The Opelousas courier., 1893-07-22
HOW S%OVEREIGNS TRAVEL
GREAT PREPARATIONS FOR THEIR
~ SAFETY AND COMFORT.
Victoria's Beautiful Railway Car
riages-Precautions by the Gar
How Other Rulers Go Visiting.

certain formalities in their
Journeys. In principle, they travel
only by special trains, and have their
own imperial or royal carriages built
and kept up with exceeding care and
always ready for use at the shortest
notice. The railway carriages used by
the Queen of Great Britain in England
and Scotland, are marvels of perfect
construction and arrangement. They
are fitted with electric light, uphol'
stored, furnished and decorated in per.
feet harmony and taste. She can write,
read, work, converse, take her meals,
and sleep almost as easily and comfor-
tably as in any of her royal residences;
even her favorite flowers and the many
family photographs she loves to have
about her are disposed in the different
compartments of her carriages, in the
exact places she is accustomed to see
them at home. The train always Stacks
speed as soon as she retires to rest,
and it is we'll known that she never
seems to feel fatigue or discomfort
from a long night journey. All her
heavy luggage, the horses, the appur'
~tenances Of her bedroom are sent or
several days ahead, SO that her apart
ments are quite ready to receive her
on her arrival.
She owns private carriages in
France, left in charge Of the Compag-
ME de POuest and despatched to
Cherbourg to meet her when she leaves
the royal yacht; these convey her to
Biarritz, Grasse, Hyeres, or Italy, as
the case may be, without change. The
royal trains are built SO as to trsvel on
every European line of rail, with the
exception of the Russian and Spanish
ones, where for military reasons the
gauge is & tride broader than else
where. Each portion of the line
assumes the responsibility of the royal
train as long as it travels on its radius.
The Government, officially informed OF
the intended journey of the sovereign,
even if he travels incognito, notifies
the respective. companies of the line OF
route. The companies in their turn
give instructions to their stats of the
hours Of arrival and departure of the
train, and they agree with each other
as to the best manner of concordance.
When this is satisfactorily settled a
plan is drawn up with the minutest
particulars of time and sent to the
Government, which forwards O copyto
the Minister or Ambassador whose
sovereign is about to pass over the tor
ritory. When the moment arrives the
chief engineer of the company, and
frequently the director, isat the station
to receive it the engineer of the line
enters a carriage, and the first
mechanician of the road boards the
engine. The whole extent of the line
has been previously carefully examined
SO as to guard against delays and
accidents.
Queen Victoria travels with less
state than any other crowned head,
except the Emperor of Austria, who in
this, as in all else, has a deep-rooted
dislike to pomp and representation.
Franz Joseph is only accompanied by
his military suite if he retires to rest
at all, it is on a narrow camp bed, but
as often as not he spends the night
sitting up dressed in a corner of the
carriage.
William Il, of Germany, has had q
train recently constructed on the most
luxurious scale, and really seems to be
the apogee of railway-coach building.
The Gear, however, is the ruler
whose journeys necessitate the most
stringent measures of prudence. I'm
der Alexander III. troops used to be
posted at short distances along the line
from st. Petersburg to Moscow ane
from Moscow to the Crimea. The i'm
perial train was divided into tive
sections, following each other at a few
minutes interval, and it was never
known with any certainty into which
portion the imperial family had taken
their seats. It was to &his %precautior
that the Gear owed hiE escape in thu
cruel catastrophe which blew up tn
7 first started train near Moscow when b
was in the second. Since the outrage
of Borki fresh orders of p~recautio1
have been given. Where formerly
soldier stood every hundred yards nov
thereis one at every fifty along the end
less line ofrails across the immense con
tinent of Russia, necessitating themove
1nents OF q whole army corps: this ser
vice works with admirable precision
and CELEBRITY. The imperial carriage
are '.iron clad" and within, extremel.
comfortable, replete with every posi-
bic accommodation, bedrooms, bath
rooms, sitting and smoking saloons, al
excellent cuisine and a perfect system
OF heating and ventilation. Neverthe
less the imperial party never enter
one of these trains without the secre
apprehension that their lives are i
jeopardy and at the mercy Of the mus
derous sectarian.
In the French republic the Presiden
likewise travels by special train
boarded by the Chief Engineer. N
Carnot is not at all averse to ceremoz
ial state, but M. Grevy made no othe
claims on the companies than the at
gurance that they would convey hi
free.
Nominally all through Europe th
railway companies are supposed t
make no charges for the transit {
royal trains. and to undertake at thei
own cost the extra expenses which
entails; but as a fact they are tt
gamers by the royal journeys, as the
receive important qualifications, rie
presents, and not unfrequently di
tinetion in the shape of orders or al