The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-02-08
FROM CONES 70 SRTHEAD
The Body of Queen Victoria Borne,
Amid Naval Pomp, From
Cowes to Spithead.
THROUGH TEN MILES OF WARSHIpS.
Minute Guns and the strains of Cho-
pins ana BeethOven's Funeral
Marches Furnished the Accom-
pnniInent 10 the MOurnfuI Process
sion of Royal Yachts.

puuiInent to the MOurnful Process
sioI, of Royal Yachts.
mournful, display OF naval pomp and
power, the body of Queen Victoria was
borne from its quiet resting place in
Osborne House to Portsmouth, the
heart of England's navy. Not since
Admiral Cervera's ships lit up the Gu
ban coast with their self-consuming
fires has anything been seen which in
tragic splendor approached the naval
spectacle presented.
DrondsIdes and Minute Guns.
The half hundred red fighting ships
that fred their broadsides and min
ute guns were inferior in strength to
the force gathered in the same waters
for the jubilee celebration, but the lack
of folmidableness was fully atoned for
by the solemnity of this fleet in
mourning. Over the still waters, be-
tween the roll of the six-pounders,
came strains of Chopins and Beetho-
VEINS funeral marches.
The Silent Crews.
Tie crews, accustomed to cheer
with heartiness which belongs only to
tackles" stood silently along the
decks, and the flags which usually
float defantly in the breeze, dropped
half way down the halyards. The
most powerful feet England could
gather on short notice lay inert and
silent save for the mournful strains
of the bands and the woeful sound
of guns that betokened neither peace
nor war, but death.
The Funeral Procession.
Past these and past the Hohenzol-
Tern, the huge, though cumbersome
Camperdown, the Rodney and the
Benbow, on through the line of Brit
ish 5attleships, all as powerful on
paper as the Oregon or Kentucky;
still on, till Japan's Hatsuz, the big
gest warship in the world, was left
astern and the German Baden was
beam 10 beam with Vice-Admiral Sir
Harry Holdsworth Rawson's splendid
flagship, the Majestic, of the Chan
mel squadron, the naval funeral pro-
cession slowly steamed. Ahead were
eight destroyers land seldom have
these speedy craft drawn their long
black hulls so sluggishly through the
water.
The Royal Remains.
Steaming leisurely after them was
the royal yacht Alberta, hall
screened by the awning on the poop
the royal coffin placed on crimson
dais, the curtains of which were
drawn back and tied to four poles
leaving free to view the magnificent
casket and robes. Sometimes abeam
sometimes ahead, was the Trinity
House yacht Irene, watching the
coarse, while in the wake of the cot
fin came the royal yacht Victoria anC
Albert, with King Edward and Queer
Alexandra and the English royal fam
lily; the royal yacht Osborne, will
other royal personages, the imperia
yacht HohenZollern, with Emperor
William, the duke and duchess of Con
naught and others, the admiralty
yacht Enchantress and Trinity
House yacht with officials on board.
The Foreign Warsh;ps.
| The foreign war vessels wer,
moored southwest of the British ships
in the order of their arrival, ant
alongside of them were moored eigh
British gunboats, the Antelope, Clean
er, Slipjack, Leda, Battlesnake, Alert
Cirse and Speedwell.
After leaving Trinity pier, the AL
berta, with her attendant escort
steamed along the deep channel be
tween the coast of the Isle of Wigh
and the single line of battleships an,
cruisers.
Minute Guns Were Fired.
Minute guns were fired by all tn
sh' ps in the Solent and at Cowes, com
mencing when the Alberta left tn
pier.
Each ship ceased firing immediate
ly after the tail of the procession ha
passed her.
After the procession had passed tn
Majestic, the forts and the ships i
Portsmouth harbor commenced firin
minute guns and continued firing III
til the Alberta was alongside tn
wharf.
No Standards Displayed.
No standards were displayed an
ensigns and Union Jacks were at hal
mast.
The bands played the funer'
maches of Chopin and Beethoven onl,
No national anthem was played.
On the approach of the prOcessio
the ships were manned and tn
guards and bands were paraded.
The officers were in full dress, an
, the men in mo. 1 rig" and stra
hats. The guards presented arms {
the Alberta passed each ship, an
then rested on their arms reverse
; until the procession had passed.
Nelson's Old Flagship.
\ detachment of marines and tf
ndUliral's hand were on hoard Nelson