The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-05
N WINDSOR CASTLE.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

@S
beDre them. Immediately after the
mcurners rode abreast. King Edward
WI was the central figure OF the three
but no less ostentatious parsonage
WAS seen in the procession. A black
ctapeau, with a plume of white feath-
es was on his head and a long black
coax was buttoned around him and
hung down over the big. black horse
which he was riding. The kings IA
Iniliar a seemed grave and careworn
He looked straight ahead. apparently
at the u carriage on which was the
body OF the sovereign whose glory and
responsibilities he had inherited. He
did not see, or gave no sign of seeing,
the long ranks of soldiers hedging
back the populace about him., or the
crowded with black bonneted
women, h multitudes of uncovered
heads, the purple draperies and the
funeral wreaths everywhere. He pass
ed like a man alone. who neither knew
or thought of the work about him, and
the sentiment his presence inspired
was only sympathy and pity. The peo-
pie seemed to see in the king one of
themselves and the deep murmurs
which arose here and there carried a
note Of sorrow and love. almost as deep
as the expressions WHICH greeted the
passage of the coffin of their queen.
Beside King Edward rode Emperor
William, his nephew and neighbor.
The unique, commanding figure of the
German emperor could not for a mo-
ment be mistaken. He looked every
inch a soldier and the commander of
men His imperial majesty glanced
right and left as he rode and his hand
was frequently raised to the red and
white feathers hanging over his hat,
as he responded to salutes. Emperor
William also wore a black cloak over
his new British field marchal's uniform
and the splendid white charger be-
meath him pranced UP and down, Civ
ing his majesty an opportunity to dis
play fine horsemanship.
On the kings left rode his brother,
the duke Of ~COnnaught. a man of SOL
dierly appearance. almost unnoticed
and unrecognized by the people
In the second rank. behind. rod two
more Sovereigns, the kings of Greece
and Portugal, both glittering with gold
ace. Then followed a dazzling array
of members of royal families, number
ing about forty in all. and riding three
abreast. So close were they together
and so quickly did hey pas that indi-
viduals, prospective rulers of empires,
kingdoms and princiDalities. could not
be DISTINGUISHED.
Ten minutes after the coffin appear
ed the tuner procession hau passed
and the music of the dirges drifted
back across St. James park.
After the funeral party itself, the
dominating figure of the day was
Field Marshal Earl Roberts. When his
popular. well-known. bron1ed face
came in view the people forgot the SOL
emnity of the occasion and broke into
cheers, also shouting "Bobs and other
expressions of familiar approval.
The military attaches of the embas-
sizes and legations were with Lord
Roberts staff. In the front rank rode
the American attache. Major Richard
B. CaSsatt, in an infantry officers full
dress.
The funeral procession occupied two
hours in passing from Victoria station
to Paddington. a distance Of three
miles
The decorations everywhere were i'm
pressive but not elaborate. The draper
les, hung with green wreaths, predom-
mated Flags were on most of the
buildings.
The really impressive exhibition OF
mourning was the black clothing worn
by practically all the people. who, as
the streets, windows. stands n roofs
everywhere were covered with Specta-
tors, gave the whole scene a sombr
hue.
The grounds of Buckingham palace
We're filled with civic officials and then
families. Pensioners from Chelsea anG
Greenwich had the sidewalk outside
the palace.
st. James park was packed with E
crowd of about 10000 peolpe who over.
ran the flower beds, stood on the fences
and swarmed in the trees, sitting on the
branches and clinging to the limb.
during the long, chilly hours of wait
ing. 1t was too much to expect tn
populace to maintain a mourning de
meanor and they fought with police
men, smashed a and chaffed tn,
programme vendors. after the custom o
a London holiday crowd; but when thu
bells began tolling the whole peopl,
felt the solmenity of the day, n tn,
demeanor of the crowds while the pr,
cession was passing was one OF tn
most impressive ~eatures of the day.
SCENES AT PADDINGTON.
For an hour before the arrival of tn
procession Paddington station was tn
center of striking scenes. There wer
assembled there, clad in glittering cCur
costumes, tne Ambassadors, minister
and representatives of every civiliZe,
country on the globe. Mingled wit
them were the highest officers of tn
crown. All were engaged in the worl
preparatory to the departure for Wind
Sor. Among them, conspicuous be
cause of the absence of adornment
dressed in plain black clothing, was tn
American ambassador. After the de
parture of the ambassadors a sma.
was admitted to the static
and hurried across to the oppoSit
platform. where the royal train was i
waiting.
1t was precisely 1920 o'clock p. m
when the guards lining the platforl
came to a sharp attention" and wit
a solemn tread the head of the process
sion entered the building. For half a
hour all was hushed save the occasion
al clatter of horses hoofs as the HuS