The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-05-26
BIZ Cable TO the United Press.

BIZ Cable 10 the United Press.
MOSCOW, May 26, 1s96.-Today was the
chief day of all the ceremonies connected
with this festive occasion. the day up to
which all the previous days have lied, and
were as preparatory to.
The weather was fine and the sky cloud
less. The Krennlin, which was the centre
of attraction, was early surrounded by
waiting crowds who had no possible hope
of getting inside, but were satisfied to
see what they could outside the walls.
Troops headed By bands of music began
moving at four o'clock in the morning,
marching to the Kremlin At seven
O'Clock a salvo of twenty-one guns was
fired. ard at.7 40 the bells of the Cathedral
began to peal.
Assembled in the halls of the Kremlin
Palace were all of the personages form
ing the Cars cortege, the ladies of the
court, noted dignitaries, officers in uni
forIzl. etc. All Of the accesses to the pal
ace and the Cathedral, as well as the
route of the imperial cortege from the
palace to the Cathedral were guarded by
double lines of troops. and around and
within the courts of the palace were
seuadrons Of cavalry.
Crowds thronged the streets at an early
hour ami those who were fortunate enough
to possess cards of admission to the small
Cathedral Of the Assumption, where the
coronation ceremonies were solmenized,
were early at the Kre1nlin seeking their
places.
definite place had been allotted to
each as the space within the Cathedral
is exceedingly small. and no one outside
the members of the Imperial family, the
foreigns sovereigns. princes or their rep
resertatives the diplomatic corps and
favored few We're able TO. enter the COW
eted precincts. Though q mass of peo-
pie filled the Great Red Square, no one
was allowed within the Kremlin walls
without ticket until the ceremony be-
gam as even here thousands had to be
accommodated who could not hope to see
the coronation act itself, but only the
accompanying ceremonies, which took
place without the Cathedral. The fam
GUS red staircase, leading up by the side
wall of the Granovitayd Palace into the
Kremln Palace, down which the royal
party came, was covered with crimson
closl. The Cathedrals of the Assump-
ton, the Annunciation and the Archangel
were connected by means of wide
stretching from the red staircase and
branching off to the doors of the Cath
edrals and to the entrances Of the large
square of the Kremlin. through which
their Majesties would pass on making the
circuit of the Cathedrals and the Ivan
Tower. after being crowned, in order to
show themselves to the populace. Near
the Cathedral of the Assumption were
two sluadrons Of the Cuirassier Guard
of the Emperor in gale uniform, consist
ing of esgle-crested helmets and white
tunics, with scarlet jackets. On each
side of the wooden walk leading to the
other Cathedrals were tall scarlet-coated
Circassians, belonging to the Car $
personal escort, also dragons and
detachments of other troops. With
in the enclosure formed by the
pathways, were deputations from va
rious regiments and civil deputies from
erected near the Archangel Cathedral ana
the Ivan Tower were crowded with dip
lonlafic secretaries, attaches and foreign
ladies wearing summer toilettes. Just be-
st the top Of the Red Square; the broad
packed with perhaps 100000 people, press
Ing closely up to the very fence of the
At 2Nlittle before eight O'Clock the spe-
cial correspondents were allowed to view
the interior of the Cathedral as only a
few of the representative correspondents
could be ACCOMMODATED at the ceremony
itself The Cathedral with the white
sandstone exterior, surmounted by it's
five golden dornes, presented most bril-,
liant appearance within The available
room within the cathedral is about so feet
square, and this is broken by four enor-
NOUS circular pillars End some monu-
ments distributed throughout the church.
The ikonostas, which, like a reed screen
divides the chancel from the nave, is COW
cred with repousse work Of beaten gold
and hung with ecclesiastical paintings
some of which are very ancient, and more
than one has miraculous powers aseribed
to 1t. Plates of gold cover the walls. and
there is scarcely any space that is not
coated with precious metals or stones, or
painted with frascoes or portraits of mar
fyrs, saints. angels, the Virgin, or sym
bols Of the Holy Trinity.
In one shrine covered with gold, silver
and precious stones, is an image of the
Virgin of enormous value, under which
lie the bones and ashes of venerated
saints n
Between the four pillars in the centre
of the church, on a dais covered with
red velvet, bordered with heavy gold trim
innings embroidered at lhe corners with
flzonostas, Upon this dafs, which was six
feet high and approached by twelve steps,
was leading midway and small plat
court. masters of ceremonies. etc.
Over the throne was a magnificent square
baidacfi1 of purple velvet, lined with err
mine hanging from the roof between the
two pillars furthest from the iconestas.
IN the centre, sslirncunting the baidachin,
was an immense gilded crown. The dais
around which the Imeprial family and
princes would group themselves Not the
least striking featnre Of the Cathedral