The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-12-31

calculation altogether.
From the New York world-saturday.l
MASONIC LODGE OF SORROW.
Solemn and Mysterious Ceremony
At Irving Ba,l-Mourning for th'
Dead OF the Past Year.
One of the most beautiful ceremonies
in Free Masonry was celebrated a.
irving Hall last evening. 1t was wha
is called the Sublime Lodge of Sorrow
when the brothers and their friends
meet together to pay the last tribute
OF love and respect to the members who
have died during the past year. The
surroundings in such a ceremony as
this are such as to impress the specta-
tor with its solemnity, if mysterious
forms, signs, and decorations have any
virtues left in them. The hall inside
was draped in deep mourning. A
heavy black cloth, five feet in width,
went around the whole room depending
from the gallery, and making the spec
tators below feel almost as if they were
in sepulchre. Above this mourning
cloth, and pinned to the wall were
numerous red flags, bearing symbolic
figures and placed at intervals around
the entire hall.
THE CATAFALQUE.
Below catafalque was erected in the
centre OF a large open space. This
structure rose by steps to height Of
about six feet, where handsome rose
wood casket reposed. At each corner
of the catsfalque, which was about
eight feet by twelve feet, was pillar
supporting candelabra. The steps all
round, which led up to the casket in
which the dead brother was supposed
to be resting, we're overstrewn with ever
greens, aud various peculiar brass in
struments used by the Free Masons
were lying on the green boughs. The
altars stood near the head OF the cat
afalque, and beyond these was a plat.
form for the grand officers. The seats
TOR spectators we're placed around the
sides of the room, all 'acing the central
figure. At the opening OF the ceremony
several hundred spectators were present,
and the scene was quite impressive.
Programmes with deep black borders
were distributed among the spectators.
The orchestra, solo singers, and
choristers occupied the front gallery.
THE CEREMONIES.
At eight o'clock the ceremony was
begun by the entry of the grand officers
in their shining regalia. The orchestra
played funeral dirge, and the grand
officers marched up, passing on either
side Of the catsfalque and taking their
seats on the platform, excepting the
Master of Ceremonies, who took his
position at the head Of the catafalque.
Then followed the Masonic ritual for
opening this form OF ceremony, and the
Grand Master declared Sublime Lodge
OF Sorrow to be. convened.
The orator Of the evening was John
W. Simons, who delivered the address.
Some excellent selections OF music were
performed. The choir sang Put us
not to rebuke," accompanied with or
chestra; Brother McClenachan, bari
tone, sang % weep not, mourn mott;
and another solo, Truth dawns upon
the human SOUL" was sung by Brother
w. II. Davis. The casket was then
strewn with flowers.
THE DEAD MARCH.
After this a cabalistic sign was given,
and all the lights in the room, except
those in the orchestra, went out as u
by magic, and in an instant the hall
was in almost total darkness. The
funeral procession then entered, the
orchestra playing a dead march. The
nrocessionists were all clothed in white
and bore torches After marching
round the catafalque tor some time, the
orchestra continuing to play, all halted
and at a given sign kneeled while
the chaplain offered prayer. The cefe'
monies were then kept up for a lone
time, the only light in the room being
that given by the funeral torches and
the few gas jets that were burning IN
the gallery. At last the coffin was
toLen nm and borne through door al
the end OF the hall resembling the en-
trance to q tomb.
The very beautiful and impressive
ceremony lasted two hours, and was
Snallv brought to an end with bene'
dic,iop by Brother Wilson Small.