The herald., 1896-05-18
THE CAR OF THE RUSSIAS
Takes His Departure from st. Peters.
burg for Moscow
All the Details Of the Magnificent Csremon.
les Of the Coronation Are Complete.
Today's Fetes

ST. PETERSBURG, May l.-Ihe
czar and czarina. with their infant
daughter, the Grano Duchess Olsa
Nicolaievana accompanied by a numer-
GUS suite and by the whole imperial
household, took their departure this
evening" for Moscow. The august cere-
mony of the coronation of the czar and
czarina and the fetes which precede and
follow that event will fill UP the time
constantly from now until June Z. which
is the date fixed upon for the return of
the imperial party to st. Petersburg.
The train which carried the imperial
party to the ancient capital of holy Rus
STA was especially built throughout for
this journey, and is said to be the finest
that ever rode on rails.
The appointments and finishings Of it
are on q scale of magnificence in har..
mony with everything else connected
with the coronation, for which the most
lavish expenditures have not been
spared, even to the minutest details
No speed record is attempted with the
imperial train, the safety and comfort
Of the august inmates being the sole
consideration All traffic ceased over
the line before the departure of the
train from here, and no wheels other
than those of this train will run at the
same time on the tracks between here
and Moscow. The line between st. Pet
ersburg and Moscow runs almost in
straight line for the 400 miles. 1t is re-
lated that when the engineers desig-
mated to build the line appealed to the
czar for his orders regarding the route,
he placed a ruler upon the map and
drew straight line between the two
cities, thus solving the engineering diff
culties with an autocratic hand.
Today the 400 miles of the line are
guarded by a double guard of soldiers.
Every detail of the journey and of the
ceremonies in Moscow have been ar
m
having been engaged upon the work in
this city, amid much stir and excite
ment and also intense anxiety. To facil-
itate their work wooden models were
constructed of all the various buildings
at Moscow In which the more important
ceremonies will be enacted, exact in
every proportion and relation, so that
the program Of the coronation has been
precisely arranged and gone through
with in miniature.
The arrival of the czar and czarina at
the Petrovsky palace outside Moscow is
to be tomorrow, which is the anniver-
sary of his majesty's birthday.
This will be celebrated tomorrow at
the Petrovsky mansion, where their
majesties will remain until Thursday,
May 81. the date fixed for the triumphal
entry of the czar into Moscow, which is
to be one of the most imposing specta-
cles in all the ceremonies attendant up
on the coronation.
REFORMS PROMISED.
LONDON, May 1.-THE correspond
ent of the Daily Telegraph at Moscow
anticipates that after the coronation
Of the czar an edict will be issued liberat-
ing thousands of exiles In Siberia and
also proclaiming the abolition in the en-
Iire of corporal punishment of all kinds.
Rear Admiral r. 0. Selfridge, who ar
rived at Cronstadt on board the United
States steamship Minneapolis last week,
has started for Moscow to attend the
coronation Of the czar.