The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-02-05
FIRST OF THE PROGRAMME FOR THE
FUNERAL OF QUEEN VICTORIA
MAGNIFICENT NAVAL DISPLAY
The Procession from Osborne House TO
the Pier-The Bic Covered with the
Queens Coronation Robe and Sur
mounted with the Crown and Other
Insignia OF ONCE Funeral Flotilla
Passes Through Lines OF warshfps
Firing Minute Guns.

Osborne house to Portsmouth. the
heart OF England's navy. The half
hundred red fighting ships fired their
broadsides and minute guns. and over
the still waters. between the roll Of tne
six Founders. came strains Of Chopin's
and Beethoven's funeral marches. The
crews stood silently alonS the decks.
and flags dropped half way down the
halyards-
Past the most powerful fleet England
could muste quickly. past
Iern, the huge though cumbersome
Camperdown. the Rodney and the Ben
bow, on through the line OF British bat
tieships, till Japan's Eatsuse. the big
gest warship in the world. was left
astern and where the German Baden
was beam to beam with Vice admiral
Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson's spien-
did flagship, the Majestic. OF the Char
mel squadron. h nava funeral pro-
cession slowly steamed
Ahead were eight torpedo boat de-
stroyers. Padding leisurely after them
was the royal yacht Alberta. half
screened by the awning on the poop.
the royal coffin placed on q crimson
dais, whose drawn curtains left free to
view the magnificent casket and robes.
Close b. was the Trinity house yacht
Ii w j NAt tES
the wake OF the coffin came the royal
Yacht Victoria and Alberta, with King
Edward and Queen Alexandria and the
English royal family: the royal yacht
Osborne, with other royal p~ersonages.
the imperial yacht H~ohenzollern, with
Emperor William. the duke n Ouch
ess of Gonnaught and others; the ad-
mirality yacht Enchantress and a
Trinity house yacht with officials on
board.
The main squadron OF battleships
and cruisers were moored two and a
half cables apart. in n line. extend
ing from Cowes to Spithead.
The foreign war vessels were moored
southwest of the British ships. in the
order of their arrival and alongside OF
them were moored eight British gun
boats.
After leaving Trinity pier. the Alder
ia, with her attendant escort, steamed
along the deep channel between the
coast Of the Isle ok Wight ar
gle line OF battleships Ink cruisers.
After the procession had passed the
Majestic. and the ships in the Solent
n at Cowes ceased firing the forts
and ships in Portsmouth harbor COM
menced firing minute guns. continuing.
until the Alberta was alongside the
wharf. The ships were manned and
the guards and bands paraded All the
sea front was manned. Then when the
Majestic was left aStern. the Alberta
was moored at $40 D. m. for the night.
Tomorrow the body will be taken
ashore at Portsmouth n thence con-
veyed to London and Windsor for the
last tributes to the great queen.
The lands ceremony. consisting IN
bringing the coffin from Osborne house
to the pier at Cowes was scarcely less
At noon the gorgeous trappings of the
~chappelle ardente were disturbed. Over
the coffin was thrown the coronation
robe worn by the girl queen. On this
was placed the royal regalia, wand.
sceptre and crown. which were scarce
ly ever used by the queen in her life
time. Dummy regalia will be buried
with her at Frogmore.
Thousands lined the route in Cowes.
At 100 p. m. King Edward and Empe-
ror William emerged o Osborne
house, both in admiral's uniform.
Then came the coffin carried by petty
officers from the Victoria and Alberta.
preceded by pipers and accompanied by
equerries.
Immediately behind the king took
his place, on his right the emperor of
Germany. on his left the duke of Com.
naught. The kings head was bowed.
The empero was erect. his face ex-
pressionless. Then followed the royal
princes, Queen Alexandria and eight
royal princesses. all afoots Several OF
the party. especially Princess Beatrice.
were sobbing bitterly. All walked slow
fy. three abreat.
The spectacle of the two great mon
archs, followed by the women OF their
families and the nobieSt princes Of
Europe walking silently along the coun-
try road behind the bier blazing with
precious stones will live long In the
memory of those who saw IL. The
veneration and the owe which the ac-
ton implied, were acceutuated by the
splendor OF the uniforms OF these kings
liz princes and the magnifcence OF
the military display which preceded
them. a dazzling mass of color.
When h c OF the procession
emerged from the royal to
Osborne. he scarlet bands reused the
country echoes with the grand strains
Of the funeral marches. The crowds
Of thousands massed behind the solid
lines Of troops first showed admiration
n then a keen realization of the cause
Of the ceramony. When the coffin
came in sight the tiniest bay pe-ches
in n tree top knew that these. Jewels
and that rich coronation robe only
serve TO conceal the well-ioved fea-
lures of the oma who, for sixty years
had governed the people and had been
beloved by them
In striking contrast with rhe black
robed women. followed the heads of
the royal household in gorgeous uni
forms.
The coffin was placed upon the gun
carriage. The pipers commenced their
dirge. The procession marched slow
~ 70 the gate. where the giitterine>
military escort was met, the massed
bands breaking out with a dead march
and the cortege pursued its sluggish
way in the midst OF intense silence.
save the music OF the bands. of thou
OF bareheaded spectators. TO the
pier. There troops were massed In
close order. The body was ~revcrentfy
borne 10 the royal yacht Alberta by he
elgnt stalwart seamen. The queen and
the Processes as well as the king.
were very fatigued.
There have been more magnificent
yea than the escortfng OF the bodv
OF Queen Victoria from the house where
she died to the royal yacht. but "
a there been witnessed tn recent