The Portland daily press., 1888-04-14
the KAIsER's FUNERAL.
Bearing the Remains OF Emperor
William to their Last Resting Place
at Charlottenberg.

We have been permitted to make the fol-
lowing extract from letter recently received
by Portland lady:
DRESDEN, Mar. 25th, 'SS.
have been to Berlin for week to the
old Kaiser's funeral. We hoped to have
seen him lying in state in the cathedral, but
failed. But when tell you we were stand
ing in the crowd from in the morning until
5p. m. you will think with me we ought to
have succeeded. A party of eight went over
to Berlin. We were all friends, but on ac-
count of the number Of strangers in the city,
we could not all get into the same house.
The afternoon of our first day we spent in
running from place to place to get places to
see the funeral pass. Tickets were being
sold for almost any price, windows upon the
route of the procession commanding enor-
mously high prices. We thought ourselves
very fortunate in securing seats on the front
row Of a tribunal erected in front Of the
opera house. We paid 10 marks equivalent
to s3.75 in our money a seat which we
thought high at the time, but were satisfied
when we heard seats just back Of us were
afterwards sold for sixty marks each (s15.OO).
Feeling sure of good places for the funeral,
we started out early the next morning to
join the crowd to get into the DOM" We
left the house at o'clock thinking our
chances would be better in being upon the
ground early. But all Berlin. to judge Of
the crowd already collected, was of the same
mind. They had been gathering since three
in the morning. We were soon closed in in
the most impenetrable mass of humanity.
B. had not been standing an hour when L
was obliged to send her home in carriage.
A little later on l.. succumbed and had to 90
home. Had they remained an hour longer
do not think getting out would have been
possible That left l.. and little friend,
our.two Dutcch friends aud myself to hight
our way. For time we kept together.
Then we lost Il. and +. After that was
separated from the rest | thought fer a
time | should have been crushed. more
badly conducted throng l have never wit
messed than that crowd. The whole arrange
ment was most disorderly and discreditable.
Considering the usual method with which
the Germans manage things, and the power
of the police one could hardly understand
the mismanagement here. The crowd was
separated into squads, several thousand
people perhaps In each. Ihese were divided
by a row of mounted police with space of
about half square between the crowds.
AZ the SQUAD nearest the Dom" was
thinned out by people passing in, the back
crowds were given permission TO join them
selves TO the ones in front. This was done
in rush and people were thrown down and
trampled upon, the cries Of these mingling
with the shouts Of the police. The sagacity
of the horses seemed the only thing that
prevented thousands from being killed for
their riders seemingly cared but little. /
could only likeD the noise and confusion to
what imagine the Commune in Paris to
have been. In one OF these dreadful rushes
was lifted bodily, carried some distance,
my feet not touching the ground, and found
myself landed in an open doorway with
some dozens of other people. Thankful to
be out of the crowd we stood in the vesti-
bule for about two hours, when another
stampede occurred in one of the back
crowds. A gentleman was wise enough to
rush to the door and bolt it or we should all
have been crushed in our narrow quarters
for there was mad rush made towards the
open doorway. For q time the noise ana
yells kept up In the street beggared deserlp..
tion. You may imagine my feelings IN not
knowing the fate OF the others i was
almost distracted yet perfectly helpless;
When at length the noise having suDslded
they ventured to open the door what a scene
presented itself in the now open space upon
the street in front OF us! Ihere were wells,
one or two bonnets, pieces OF tur, fragments
OF dresses, umbrellas, handkerchiefs and
Soodness knows what else, scattered in the
most dire confusion in the muddy street, for
the snow, which had been thick when we
first took our stand had been converted into
mud. Some young ladies (Amerlcans) who
had been forced into the yestibule with me,
wanted to know If would again join the