Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-26
FAMOUS FUNERALS.
NagniGcan, Pagearts In Honor Of Departed
Heroes.


seems matter of small moments but
to the great body OF the people the
funeral rites ana last rcsting-place OF
one OF is great heroes are matters Of
keenest interest. In view OF the APP
preaching obsequics OF oar own great
national hero it will be- interesting TO
recall the honors paid after death to
the remains of some of the great cap
tains of history.
Two long years were consumed IN
the formidable preparations for the
funeral OF Alexander the Great. Dy-
ing at Babylon, he directed that his
body, which was Immediately en-
balmed with elaborate care by Egyp-
tian and Chaldcan adopts, should be
deposited in the Temple of Jupiter on
an Egyptian oasis. Undeterred by
the enormous distance, the procession
set forth. an army OF workmen having
been sent forward to repair the roads
and bridges. The funeral-car was
drawn by sixty-four mules, chosen for
their strength and size, splendidly
caparlsoned. The car itself was of
surprising magniiicence, the spokes
and naves of the wheels and ends of
the axlcs being covered with gold, the
platform upholding a royal pavilion
lncrusted with gems, supporting
throne and "A coffin, the latter OF solid
gold and filed with costly spices But
the body never reached its destination.
Ptolemy arrested its progress and
buried il at Alexandria, which city
NAV be said To have itself proved
the enduring monument OF the con-
querOr.
Very different was the funeral of
julius Gear. The circumstances of
mis- death were so tragic, and such
enormous crowds gathered TO the cere-
mony, that they could not be formed
into procession. and the different
classes of people were accordingly
asked to come together under their
appropriate insignia in the Field of
Mars. The body of the great Roman
was exposed lying upon a gilded
bed, covered with scarlet and
cloth of gold placed under Il mag
niicent canopy in the form of "A
temple.
After the funeral ceremonies were
over, question arose where they
SHOULD burn the body. Some suggest
ed "A temple on Capitoline hill. others
had fallen. The senate. less willing
- pay him extraordinary honorS. pro-
posed "A more retired spot. The dis
cussion was fast becoming a dispute
when two soldiers, with drawn swords
and blazing torches in their hands.
forced their way through the crowd
and set fire TO the bed. In moment
there was the widest excitement.
The multitude fell to work directly
building the funeral pyre upon the
spot. First they brought fagots and
then benches from the neghboring
porticos, and next any cOmbustble
material they could find and at length.
as the excitement grew, the soldiers
threw i'm their arms the music ians
their instruments, while others stripped
down and threw upon the flames the
trappings of the funeral procession.
SO fierce was the fire that ii spread tov
the neighbOring houses, and was only
with the greatest difficulty eXtinguish-
ed. As a lifting monument, the peo-
pie erected to the Mighty julius a
lofty column surmounted by star
Coming down to modern times. the
accounts of the obsequieS of the Iron
Duke, perhaps the greatest ever
known in England, and the second
funeral of Napoleon must still be born
freshly IN mind by many OF the veter-
ans of TODAY. The duke of Yelling
ton, after lying in state five days at
Chelsea hospital, was bonn TO his last
resting-placc in st. Pauis on car
drawn by twelve horses. accompanied
by vast military and civic concourse,
the latter including Prince Albert, both
houses of parliament judges, mobiles,
public bodies, the mourning coaches
of the queen and royal family, and an
innumerable throug OF the people.
Napoleon ; funeral, as a parade, re-
mains unparalleled IN our times The
cherished remains of their hero, hav-
ing been received by the French from
the English nineteen years after his
death il was not so much funeral as
vast triumphant procession that fol-
lowed, during which all France re-
sounded with booming canon, tolling
bells, and strains of martial music,
while the excited people lined the
banks Of the Seine and filled the air
with frenzied shouts and cries and
sobs OF JOY and graduation. The re-
sources of funeral art were exhausted
ton is unable to distinguish the de-
tails of procession in which the
catafalco. the central object of inter-
est, was borne on moving mound of
gold and velvet drawn bv sixteen
black horses and guarded and escort
ed, it is said, by an army of 100, 900
soldiers.
Compare with these splendors the
quiet and simple funeral rites of our
own Washington, so beiitting republic
can simplicity and the character of
him who was, nevertheless. first in
the hearts of his countrymen a
gathering of the dignitarles of the
neighboring town of Alexandria. with
/ the militia and Freemasons, his friends
and neighbors, his own war horse,
duly caparsoncd, led in the midst.
one vessel in the river hard by, firing
minute guns, and the whole process
/ ion confined TO his own private
/ grounds, where his tomb was made
and still is. i Boston advertiser.