The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-06-03
ST.. HELENA TO PARIS
THE REMOVAL OF NAPolEON'S BODY
TO ITS LAST RESTING PLACE.

Wonderful Preservation Through Nine
teen Years Interment-spectators Moves
- Tears-Impressive Ceremonies at tn.
Church Of the Invalides.
The grave i'll the valley Of Napoleon,
On st. Helena, as the place had come tc
be called, was surrounded by an iron
railing set in a heavy stone curb. Over
the grave was a covering Of 8 inch stone
which admitted TO q vault ii feet deep,
8 feet long and 4 feet 8 inches broad and
was apparently filed with earth, but
digging down some seven feet q layer OF
Roman cement was found. This broken
laid bare a layer Of rough hewn stone &c
inches thick and fastened together by
iron clamps. 1t took AZ hours to remove
this layer. The stone up. the slab form
ing the lid of the interior sarcophagus
was exposed, inclosed in a border Of Ro-
man cement strongly attached to the
walls of the vault. So stoutly had all
these various coverings been sealed with
cement and bound by iron bands that it
took the large party Of workers ten
hours to reach the coffin.
THE outermost coffin was slightly in
Jured, says an eyewitness. Then came
n of lead, which was in good condition
and inclosed two others-one Of tin and
n Of wood. The last coffin was lined
inside with white satin, which, having
become detached by the effect of time,
had fallen upon the body and enveloped
it like a winding sheet and had become
slightly attached to it.
1T is difficult to describe with what
anxiety and emotion those who were
present waited for the moment which
was to expose to them all that was left
OF the Emperor Napoleon. Notwith-
standing tie singular state of p~reserva-
tion OF the tomb and collins, we could
scarcely hope to find anything but some
mlsshapen remains of the least perish
able part OF the costume > evidence the
identity Of the body. But when DR..
Guillard raised the sheet of satin, an in
d~escribable feeling of surprise and atfec-
ton was expressed by nle spectators,
many Of whom burst mo tears. The
emperor himself vas before their eyes.
The features Of the face. though changed.
were perfectly recognized; the hands ex-
tremely beautiful; his we'll known cos
tune had suffered but little, and the
colors were easily distinguished. The at
titude itself was full of ease, and but for
the fragments of satin lining which Gov
cred, as with fine gauze, several parts of
the uniform, we might have believed
we still saw Napoleon lying on his bed
Of state"
The climax of the pageant in Paris
was the temple of the Invalides. The
spacious church was draped in the most
magnificent and lavish fashion and
adorned with a perfect bewilderment of
imperial emblems. The light was shut
out by hangings Of violet velvet; tripods
blazing with colored flames, and thou
sands upon thousands of waxen candles
in brilliant candelabra lighted the tenn
pie. Under the dome, in the place Of the
altar, stood the catafalque which was
to receive the coffin.
1t was 3 O'Clock in the afternoon when
the archbishop Of Paris, preceded by a
splendid cross bearer, and followed bv
l6 incense boys and long rows of white
clad priests, left the church to meet the
procession. They returned soon. Fol
lowing them was the Prince de Joinyille
and q select few from the grand cortege
without. In their midst Napoleon's COT
fin.
The king descended from his throne
and advanced to meet the cortege.
Sire said the Prince de Joinville, Il
present to you the body Of Napoleon,
which, in accordance with your com
mands, l have brought back to France. "
Il receive it in the name of France"
replied Louis Philippe.
Such at least is what the ''Moniteur"
was said. The Prince de Join
Vile gives a different version: 'It ap-
pears that a little speech which I was to
have delivered when I met my father,
and also the answer he was to give me,
had been drawn up in council, only the
authorities had omitted to inform me
concerning it. So when l arrived I sim
ply saluted with my sword, and then
stood aside. / saw indeed that thissilent
salute, followed by retreat, had thrown
something out, but my father, after a
moments hesitation, improvised some
appropriate sentence, and the matter
was afterward arranged in the ::Moni-
teur.
Beside the king stood an officer, bear
ing q cushion. On it lay the sword of
Austerlitz- Marshal Soult handed it to
the king, who, turning to Bertrand,
General, I commission you to place
the emperor's glorious sword on the
And Bertrand, trembling with emo
ton, laid the sword reverently on his
idols coffin. The great audience watch
ed the scene in deepest silence. The only
sound which broke the stiffness was til,
half stiied sobs Of the gray haired SOL
diers Of the Invalides, who stood in
places Of honor near the catafalque.
The king and the procession returned
to their palaces, and then followed q
majestic funeral mass.@Ida M. Tarbell
McClure's Magazine.