The evening times., 1900-01-20


brated by Orthodox Believers.
NEW YORK. Jan. 2O-No less tur-
bid than usual were the waters OF
the East River yesterday afternoon.
The ill-favored current swept as sullenly as
ever around the island Of the lawbreaker
and past the island Of the maniac. Its
noisome surface even gave up the usual
number Of dead TO the Bellevue Morgue.
The river was ungrateiul. for il had been
blessed with all the solemn pomp pertain
ing to the ceremonious ritual of the Rus
sian Orthodox Church-an ordnance unus-
ual here and rarely seen this side OF St
petersburgh.
II was quantity picturesque procession
that passed through the teeming life of the
East Side before the river was blessed-a
nretrv bit of Eastern ecclesiastical pagean-
try transplanted amid the tenements OF
New York The march began at The Rus
sian Orthodox Church Of ST. Nicholas, IN
Second Avenue. below Nineteenth street
1t was called the procession OF the cross.
At its head fioated side by side, the nass
q
by the brilliant scarlet and blue banners OF
The church. Then. borne aloft by Russians,
robed in rich green brocade. with trim
ming of scarlet. silver and gold, came the
gilt framed holy pictures OF Christ, the Dl-
vine Mother and the saints, and represen-
tations of Christ's baptism and the Resur-
Iection.
Escorting a huge cross and a galaxy OF
ecclesiastical images marched batJa ION
Of stalwart fellows. coatless, bareheaded,
and sunbrowned whose steady, practised
tramp proclaimed them of the church mill
tant They were sailors OF the lmpeIiai
Cars navy. members Of the crew ot the
cruiser Varyog. or Viking, recently
launched from Cramps shpyard, in Pnl-a-
delphia.
Al the head Of the detachment OF dis
tinguished clergy, next IN Inc, were
Father iva Zotikofi. assistant priest Of the
Russian Church. and Father Mlchaei
Husan. an Arab. recently ordained by the
Bishop Following them came the Kew.
Alexander A. Hotovitzky. rector OF t1e
Russian Orthodox Church. Of New YORK.
and Father Gebe the Hungarian orthodox
priest from Bridgeport Conn; the Rev.
Archimaudrite Raphael Of the Syio-
Arabian Church. and his deacon. All were
richly garbed in the luxurious vestmenls
of their rank. cloth Of silver, purp-e and
fue linen. All wore the special purple
velvet berertas and the mitres Of thelr
ecclesiastical rank in the church OF me
great white Car
last of all and most distinguished.
marched with solemn mien ard bowed
head the Right Rev. Bishop Tikhon,
Bishop Of Aeutia and Alaska, and head OF
the Russian Church in America. The
ieweled golden mitre upon his head
gleamtd like some tinsel toy OF s-agtland.
The long, blond locks OF his hair and beard
rested lightly on the white satin and slINtI
brocade OF his vestments. He Was
patriaTchal majestic, even aInld 'iECs.
strongly unaesthetic East Side surround
ings Beside him vested acolytes bore
along the Episcopal double and triple can
die symbolical OF the dual nature OF Chris
and the Trinity.
Behind this brilliant company swarmed
a motley throng. some devOut, as behted
the men and women Of the Russian and
Syro-Arabian parishes, others open
mouthed and Staring-peddlers, sweatshoI
slaves, the outpouring Of the hiye-likt
East Side tenements. Many knew not wha'
1t all meant but there was little sacri-
legious levity. after all. Even the mos
stolid intellect recognized something
vaguely sacred in the ceremonial.
From the church the route led them
down Second Avenue to Fourteenth Street
thence through Avenue c to Sixteenth
Street and the East River. and all along
the line were open windows, bareheaded
women and children, and running and
yelling urchins. who saw in this Eastern
pageantry some new and strange fantasy
of MaTdi Gras.
IL was the feast Of the Epiphany the Rus
slams were celebrating. With the East
River substituted for the Neva, they were
doing their best to simulate that great
annual court festival Of st. Petersburg
which is graced by the favor Of the no
bility. the Grand Dukes and the great
white Gar himself.
But this was not the Neva. II was the
East River. and circumstances here forced
some slight departure from the orthodox
ritual In Russia all the streams and
springs are blessed. in memory Of Christ
baptism in the Jordan. and the glad pOpu-
lace descend the sloping banks and drink
Of the waters.
Steep and precipitoUs piers make the
East River not easy Of access. and Its
noisome waters are not pleasant TO the
taste So ii happened that clear pure wa
ter had been carried by one of the priests
in eross-crowned silver chalice. and
when the throng looked out across the
river toward Williamsburg the water in the
silver vessel was blessed by dipping into ii
,he golden cross according to formula. and
then the congregation and the unhOly
river itself were sprinkled with the holy
water. a SCI we u plo rs ~ INNS ei4N
litdnies was celebrated. the lusty voices OF
the Cars sailor men joining brayely in
the Epiphany chorus.
After the procession had reformed and
returned to the church the official state,
many years. or long life, were pro-
claimed for the Emperor, the imperial fam
fly, the President Of the United States.
the Bishop. the army and feet, and all
orthodox Christians.
Bishop Tikhon will not come to New
York again for a year. On his next visit
It is hoped be viii consecrate the new Rus
sian church a site for which has been pur-
chased in East Ninety-seventh Street, be-
tween Fifth and Madison Avenues.
When the new structure is completed
the Bishop viii reside in New York fol
several months each year. The Cathedral
and diocesan seat, however, will remain il
San Francisco, as at present.
4 Six Million Dollar Suit.
DETROIT, Mich, Jan. 2O.-Simon BorgC