The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-24
Coronation
of the Car
oribayodoR. the Celebrated Artist, De-
eriboa tho Ceremony.

which cannot ba Witnessed In our day
In any royal progress IN any other cOuns
Try. II has something OF the harbHFic
spiondor which conjuren up 10 the imhE-
lnaIiOn tho triumphal proesAaiona OF an
client Rome when the cmHars were tho
arbilern Of the fate Of nations
In the escort Of tho emperor as he
proceeds up the morning OF May n from
the petroysky palace. situated In ths
suburbs Of Moscow, city sacred TO
Russians M tho national capital OF their
country. viii appear vast array OF
troops. which for diversity Of races ana
costumes could b. approached by the
military display Of no other sovereign
rKcept. possibly. Queen Victoria. Al
tho mAgnincenoo OF even the German
army. for instance. with lth many yari-
cities OF splendid uniforms, on reviews
az Potpdam under the critical'cys Of the
kaiser. would fail 10 produce an effect
like that by which tho czar's lsEiona.
drawn from an empire OF Aaatlcs ana
Europeans. can dazzle the onlookcr Be-
sides the regiments which. In iypc ana
dress. nuggeat but the comparatively
proaaic and familiar soldier Of Occi-
dental cllmcr there viii be- many corps
clad In the style prevailing at the time
rolled under tho black and white banner
with tho H. Andrews cross some viii
10 Infantry. others artillery and cavalry.
tho latter including gorgeous huESaTs
uniformed In many colora-bluc. rcd.
gFeen dashinE lRncoru with pennons NY
Ing from tho Elittering tips OF their
staycH. heavy dragons. EuRrdsmen caaed
In correletn OF shining steel. and then the
historic coanackH. wild and warllke OF
aspect. bcstrlding thalr Htecds like cen.
tasra. the AstrakhAn-cappcs cireasaiana.
their vari.oolorcd headrcsBea seeming 10
form long iincH OF white and black nod.
ding piumoa and wearing their cartridge
belts like ornaments. while TO complete
the plcturcAquenrnH OF tho motley show
follow the kirghls cavalry. recruited
from the tribes OF Centrai Asia. There
Is. a reason apart from tho desire Of the
authorities 10 make a great display for
the gathering OF these organized kirghis
trtbcHmsn at Moscow. Their appear
Anro there forms an object lesson. which
all who run may read. In the yaHtners OF
tho empire whose constant extension to-
ward the Orient has made them sub
iccts and soldiers OF tho cEar. Such an
army all RuAuians probably feel could
belong only 10 such country,
Tho coronation ceremony will take
place IN the Cathedral Of the Assnmp-
ton. within the walls Of the centuried
citadel. or fortress. known a. the Krem-
lin. There arr four cathcdrals. none OF
them large. and all standing near each
other That ot the Assumption. or the
UinscnAky Sobor. holds but few hun
drcd people. and when we remember the
many attendants besides the clergy and
ali o of,N
breadth OF tho land. the foreign diplo-
mats and royal guests. the accommcda-
tlona will seem moager enough. In fact.
the communication OF the coronation can
only be announced to the great mass OF
the people by the booming OF the guns
that will be fred from the Krcmlln at
the proper moment
The emperor and empress will reach
the cathedral from the Kremlin palace,
to which they have previously repaired
ON the occasion OF their entry into Mos
COW. This palace is close beside the
church. and tho imperial procession will
start from the red stairway. Bells viii
he rung and sRlutes OF artillery hrvd as
the party proceeds. the cxar ana cEarina
walking under n splendid canopy up
held by twelve generals. specially Sc
lected as bearers by the cEar himself.
and between doble line OF military ON
GERS Inside the cathedral, with its fve
domeE In placed the dais upon which
the cEAr will assume the crown. At the
door the imperial procession Is met by
the priests OF the Greek church. but be-
forc Il arrives the favored spectators
who are TO witness the ceremony take
their seats. and the crown and corona
tlon robes are brought In and deposited
upon the tables. The ringing OF the bell
the famous Ivan Veliky-soon an
nounces the arrival OF the cEar, who
goes at once TO the dais with his con-
sort. when he stands fronting the al
tar no recltcs TO the metropolitan tor
bishop OF Moscow the creed OF the
Greek church. and the long role OF i'm
peTial titles which are borne by the auto
crat OF all the Russias are next repeated
by the metropolitan in regular order.
Tho coronation robe OF cloth OF gold
trimmed with ermine is then given to
the oEar. who puts II on. and Just after
ward, revercntly bending his head. he
listens to the henedlction which the
metropolitan solemnly utters.
The critical moment has now arrived,
when the same crown that has rested ON
the brows OF so many illustrious Roma
mons shah be placed upon the head OF
their latest successor Byzantine In de-
sign, tho imperial di0dem OF Russia con-
sists OF two sections which symboliEe re-
speotlvely the eastern and western en-
pires These sections are connected in
the center by a great ruby, which, with
ave diamonds, form a cross. II Is val
ued at no less a sum than $l,0O00OO. The
cxar receives Il from the metropolitan
on cushion. and. taking It In both
hands fixes 1t upon his head The scep-
ter and the globe-the other insignia OF
his imperial station-are given to him
at his command. The scepter will bear
some inscription. Made originally for
the coronation OF the Gear Paul In 1885,
It is species of golden wand, Its chief
ornament is the orion diamond, of ia
nous memory. and which is about the
size OF pigeons egg Excepting the
Kohinoor diamond. the brightest Jewel
In the crown OF England, the Orion has
more romance attached to II, probably,
than any other gem In the world II
was one OF the eyes of an idol, and a
French deserter having stolen II. sold II
to an English sea captain. from whom
It passed into the hands OF London
Jew, who In turn offered It for sale to
an empress OF Russia. The latter would
not accede to the price demanded but
later Prince orion, Russian noble,
bought II for 100000 francs. The Jew
merchant, as part OF the transaction,
was ennobled and granted an annuity
of 1900 roubles. Prince Orion gave the
gem to the Empress Catherine,
When the czar receives the globe and
scepter he takes the latter in his right
hand and the former In his left and seats
himself upon the throne, The bells OF
Moscow forthwith ring out joyously ana
10l cannot thunder simultaneously from
the batteries of the Kremlin The tele-
graph flashes the news OF the coronation
throughout the empire. and at st. Peters,
burg they lower the white flags on the
public buildings and hoist red ones in
stead. Then follows an interesting cere-
mony After the czar has laid aside
the globe and scepter and arisen from
the throne, he motions the empress, who