The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-02
The Remains of the Poet Escorted to the Pan
theon by an Imposing Procession Of
Civic and Military Organizations.
The Streets and Sidewalks Crowded by
Hundreds of Thousands of People.
ANumber of People Injured by Being Crushed
in the Dense Crowds-How the Schoon-
er Sherman was Lost.
HUGO.s FUNERAL.
The Most Impressive Scene Ever Witnessed
in the Streets of Paris.


during the night, and there was every indication,
in the early morning. of more rain to-day,
hundreds of thousands of people were abroad at
day break, crowding the streets and boulevards
through which the great procession will move
that accompanies the remains of Victor Hugo to
his last resting place in the Pantheon. Owing
to the crowded condition of the hotels, thousands
were compelled to bivouac in the open air all
night The space around the Arc de Triomphe is
already filed with the chief officers of the state
the members of the diplomatic corps, senator's
and deputies From ali directions come deputa-
tions with draped banners and bearing flowers
and gigantic wreaths, and all moving in the di-
rection of the Arc de Triomphe, the Mecca of
France to-day. Never did Paris present s a
scene. The chestnut trees in the Champs
Elysees are in full bloom, and form strange con-
trast to the yelled lights, draped banners, and
the vast sea of spectators, all in the habiiments
of mourning, that line either side of the i'm
mense field, and the brilliant uniforms of the
soldiers Large bodies of cavalry occupy the
streets leading to the Champs Elysees. Minute
guns are being fired from the Hotel des Invalides,
and from Fort Valersen. The crowds are very
orderly, and at this hour there is not a sign of
that trouble so much talked of and written
about The societies are taking the places as
signed to them in The line of procession Trains
loaded with visitors from the provinces and
from abroad are constantly arriving and the
enormous crowds already here are ever in
creasing
The head of the procession escorting the body
of Victor Hugo to the Pantheon has just now
reached that Judgement of the illustrous dead.
The immense crowd that fills the Boulevard
Michel includes an enormous number of people
who 60 to make up the disturbing or noisy
element of the city's population. Now that the
funeral is practically over, these ''roughs"
threaten to inaugurate the revolutionary dem
onstration which has been expected since the
death of Victor Hugo.
The funeral procession started punctually at
noon. The threatening clouds of the morning
had disappeared by this time. and the sun shone
forth brilliantly. Many chariots, heaped up with
the offerings of the people of France, followed
the hearse in the procession. Enormous crowds
of people lined the streets that formed the route
of the procession, while other masses of people
crowded the intersecting capacity of the street
for great distance on either side. The build
ngs are. black with people, as, indeed, was
every point from which could be had view of
the unparalleled spectacle.
The funeral grafton, which NJ. Floquet deliv-
cred at the Arc de. .Triomphe, touched the hearts
Of his hearers and was greatly applauded
The procession is moving without a hitch in
the prescribed programme. The police arrested
several bearers of red flags, which were un-
furled at the starting points or headquarters Of
the several revolutionary societies. There has
been, however, no serious collision yet.
The singing of revolutionary and patriotic
songs by bands of men gathered beyond the
reach of the voices of the orators inter-
rupted somewhat the unity of the eulogles,
but beyond this there was nothing to mar the
beauty or detract from the impressiveness of the
spectacle The funeral up to this hour (340 p. NJ.
has been allowed to be conducted with every
mark of respect The enormous masses of peo-
pie in the streets maintain an exceptional quiet
Six orations were delivered under the Arc
de Triomphe, in the presence of nearly all the
illustrious men of and in France. N. Leroyer
president of tie Senate, said Victor Hugo con-
stantly pursued the higher ideal of justice and
humanity, and thus exercised an immense in
fiuence over the moral feeling of France.
NJ Floquet said that the ceremony to-day was
not funeral; it was an an apotheosis. He
hailed Victor Hugo as the immortal apostle who
bequeathed to humanity that gospel which could
lead the people to the defnitive conquest of
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
M. Augier, a member of the Academy elabo-
rated the fact, made evident to-day, that ITO
the sovereign poet France renders sovereign
honors."
NJ. Gooblet president of the Chamber of Dep
ties, declared that Victor Hugo will remaia the
highest personifcation of the nineteenth centu-
ry, the history of which, in its contradictions,
doubts, ideas and aspirations, was best reflected
in his works. The character of Victor Hugo was
profoundly human, and represented the spirit of
toleration and of peace.
The funeral ceremonies were completed and
the march of the procession ended without any
thing happening that might be called of dsor-
derly character. The accidents incident to the
presence of such an immense concourse of people
were numerous, and in many instances were of a
serious nature. The procession, as il left the
Arc de Triomphe, moved N the following order:
squadron of the Republican Guards;
then the general commanding, with his
staff; after these came regiment of Cui
rassier, headed by its band, and the drum corps
of three regiments These followed the es-
cort proper for the funeral procession, while
along its line on both sides were constantly
heard the roll of the muffled drums Cars
laden with wreaths and flowers followed,
accompanied by the boys of the public schools.
The band Of the Republican Guards headed the
deputation from Besancon, the representatives
for foreign newspapers, members OF the ORA
matte Society and delegations from the National
and other theaters Following the hcarse were the