The Portland daily press., 1897-04-17
AT THE INyALIDES.
How the Remains of Napoleon We're
Laid at Rest.

How the Body of the Emperor Was Com
veyed from st. Helena to France-Im.
posing Cerem onials and Popular En-.
thusiasm Marked the Event.
The approaching dedication of the
Grant monument has recalled the pla-
cling of the remains of Napoleon in their
final resting place on the banks of the
Seine. The story is told as follows in
the Chicago Inter Ocean:
In the early part of 1910 M. TIMERS. the
LIST of the four great men who had as
sisted Louis Philippe to attain his power,
made a request of the English govern
ment to allow the body of Napoleon !. to
be brought to France. In his will Napo-
leon prayed that his body might rest on
the banks Of the Seine; it awas then ~
ing beneath willow tree at Longwood,
on desolate island that seemed hardly
a part of the civilized world. Lord Pal
merston gave cordial assent. The Prince
de Joinville, Louis Philippe's third son,
was dispatched upon the errand in shis
| AAAS"oO lScI1O Cul0i dUl6uucu NY OuAoi
French warships. With the Prince de
Joinville went Bertrand and Gourga:ld,
who had been the Emperor's companions
in captivity.
On. the first of December 1910, the
Poule arrived at Havre with the body.
and was accompanied by hotilla Of
steamboats,. The landing was made at
Paris on the morning of Dec. Is.
This was sooner than the arrival had
been looked for. and at once all Paris was
in fever of preparation. Laborers and
artists worked night and day erecting
soaffoidings and splendid decorations
nlong. the Champs Elysees, the esplanade
of the Hotel des Invalides, and other
places which the procession was to pass
over. The weather was piercingly cold,
and 1t is said that at least 300 English
residents of Paris died from the effects
OF exposure OIL the day of the funeral.
The body was taken from the barge at
Courbeovie. This is about two miles
from the Arc de Triomphe, which is
again abont the same distance from the
Place de la Concorde; SO that the process
sion attending the body had nearly five
miles to march from the place of disem-
barkation to the Invalides on the left
bank of the Seine
1t was clear, frosty morning, the air
and the trees tinged with purple, the
Arc de Triomphs glistening in the sun
shine. The long avenue of the Champs
Elysees was covered with sand for the
convenience of the procession which was
gilded lamp post with it's double burners,
and beneath the long rows of leafless
trees. were. statues Of Victory, and colos-
sal vases with burning incense. and ma
terials for the illumination when night
should fall. Long gilt banners were
Haunting about, with the imperial Oh
pher and eagle, and the names of the bat
ties and victories glittering in gold. The
rows on rows of seats erected along the
route for the spectators were draped In
black and violet with fine trioolor hang
ings.
The people began to assemble before
dawn. All the bare trees were filed
with freezing gamins. Itinerant mer-
chants added to the din of the crowd by
shouting out their wares Justify.
Soon all the wide pavements were oc-
cupied. Rows of National Guards
fringed ths whole avenue. AS the pro-
cession passed they were to fall in behind
and accompany it to the Invalides.
Meantime the coffin was received at
Courpevoie beneath votiye monument
put up for the occasion. 1t was COL
umn 100 feet high, surmounted by a
great gilded globe and gilded eagle TWEEN
ty feet high. While cannon doomed and
heads were barred the coffin was lifted
upon the oatafalque, and the procession
started. 1t was understood by the pub
lie at the time that the coffin of the En-
peror was inolosed in a funeral casket on
top of the catafalque.
This casket was twenty feet from the
ground and blazing with gold and pur-
pie. As matter of fact, however. the
coffin was deposited on low platform
between the wheels. The sailors insisted
that tho oatafalue was frail and the
height so great that they dared not at
tempt to lift the lead lined coffin to Its
place. The funeral car was hung with
purple gauze embroidered with golden
bees. The catafalque was covered the
enblems, wreaths and banners. The
wheels of the car were gilded, and it was
drawn by eight horses with trappings of
green and gold. Each horse was led by
a groom in the Bonaparts livery. Gen
eral Bertrand, who had heen with Napo-
leon in captivity, two Marshals and an
Admiral rode on horseback at the four
corners of the car, holding the tassels OF
pail. The Prince de Joinville and
the 500 sailors of the Belle Poule marched
near the catafalque. The Prince made a
fine appearance and excited the admira-
ton of the multitude. He was mill
tary looking man, slender, tall and dark
| and was supposed to be intensely hostile