Huntsville gazette., 1894-11-24

glittering orders, and white, gray,
blue and green mingled with the
ladies court costumes of black and
trains. Each of the court ladies wore
silver medal upon her breast. A few
gentlemen were in evening dress.
The silence of the cathedral at this
hour was only broken by the uneven
voice of a priest offering prayer and
the responses of his two assistants.
At 9:40 a. m. the candles upon the
altar and around the bier were lighted,
and the guard of generals assumed
their places upon the dais near the
foot of the coffin. At this hour the
cathedral was half filed, and by 10
o'clock, within half an hour of the time
fixed for the beginning of the mortuary
services the edifce was packed. over
1000 persons standing in the closest
possible space, leaving lane from the
western door.
At 10 o'clock the large choir, which,
during service. is sometimes grouped
on either side of the altar, or at other
times retiring behind the ikonostas
into the sanctuary, suddenly burst
no instrumental music accompanied
it-has never been heard in Greek
church. The anthem, swelling, echo
ing and diminishing until it was al
| most silent, then, family at first,
growing in volume, filed the grand
edifce and silenced the subdued buzz
of conversation which it had inter
| rupted A chant followed the anthem,
and the buzz Of conversation was re-
sumed until the intonations of the
| priests at the bier again drowned it.
| For some time the chanting was the
| only sound heard, when prayers and
responses again altcrnated until 1920.
| At this hour, the time announced for
the beginning Of the solemn mass for
| the dead, three guns announced the ar
| rival of Gar Nicholas ii. and the i'm
perial family. The metropolitan of st.
Petersburg and the archimandrites of
the holy synod received the czar and
the other principal mourners at the
west door. Prior to the reception of
| the emperor the metropolitan land
| the other members of the Greek
| hierarchy. robed in white chasubles
and wearing mitres, with jeweled
domes, walked, with lighted candles,
three times round the bier. Having
| performed this ceremony, they marched
! TO the door headed by the grand mas
ter of ceremonies, Count Woronzoff-
Dachkoff.
The emperor and the imperial fam
| ily then walked into the church pre-
ceded by the Metropolitan and the
holy synod, and were conducted to
their places upon the dias before the
altar. The clergy, who had conducted
them to their places. went to the altar
the choir meanwhile singing an an
| them.
When the ceremony of absolution
was reached the metropolitan of st.
Petersburg walked to the dais and
bowed number of times. The EN-
peror Nicholas stood upon the pave
ment, and, the metropolitan making
the sign of the triple cross, and bear
ing that emblem pronounced the for
mula of absolution as follows:
s'The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave
divine commandments unto His holy
disciples and apostles to bind and loose
the sins of the fallen and from whom
we have again received authority to
do the like, forgive thee, 0 spiritual
| child, whatever thou hast done in the
life that now is, voluntary or involun-
tary now and ever and to ages OF ages.
| Amen"
After this ceremony the metrOpoli-
tan performed the same Office with the
censor and later threw clouds OF in
| cense among the multitude. Holy
John of Cronstadt then, in voice
treble in tone, thrilling throughout
with evidences of extreme age and
waning vigor, intoned prayer, after
which the conservation of the sacra-
ment took place. Only the czar and
the members of the imperial family
partook of the sacrament.
After the sacrament followed the
most beautiful music conceivable. 1t
resembled a Gregorian chant, yet 1T
was in few respects Gregorian. 1t
filed the edifice with almost heavenly
strains and brought tears to the eyes
Of most of the assemblage by the in
tensity of its pathos.
At noon the guards around the bier
were changed, and the priests were
grouped around the head of the coffin
as the tapers were lighted. The scene
was one of solemn magnifcence sell
dom or ever witnessed in Christian
church.
At 1920 p. IN. the massive jewelled
Bible was brought to the altar, and
the metropolitan proceeded with the
mass, which was concluded at 1880 p.
M After the special service and the
| ceremony of bidding farewell to the
| dead, the coffin was borne to the
grove by twelve high dignitaries, the
emperor. the Prince Of Wales and the
other members and llinsmen Of the i'm
peral family following.
The ceremony of casting earth upon
the coffin, as it was lowered into the
vault, was observed by the Prince OF
Wales and others of the imper ial fam
ily. as well ss by the czar. AS the
czar left the grave, the guns OF the
fortress doomed. the infantry fired
volleys of musketry, the band played