The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-15
In HER NARROW CELL
Mrs. Booth, of the Salvation
Army, is Forever Laid.
A VERY GRoTEsQUE SPECTACLE
Was the Funeral in the Olympia, and also
Impressive Manner Of
Conducting the Services.

DIX w ora. mo woman ever naQ more
curious funeral than Mrs. General Booth,
high priestess of the Salvation army. The
services lasted two hours and it was from
first to last singularly grotesque spec
tacle, full of carefully arranged theatrical
effects. Still, it was wonderfully impress
sive. Mrs. Booth herself before she died
liturgy. All day long Saliva
tionists from various parts of Great Brit
ian and Europe came pouring into London
and all the early morning trains were
loaded with them, singing, shouting and
praying in public after the manner of their
AT o'clock yesterday
afternoon 10000 of them were swarning
about the Olympia, which next to the i'm
mense Machinery hall of the Paris exhibit
ton, is believed to contain the largest area
under single roof. Though the funeral
services did not begin until the doors were
thrown open at o'clock aud by $50
O'Clock $4,000 people, mostly women, were
seated in the immense auditorium.
Everything inside was pretty much as
Barnum's circus left it. The mammoth
glass roof was decorated with gaudy
streamers, the galleries were adorned with
colors, catchpenny booths, refreshment
bars, inappropriate placards and numerous
other things that detracted from the solem-
nifty OF the occasion were allowed to
remain. Till within two minutes of 8
O'Clock the place had the appearance of a
country fair. Men and women strolled
about hawking tea coffee, buns, sandwiches
and whlskey, which were greedily pur-
chased by the hungry and thirsty people
A brass band of 600 pieces played tune after
tune, scarcely pausing for rest, till the din
was deafening, but promptly at one minute
vi all this changed as if by magic. The
doors We're shut, the refreshment bars
closed, the hawkers suppressed, and 5000
Salvatlonists fixed their eyes ON weak
looking little man with baton who
mounted the dais just in front of the colos-
sal brass band. He lifted his baton and in
stantly every voice was hushed. Promptly
at the funeral services began by the band
playing the familiar church tune, Crock
ingham." At this point the wonderful dis
clpline of the Salvation army became ap-
parent. 1t was not possible for any single
human voice to be heard over even half
that building. Barnum once tried to make
a speech there. Those who were present
know what a ridiculous mess he made of it.
The Salvationists made no such mistake.
The man who directed the ceremonies never
spoke word except to five men gathered
close around him. These men hauled up
huge painted signs which were worked on
pulIeys. They told the people hundreds of
yards away, quite out OF the reacn of human
voice, when to sing and when to bow In
silent prayer; when to rise and when to
kneel. Everybody present had a printed
copy of the songs and words of the liturgy
corresponding with the directions on the
signs. Everything moved like clockwork
The conductor mad simply to lift his baton
and the vast audience was either hushed in
silence or singing in wonderful unison.
After the band played the tune Crock
lngham" once through, the entire audience
i rose and sang hymn to the same tune with
words. The terrific volume of sound seemed
as though it would lift the roof. After sew
eral prayers and hymns, the funeral pro-
cession entered the building, BY this time
the dense fog outside had penetrated the
auditorium, so that the chandeliers of cleo
trio lights in the roof were quite indistinct,
and the funeral procession was half way
up the main aisle before the people on the
main platform knew il had started. In the
front rank of the funeral procession were
| officers of the Salvationists from various
| parts of Great Britain who had been able
to reach London in time for the ceremonies.
These were followed by men and women
bearing Salvation army flags, the stars and
stripes, union jack, German and French
colors, and the crescent from the orient
Almost every nation where the Salvation
army has gained foothold was repre-
sented by men and women in costumes
characteristic of their locality. These peo-
pie were picturesquely grouped on raised
platforms around the band. There was a
pause for moment, and then plain oak
coffin came in sight, borne by twelve men
dressed in red jerseys. All the Salvation
women in the building sobbed and shrieked.
| Many of them were carried out IN dead
| faint to the anterooms. Mrs. Booth had
insisted that her coffin should be as plain
as her Salvation army bonnet. Immediately
| following the coffin was General Booth,
who walked with tottering steps and his
| face buried in his hands. Over his shoulders
dropped the Salvation army flag which
hung over Mrs. Booths bed when she
died. This flag was Immediately adjacent
to large flag, the stars and stripes, which
was placed at the foot of the coffin and was
held in position by man who sat among
the chief mourners
This remarkable preference for our fac
was explained in the printed programme
that Mr. and Mrs. Ballington Booth, who
| had been unable to get from America in
time for the funeral, were thus represented
| by our flag.
After the coffin had been placed in posl
| ton where the thousands of eyes could
look upon it, and General Booth with his
family had taken places on the platform
the services proceeded. Hymns were sung
and prayers said in perfect unison. all pre-
arranged by the woman who was Twins
there in her coffin and all guided by the
men who worked the printed signs on pul-
leys.o Towards the end of the servicee the
fog became so dense in the building tina
people 200 yards away could not see thu
| signs but there was no perceptible confu
sion at the conclusion of the services
| General Booth and his children clustered
around the coffin and sang the identica
hymn which they sang around Mrs. Booth,
death bed. This song was the signal TO,
thousands OF sobbing women to rush TO,
the coffin and PROSTATE themselves in tn,
lsawdust. There was no sham about it. i
was all hysteric devotion to the littl
woman who was literally mother of theil
army. After the building was cleared
the coffin was removed and pre-
pared for interment to-day. This will
afford an equally marvellous spectacle
Though the cemetery procession has beer
limited solely to the officers, it will be a
least two miles long. Ranks will be formed
at IL this morning from Blackfriar's bridg,
along the Thames embankment to Chelsea
The procession will move through tn,
busiest parts of the city by the Mansion
house along Bishopsgate street, Shoreditcl
to Abney Park cemetery, which is in tn
east end Of the city.
The Ceremonies at the Grave
| T,oNDON Oct 14-The ramaino of M -,