The age-herald., 1901-02-03
Chatted at the Coffin.


 had been laid.
 Chatted at the Coffin. Almost touching the coffin, they chatted Ambassador Choate shook hands with an- | other ambassador. Then the stream turn ed and orders came for the suits and am- bassadors to go out by another door. The returning throng met those coming up all most at the coffin, well nigh causing melee. Finally they reached the other door and the body of the Queen was left alone before the altar save for the stern flgures of her gentlemen at arms with halberts in hand guarding the remains as the bodies of Edward ", Charles l. and Henry VIII. were guarded in the same chapel hundreds of years ago.
 Both Ambassador Choate and Secretary White walked through the streets of Wind sor with the procession. The royal sent- ments regarding the expressions of Amer ican sympathy before mentioned were con- veyed to them in the blue drawing room after the royal luncheon in the Waterloo chamber to which they were invited in com pany with a few other notables Messrs Choate and White returned to London to- night in company with the Austrian Am bassador, Lord Lansdowne and number of others
 This evening eighty-one guns were fired at the citadel, the last one just at sunset and in accordance with the wish of the king, the fortress flags will fly at half mast untli after Tuesday.
 Europe has seen grander funerals than the Queens and had more gorgeous spec tacle in the celebration of her sixty years of reign, but episode in the Victorian era will live so deeply impressed on the mem- ories of those who witnessed It or par ticipated in the ceremonies.
 The day was somber, wet and chilly as are most of London's winter days. The cloudy sky added to the gloom of the whole city.
 frn,, rlU morning waE most brilliant and impressive. For today's ceremony the station was transformed into an immense reception hall. All trains were stopped before g. ana the long platforms were covered with pur- pie cloth. On another platform, facing that at which the Queens train was to arrlVe guards of honor, composed of Blue Jack cts and Grenadier Guards, were drawn up The broad roadway separating the two was swept clean and sanded, and number of little purple covered platforms from which members of the royal party were expected to mount their horses, were placed at in tervals at the side and center. At 10 o'clock an army of grooms with the horses arrived, and thenceforward dis tinguished British naval and military of fcers and foreign royalties in dazzling uni forms came in quick succession. The Lord Chamberlain and his officials bare-headed with their white wands of office, received the most distinguished personages and con- ducted them to a little pavilion erected on the platform.
 The whole station by that time resembled the scene at a 1evee.
 Center of Interest. The commander in chief of the forces, Field Marshal Earl Roberts, on a beau- tiful spirited brown mare carrying his Field MarshaFs baton, at this juncture trotted into the station and became the center of interest. He was soon followed by the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk and many of the most distinguished Brit ish officers.
 Then came the carriage of the Queen and Princesses. They were state carriages used on the occasion of the Queens jubi- lee, with beautiful gold-mounted harnesses and trapings. The horses were ridden by postillions in scarlet jackets, with only narrow band of crepe on their arms, as mark of the great change. The carriages were closed.
 Following the carriages and preceded by an officer came an object at which every officer in the animated throng instinctively came to the salute and every head was barred. It was the little khadi-colored gun carriage which was to carry Queen Vic- toria's remains from Victoria to Padding ton station.
 The eight Hanoverian cream -colored horses which also drew the late Queen on the occasion of the jubilee were used to- day. The gold harnesses, scarlet coated pOSt1lllOQS and scarlet ana SOlQ-cOVefeu groomS who held each of the horses by the bridle, were all the same. Only the little gun carriage instead of the glittering glass and gold coach marked the change. With the exception that rubber tires weer on the wheels, the gun carriage was as if in active use. The place for the coffin to rest was over the gun.
 Train Arrived at ii O'Clock.
 It was then nearly Il o'clock when, amid cries, "The King of Portugal's horse," ''The Grand Duke of Hesse's horse," as the Princes mounted the train steamed into the station a minute ahead of time.
 All heads were uncovered as the saloon carriage bearing the Queens remains stopped exactly opposite the gun carriage, and King Edward, Queen Alexandra, Elm peror William and others aighted.
 Then the bearer party advanced to the saloon carriage, and with his hand at the salute and standing a little in advance of the others King Edward watched the pain fully slow removal of the coffin to the gun carriage. It was finally accomplished, and the pail and the regalia of the British Crown were placed on the coffin
 The King and the others with him then mounted and the procession started.
 The procession apart from the gun car riage bearing the coffin, and the royal family and official mourners about it, was not noteworthy. Parliament, the judiciary and the commercial bodies were not repre- sented. Royalty, the army and navy mo- noponzed the pageant. Three thousand sol- diers and sailors, picked companies, repre- senting all branches of the service, cavalry. artillery, infantry, yeomanry, militia volun- teers and colonials formed the advance escort They marched slowly and without music Most of the uniforms were black, the officers wearing bands of crepe on their sleeves
 The infantry marched in columns of four, with rifles reversed. They were half an hour in passing Then came Fled Marshal Earl Roberts and his staff, and after them four massed bands playing funeral marches.
 Three Hundred Musicians.
 Three hundred musicians announced the coming of the body of the Queen. There wus e fong array of court officials under the leadership of the Duke of Norfolk 0he earl marshal), all attired quaintly and brilliantly, bearing maces or wands, most of them elderly men, who for years had served the royal lady for whom they were performing the last offices.
 The most of the spectators expected im-