The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-19


Eight other Generals bore away the
purple pail. which had covered the cof-
fin, exposing the bare, gilded surface
of the casket to view. The Grand Dukes
then lifted the coffin to their shoulders
and bore it to the entrance to the Inn
perial vault, which opened in the pave
ment, and a moment later the mortal
remains of Alexander III, were low
cred into the resting place of his I'M
perial ancestors. At the moment the
coffin was lowered gun was fired and
the Gear stepped forward and took
handful of earth which he scattered
upon the cas1et. AS the body was low
cred and placed by the side of the coffin
of the mother of the dead Czar the Me-
tropolitan recited the last prayer for the
dead, adding:-''We do our last duties to
an aforementioned and glorious ruler
of all the Russlas, Alexander Ill" All
of the members of the Imperial family
then filed slowly past the. vault, fol-
lowed by all of the persons who had
been in the Cathedral, and the obsequies
of Alexander III. were OVERT
AS the coffin was lowered into the
vault, the Czarina, who had throughout
the services been under a terrible ner-
vous strain, fell to her knees and wept
She was supported by her son, the Gar
Nicholas II. and led away sobbing con-
vulsively.
MILITARY SALUTES.
The funeral rites, which were begun
promptly at 1920 A. NJ were concluded
at 2:3O p NJ, when the scene suddenly
changed The troops stationed outside
Ils, r,f
musketry, and a salvo of cannon was fir
ed from the fortress. At the
first orders of artillery the mourn
ing flag which had been flying at
half mast from the Fortress since the
arrival of the Cars body was lowered
and in its place appeared the Imperial
standard Haunting itself at full mast.
The bands at this writing-S:15 P. M
are playing lively airs and marches, and
the vast crowds which throng the
streets are surging towards the Winter
Palace.
Everything within and without the Ca
thedral passed off without untoward in
cident. Numbers of people fingered in
side the Cathedral and many of the
curious who had been unable to get in
during the services were admitted there
after and interested themselves in the
decorations or congregated around the
entrance to the vault to which the body
of the Czar was consigned. The large
candle which remains lighted at the
head of the tomb of the dead Cars
father Alexander II. and the smaller
one at the foot of the coffin will now
be transferred to the head and foot of
the tomb of Alexander III. there to re
main relighted until the next Car is
lowered into the vault, when similar
change will be made.
THE TOMB GUARDED.
A guard of sacristans in semi-military
attire but unarmed, are always on duty
at the tomb and keep the candles trim
med and lighted. They are under strict
injunction never to allow one of them
to go out.
The Imperial family and the royal
guests all returned to the Winter Palace
after the funeral. The Imperial insig-
MIA, which formed a conspicuous part
of the public professions here and in
MOSCOW, and which were also placed in
prominent positions in the Cathedral
were conveyed back to the Winter
Palace after the funeral under a strong
military escort. They are now displayed
at the Palace, but later will be replaced
in the Imperial Treasury, from which
they were removed for the occasion.
The tomb of the Czar will be immedi-
ately covered with a white marble block
four feet high and oblong in shape. I'm
til this work is completed the tomb will
be guarded night and day by detach-
ment of the Imperial Guards.