the Chief
of the Foreign Office as representing Prince
Bismarck, the State Ministers, the generals and
officers of the Emperor Alexander's Grenadiers.
The Emperor who was received at the entrance of the
Embassy by the whole staff thereof, wore a Russian
Field-Marshal's uniform, with crape on his sleeve and
the broad riband of St. Andrew on his breast, while
Prince William had donned the dress of the Russian
Grenadiers. All the Princesses and ladies were in
deep mourning, and the Empress wore the riband of
the Order of Catherine. All the Court were deeply
affeeted by the ceremony.
The semi-official Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
devotes a leading article to the memory of the late
deceased Czar, and to the close personal political
relations which always existed between him and his
Imperial uncle of Germany.

The Queen and Princess Beatrice, the Prince Alfred
and the Princess Marie of Edinburgh, attended
Divine service on Sunday morning in the Private
Chapel, where a special prayer was offered up on the
occasion of the funeral of the late Emperor Alexander
11. of Russia, which took place this morning at St.
Petersbargh. _ _ _

A portion of the choir of St. George's Chapel was
in attendance, and sang the following hymns and
Anthem :—Hymn 464, verses, 1,6, 7, "Beneath our
feet and o'er our head."

ANTHEM.—The souls of the righteous are in the
hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
In the sight of the unwise they seem to die: but they
are in peace.—Elvey.

LUTHER'S HYMN.
"Great God 1 what do I see and hear
The end of things created :
The Judge of mankind cloth appear,
On clouds of glory seated.
The trumpet sounds the graves restore
The dead which they contained before:
Prepare, my soul, to meet him 1"
The Bishop of Peterborough preached the sermon.

On'Sunclay, after the ordinary service, a solemn
funeral service for the late Emperor Alexander 11.
was celebrated at the Russian Chapel, in WeMeek-
street, London, at which several members of the
Royal Family and nearly all the members of the
Diplomatic Corps were present. The Duchess of
Teck arrived early, and was soon afterwards followed
by the Duke of Cambridge. A few minutes before
twelve o'clock the Duke and Duchess of Connaught
and Prince Leopold arrived in two of the Queen's
carriages from Buckingham Palace. Nearly all the
foreign ambassadors, with their secretaries and