The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-03-22

How the Russians Get Up a
Funeral in His Honor.
Something on a Magnificent
Scale.

New York, 21.-George Augustus
Sofa telegraphs from st. Petersburg
regarding the funeral of the Gar:
-" / have Just been a spectator OF one
| of the most magnificent, most i'm
pressiVe, most pathetic pageants
which has occurred in heightened
career, accustomed to the pomps and
Vanities of rOyalty-frOm royal
bridals and feasts to funeralS-I
ever have been privileged to set
eyes on. Three cannon fired from
the fortress, directed the various
mourners to get ready to take their
places. A similar salute about mid
day gave the signal to start, when a.
sable standard, bearing in white the
initials of the murdered monarch,
was unfurled over the fortress. The
artillery began to fire minute guns,
and all the bells in the city began
to toll. The whole route was lined
by troops of the garrison, immedi-
ately behind whom the public were
permitted to stand. No galleries or
platforms were erected, as house
holders were only allowed, at per
sOnal risk and peril, to let their win
dOws or balconies to strangers. The
police had taken exceptional mea-
sures to preserve order, in the main
tenance of which the public, by
hand bills, were invited to Co
operate. All houses and public
buildings. too, showed the same
amount of sable flags and drapery as
when the Empress, not a year ago,
was similarly conveyed from the
palace to the fortress. The route
taken was from the great plain, in
front of the Winter Palace, by Ad-
miralty Quay, to NichOlasyiki
Bridge, crossing which, the process
sion took the street on line of the
Island of Vossilleostroff, across
ToalschkOff Bridge, and by Alex
ander Park to the fortress,
entering the gate called IYaneS-
kais. AT the funeral ceremonies
of the Empress last summer, the
route taken was by Trinity bridge,
a wooden structure of barges which
is removed at the approach of ice.
Although the rOadways across are
frozen they never are much used.
The fortress is almost Immediately
opposite the palace. There is a
superstition among Russians against
transporting the dead over frozen
ice, and the route by which the cor
tege passed was some four miles in
length. The procession consisted in
all Of thirteen sections, comprising
1T2 groups, to describe which would
occupy many columns. Among the
noticeable features was a figure
which attracted much attention:
the knight of the golden
armor, mounted upon a gor-
geously harnessed steed, carrying
a drawn sword. and supposed to
symbolizc the bright and spotlessI
character of the departed sovereign.
The most picturesque features in
the ceremonies were populations
which figured for the first time in
Russian history, representing an in
stitution created by the Emperor
The zemstais-the justices of the
.peaee-and motley group of peas
ants, with one at least, of a veneer
able and patriarchal appearance, all
attired in their winter gdrb, some
with cOlOred scarfs used to girdle the
sheepslin and rough cloth overcoats.
Following the priests came a gorge
Gus catafalque, on which rested the
coffin under a rich canopy of cloth
of gold, silrmounted by white ostrich
plumeS. We were asking "What
next, and next" when the hearse
came suddenly in view and a prodigi-
Gus mass of humanity rapidly, so tOI
speak, as flash of lightning, uncov-
cred. 1t was a most wonderouS sight
to behold, that black sea of hats and
caps transformed to an immense
eXpanse of pale, upturned faces.
The funeral car was bier of ebony
and silver on wheels, with heavily
carved silver spOkes, a superb Struc-
ture of black and silver. The whole
was canOpied by superb material,
encircling the columns of the bier.
The coffin of the illustrious deceased
was almost hidden by golden pail,
lined with white satin, and the vast
car itself was drawn by eight black
horses, completely shrouded in sable
draperiesl Four general aides-de-
camp stood one at each corner of
the catafalque, the polished metal
wheels of which glistened in the
sunlight. Sixteen general officers
held the silken cords of the canopy.
Behind the bier of his murdered
sire walked Alexander III. in his
imperial solitude, bearing alone his
filial sorrow and his state cares, and
symbOlizing in this last respect his
unique position. The Emperor
was dressed ina generals uniform,
wearing a ribbon of the order of |
st. Andrews. Following the EN-
peror, at a respectful distance, came
the minister of the household, min
lister of war and three officers on
duty. Next in order followed the
grand dukes and princes, according
to precedence, with foreign princes.