Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-11-19
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
The Funeral of the Car.

ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 19.-This
morning opened cold and foggy and the
emblems of mourning everywhere dis
played were dripping with moisture.
All the morning lines of people con-
verged upon the Cathedral OF St. Peter
and st. Paul where the booming of can
non announced the beginning of the
funeral services of the late Alexander
III. The religious service over the
body of the dead Emperor was proba-
Ills the most magnificent of modern
times. The music was divine and the
performance of the liturgy sublime iii
the extreme. The cream of the royal
ty and nobility of the empire assisted at
the service, and princes of the blood, pre-
lates of the orthodox church, noblemen,
representatives of foreign sovereigns
and princes, foreign diplomats and
other distinguished personages, joined
in the devotions and pleadings to
heaven for the repose of the soul Of
the dead.
The signal for the services to begin
was the firing of three guns from the
fortress. Just as the third gun was
fired Alexander II. and the imperial
family appeared OF the door of the
cathedral, and preceded by the Metro
politan of St. Petersburg and the mem
bers of the Holy Synod, all of them
maguifcently robed in vestments of
black and silver, passed towards the
catafalque. The Metropolitan of St.
Petersburg carried the great crucifix
and sprinkled holy water upon those
about him, at the same time audibly
repeating prayer. After the Gar and
the imperial family and the holy synod
had taken their places, the Metropoli-
tan began the mortuary mass. The air
inside the church was heavy with in
cense and the dim light within was
starred with thousands of tapers, each
mourner and visitor holding one. The
first taper was lighted by the Gar.
The harmony of the male choir, which
sang without instrumental accompani-
ment, was perfect. Their voices were
of marvellous richness and purity, and
the effect throughout the solemn service
was deeply impressive. After the
general mass for the dead with its
elaborate ceremony, the special service
fol dead Car was begun, after which
Psalm 81 was sung by an unseen male
choir. Then followed the singing of
Psalm 119, which was divided into three
stations. Six litanies were then sung
by the Metropolitan and the choir. A
beautifully rendered "Gloria In Ex-
celsis Del" followed The litanies, which
was succeeded by an information by the
Metropolitan. After another short
prayer eight troparious by John, the
Monk of Damascus, were pronounced.
After the repetition of the Holy, Holy
and the Lords Prayer, the Metropoli-
tan repeated thrice: "May thy memory
endure forever, oh our brother, who
was worthy to be blessed with remem.
brance.n The choir sang this three
times and the Metropolitan then pro-
nounced the words of absolution for
the dead as follows: "Christ, our Lord,
who commanded the apostles to retain
or remit sins, through whom received
power to do the same, pardon thee my
spiritual child, for whatever sins, vol
untary or involuntary, thou mayest
have committed in this life now and
forever unto the ages of ages. Amen"
After pause, during which silent
prayer was offered up, the Gar stepped
forward to the coffin and kissed the
lips of the dead Emperor, the other
members of the imperial family and
those bound by ties of blood or marriage
following the Car, standing by the side
of the coffin until all the farewells were
over. Then eight generals appeared,
bearing the lid of the coffir, which was
fastened in its place. The grand dukes
then lifted the coffin to their shoulders
and bore it to the entrance to the i'm
perial vault, which opened in the pave
ment, and moment later the mortal
remains of Alexander III. were lower
ed into the resting place of his imperial
ancestors. As the coffin was lowered
into the vault, the Czarina, who had
throughout the service been under
terrible strain, fell to her knees and
wept. She was supported by her son,
the Car Nicholas H., and led away
sobbing convulsively. The funeral
rites were concluded at 2;3O p. m.,
when the scene suddenly changed. at
the first salvo of artillery the mourning
flag at the fortress was lowered and in
its place appeared the imperial standard
at full mast. The bands at this writing
-3;15 p. m.,-are playing lively airs
and marches, and the vast crowds which
throng the streets are surging toward |
the Winter Palace.