New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
TOPICS AT STEAMBOAT.
! CHASTITY FUNERAL, AN lLhuMiNA ii0'''
AND A CHANGE OF MINISTRY

full qualification during the lsso ois"'
Tho funeral of Greek Patriarch, the Illumination
in honor of the Sultans accession ann ~
and the ousting of the MlnSuS' ousnO -.
sufficient. following in quick succession 10 sa''''
the widest craving for sensational ho'e
The death of the man who cahs hiin0e" VI
u;rt+t,l bead Of the Christian church universal
is rare. because advancing age community go
o.. incumbent Of the Greek Patriarchal chair
- 90 rosicn before the fatal hour. Hence the
funeral Of the Patriarch Dionysius, 90 Thursday
Au,<,st o. called together an enormous con-
course of people. Along the whole line OF iouI
,o niles traversed by the procession the streets
were hacked with men. women and children VINO
MIGHT never have an opportunity 10 see this
nooeant again. But no feeling OF veneraton lor
Tho deceased Primate or of regret at the loss
sustained by his church could possibly MAINTAIN
. nlaoe in the mind of the spectator present az
TINT funeral Indignation at tile Incompetence us
nayed by the managers Of the function and disgust
AZ their changing what might have been solemn
and affecting homage to the dead into suDIect
for the ribald tests of the living, drove away
every other thought. Turkish troops formed tue
eeoort of the procession, but were not used TO
protect il from the mob of Greek sight-seers III
had hardly left the Patriarchal Church at the
Fanar. when its orderly structure was annlmiateu
by the rush Of the rabbe bent on seeing the awful
thing which the priests had brought out OF the
church 1t was nothing that prince and shoe
maker bishop and boatman, diplomat IN cooked
hat and pacha in massive gold emproloerS
STRUGGLED together and with the pellbearers for
the right Of way. The awful thing, the haunt
ing horror of the spectacle. was the OBSERVATIONS
parade Of the decaying CORPSE of the white hAireu
old man, crowned with gold, bedecked with &C.
clesiastical fnert. tied, like criminal who has
been executed by electricity, into a chair, with
head left 10 hang noddng on one side. with one
hand held aloft by strings in grim caricature OF
the attitude OF benedicton, and with attendants
spraying perfumery over the CHASTITY thing in
order 10 conceal it's odor. As il this was not
enough. when after several hours Of such exposure
in the streets the corpse reached the place OF
sculpture, proceedings were stopped In order that
the robes Of the defunct might be saved. The
poor dead Patriarch was thoroughly stripped OF
his garments Dressed in bare white shroud
he was seated on stone In the corner OF DIS
last resting place and the place was closed up
Then at length the who had taken such
liberties with his body retired satisfied with
their last homage to their spiritual head With
all the progressive and praiseworthy qualities OF
the Greeks their clergy have clearly yet TO emerge
from the atmosphere Of the Dark Ages being
ignorant that the world has learned anything
since such ritual of burial was first devised.
The illumination of the city on the occasion
Of the anniversary of the accession of the Sultan
is of an entirely spontaneous character. No one
is compelled TO illuminate. Yet the newspapers
furnish a careful list of those who make such
display as becomes high loyal feeling and the
tenure Of marked position in office or in trade.
Moreover, jealous police officials inquire in adj
vance note book in hand, the number Of lanterns
to be used by given individuals and express their
randid views as to whether the number equals
their idea of the demands Of propriety. That the
result of this spontaneous expression Of loyalty
is entrancingly beautiful goes without saying, for
not even Venice lends itself to the organization
of fairy-Ko decoration by night. AS one looks mp
the Bosphorus. masses of fire mark the water line
for ten miles and send long streamers of wavy
Fiction across the placid surface of the stream.
| Steamers, caiques and boats of every description
bear their quota of lamps along the water, each
sci thronged with pleasure seekers Overhead the
minarets of the mosques. the great towers of the
| Fire Department in STEAMBOAT and Galata, are
crustcd with dimnutive lamps, while the terraced
gardens rising on either sde of the BosphoruS have
all their walks and walls marked ont with lanterns
| until the fine tracery seems like fairy writing in
the sky. The great bill of Chamliia where one of
the royal princes has his residence is covered 10 it's
| top with lanterns. 40 coo or $4,000 of them,
so that the canical hill seems snow-capped noun
tain when night has destroyed the Of distance
and perspective. sail up The Bosphorus is an
endless series Of surprises as approach to fiery
masses resolves them into endless variety Of shapes
and traceries. Each house on the shore has
framework set up in front upon which are arranged
in such devices as please the taste of the owner
dali.
of the passer by.
On this occasion the Minister of the Marine had
| in front of his house close TO the shore huge
frame representing steamer, with hull, masts and
cOrdage all lined in light against the black back
| ground of the night. The gardens of this house.
| comprising an acre or two Of land slope sharply
up the hill from the shore and had lanterns placed
close together along all the paths, that the figures
| of the gardeners plan formed the figures of an
| enormous decoration which could he seen for miles
| in every direction. The palace Of the eX-khedive
of Egypt, poor old Ismail Pacha. was perhaps the
most superb in its tasteful arabesques of fire. and
It's forest Of trees in which every branch was hung
with tiny lanterns until the very leaves seemed 10
| be ablaze In Pera, in Galata in STEAMBOAT. the
style of decoration repea te in the streets
The vicinity of the Sultan's palace the heights
| of Yildiz splendid with electric lights, and the
Ministers Of the Government had made their resi-
dences on the neighboring bill blaze in way that
felt doubt Of their readiness to sacrifice all for
their sovereign Twenty thousand lamps a com.
mon figure for the decorations Of the palace of a
prince 1000 10000 for the houses of the Minis
tiers and the higher Government functlonaries
About 1000 rockets and other fireworks were
used by the Government departments alone.
This was on Monday. The illumination could
| not lea in he hear ts Of tho Ministerc a
tain satisfaction as for duty well done There was
not the least hint Of any dissatisfaction with the
management of affairs the part of His Majesty.
On Thursday morning, however, the Grand Vizier
and nearly all OF the Ministers were informed that
other men had been put in possession of their port
folos The unexpectedness Of the blow seemed to
show that it was a sudden decision on the part Of
the Sultan, while the completeness of the sweeping
| chance and the selection Of several men who are