Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-17
ABSOLUTION AND gURTAL.
Closing scenes st che Fanerai az Cardinal
McCioskey.

4
MeCioskey.
New York Times.l
| During the sermon Archbishop Cor
rigan sat near the sanctuary railing.
The other prelates sat in triple rows
behind him. At its conclusion the
prelates rose and faced each other. The
five absolutions--the concluding oere-
monies--were about to be given. The
cross-besror and acolytes, carrying
| lighted tapers, marched from the sane
tuary toward the catafalque. They
halted within few yards Of the body
of the Cardinal. Archbishop Corri-
gan. followed by Archbishop Glib
bons, Bishop. Williams, Archbishop
Ryan, Bishop Loughlin, the CEN
ser-bearer, and DR.. Mcdonnell. Father
Mclean and Father Kelly walked
| slowly past the catafalque, then turned
and faced it. Archbishop Corrigan's
mitre was removed and he recited a
PRAYER. The choir chanted the re-
Spouse. Archbishop Gibbons gave the
| fnal dissolution. He turned and bowed
to his coaf,fres, then walked around the
catafalque, sprinkling it with holy
water. DR.. Mcdonnell and Father
Mclean held his robes. The censor
was handed to him. Again he walked
around the catafalque swinging the
censor and filling the air with incense.
The chancel choir chanted the re-
sponses to the dissolution.
With their eyes fixed intently on the
ceremony, hundred prelates sat in the
sanctuary. They sat in rows, each col
umn precise in its formation. Each pre-
late held in his right hand lighted
candle. The lights flickered and cast
curious shadows against the gray stone
arch of the chancel. The gold embroi-
derry on the purple-yelvet robes glitter
ed like diamonds. The smoothly-sha-
ven, solemn, and impassive faces look
ed as if they might have been hewn out
Of stone. In the foreground stood the
cross-bearer and the two acolytes hold
ing burning tapers. They. also, were
motionless. Between them and the cata-
falque stood portion of the Papal Vet
erans' guard of homer. They had held
their position for nearly five hours, and
were still erect and sc'dierly in their
bearing. The catafalque was the centre
of blaze of light. Thirty wax tapers
threw their light upon the face Of the
dead. Lighted tapers in the hands of
chaplains threw their rays upon the
glistening robes Of the archbisbops and
bishops as they gave the absolutions.
A cloud Of incense circled round the
catafalque, and by its pungent odor
added TO the strongly striking character
of the scene. The ceremonies were
mostly at an end. Archbishop Gibbons
gave the first absolution. The others
we're given, respectively, by Bishop
Williams, of Boston; Archbishop Ryan,
of Philadelphia, whose round, rich voice
charmed his hearers Bishop Loughlin,
of Brooklyn, and Archbishop Corrigan.
At 100 Father Kelly extinguishsd
the lighted tapers that surrounded the
catafalque. Six Of Undertaken Harris
assistants advanced, quickly lifted the
casket from its reSting-place, and trans
ferred it to their shoulders. The cross
bearer and acolytes began to march to
the sacristy, followed by Archbishop
Corrigan and the prelatss, who, like
him, had taken part in the closing cere-
monies. The other dignitaries fell in
line. These were followed by the
priests and the chancel choir. The
scene quickly changed. The light and
color was gone. The gray stone walls
looked cold and chill in their garb of
woe. With the dead man had depart
ed all the pomp and splendor. His
body was quickly carried through the
sanctuary, and thence to the sacristy,
thence TO the tomb.
The opening that leads to the crypt
is immediately in the rear of the altar.
The crypt, as at present constructed,
contains space for the bodies of twenty
four persons. 1t is approached by a
lew fight of stone steps. Down these
the body was carried. II was followed
by the Rev. John Il. McGrath, bear
ing the cruciiix ; the Rev. DR.. Nc
Flhenny, and the Rev. Michael
Awkward. carrying lighted tapers
the Rev. A. J. Clancy, the in
cense-bearer the Rev. Charles Col
ton, and the Rev. Thomas j. McClos-
KY, acolytes Archbishop Corrigan,
Monsignor Farley, Monsignor Quinn,
vicar general; Monsignor Preston, vicar
general and chancellor, the Rev. A. j.
Donpelly, the Rev. DR.. Mcdonnell, the
Rev. James II. Mclean, and the Rev.
Father Kelly. These were followed by
the dead prelate's four nieces-Mrs.
John Kelly, Miss Mullen, Miss Me-
Closkey, and Mrs. Cleary, and by the
latter's husband and DR.. and Mrs. l..
l.. Reyes. Undertaken Hart was also
present in the vault TO direct his assist
rnts. The funeral service was very
bfief and Of the ordinary description.
AT the close the casket was inclosed
in q box Of polished mahogany. This
/ was lined with sheet lead and her
mcticslly sealed. The box containing
the casket was placed in the sarcopha-
gus next TO that in which lies the BODY
Of Archbishop Hughes. The marble
tablet that closed the mouth Of the sar-
cophagus, and which had been removed
two days ago. was replaced and solidly
eemented. The entire ceremony lasted
little more than five minutes, and the
last Of the priests who had taken part
in the ceremonies Of the day had only
entered the sanctuary when those who
had followed the body into the crypt
emerged fromit.
The removal Of the body from the
cataialque was recognized as signal
OF dismissal by the assembled thou
sands. Quietly, but swiftly, they
moved from the pews into the aisles
and down the latter until they reached
the rear Of the thousands who had
stood during the ceremonies. The
ha1 h..