The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-06-12
VICTOR HUGO'S FUNERAL
The Greatest burial Pageant of
Modern Times.

Victor Hugo was buried in Paris with
the greatest honors which the French nation
could bestow on its most ilustrous poet. The
funeral is described as having been the most
magnificent of modern times. Details of the
ceremonies are given in Paris dispatches as
follows:
Hundreds of thousands Of people were
abroad at daybreak. crowling the streets
and boulevards through which the great pro-
c"sslou was to move that accompanied the
body of Victor Hugo to his last resting place
III 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 was filled at an early hour with
the chief officers of the state, the members of
the diplomatic corps, senators and deputies
FROM all directions came Populations with
draped banners and bearing flowers and ri
gantic wreaths, and all moving in the dire
ton of tn Arc de Triomphe, the Mecca of
France today. Never did Paris pre-
sent such a scene. The chestnut
trees III the Champs Elysees are in
full bloom, and formed strange
contrast TO the yelled lights, draped banners,
and the vast sea of spectators, all in the ha-
biliments of mourning, that lined either side
Of the immense field. Large bodies Of cav
airy occupied the streets leading to the palace
OF the Elysee, the residence of President
Grevy. Minute guns were fired from the
Hotel DIES lnvaides and from Fort Valerien
The crowd was very orderly, and there was
not sign OF that trouble so much talked of
and written about.
Six oratlonS were delivered under the Arc
de Triomphe before the funeral procession
started, III the presence of nearly all the il
lustrious men of and in France The singing of
revolutionary and patriotic songs 10y bands of
men gathered beyond the reach of the voices
OF the orators, interrupted somewhat the
unity Of the eulogies, but beyond this there
was nothing to mar the beauty or detrart
from the inpressiveness of the spectacle
The funeral procession started punctually
at noon. Many charots heaped with the Of
fcrlnSs of the people Of France followed the
body in the procession. Enormous crowds of
people lined the streets that formed the route
OF the procession, while other masses of people
possessed the intersecting streets for great
distance on either side. The buildings were
black with people, as was indeed every point
which could be had view of the unparal-
leled Spectacle. The procession as it left the
Arc de Irlomphe moved in the following
order: First, "A squadron of the republican
guards, then the general commanding with
his stan. After these came n regiment of
cuirassiers, headed by its band and the drum
corps of three regiments. These formed the
escort proper for the funeral procession
while along its line on both sides
was constantly heard the roll of muf-
fled drums Preceding the body were
twelve cars laden with wreaths and flowers
accompanied by the boys of the public
schools. Besides these 800 wreaths were car
ried by She various populations The band
of the Republican guards headed the deputa-
ton from BeSancon, the representatives of
foreign newspapers, members of the dra-
matte society, and delegations from the
National and other theatres Following the
body We're the relatives and Immediate
friends of the family of Victor Hugo, the
representative of President Grevy, the presi-
dents of the senate and chamber of deputies,
foreign ambassadors, the chancellor of
the Legion of Honor, the military governor
OF Paris, senators and deputies, Populations,
the projects OF the Seine the police and mill
tary and naval authorities, a contingent of
the army of Paris, and squadron of the
Republican guards. The procession followed
the route from thu Champs Elysees through
the Place de Ia Concorde, the boulevards
Saint German and Saint Michel, and the
Rue Soufiiot to the Place du Pantheon