New-York tribune., 1901-02-03
A SOLEMN AND IMPRESSIVE
PAGEANT IN LONDON.
END OF HER REIGN OFFICIALLY PRO-
NOUNCED. But VICTORIA STILL
RULES IN THE HEARTS
OF THE PEOPLE.
OF THE PEOPLE
Copyright; 1901: By The NeE-Yors Tribune.)
IBY CABLE To THE TRIBUNEl

need to be restrained in describing the sincerity
and sobriety Of the concourse of spectators who
paid their tribute of respect and affection to the
beloved sovereign. Thousands had remained IN
the fOotways and parks from midnight in order
TO have their places along the route Of the
funeral procession. and they stood in silence
hour after hour unmoved bv the exasperating
fussiness Of the police and the excitability of
military officers. and with bowed heads and
grim. sorrowful faces watched the passage of
their dead sovereign in solemn state. with her
tewelled crown and orb of empire.
Glorious, indeed. has been the reign which has
left the humblest and lowliest of Victorias sub
tects with a sense of personal bereavement. and
also Of individual obligation to do homage
soberly and in silence to her virtues and exalted
character. Unique the military pageant
with its khaki coIored gin carriage drawn by
the royal creams. and followed by mourning
sovereigns and heirs to European thrones. and
stately as was the ritual IN st. Georges Chapel
the characteristic feature Of Victoria's funeral
was the reverent hush and profound emotion
OF the masses in their humility and unaffected
grief. The silence of multitudes who could only
uncover their heads gray murky morning
and commune with heir own hearts and be
still was the most eloquent tribute which any
sovereign had ever received from democratic
England.
START OF THE DAYS JOURNEY.
The Queens coffia which had remained over
night the Alberta with the fleet of battle
ships and cruisers sentineIling the Solent. was
carried shore at o'clock under a naval and
military guard. and placed in the special royal
train by which she had often travelled in her
Journeys from Windsor to the coast. The engine
and carriages were heavily draped. and so also
were the special trains conveying the members
of the royal households. Half an hour elapsed
.I4aI
slept board the royal and imperial yachts
were in thei- places in he train and the last
tributes of respect and the military and naval
honOrs were completed The trains moved off
as the distant guns of the fleet and forts were
booming. Their passage was watched all the
way from the coast by silent throngs at Fare
ham, Arundel DOrking and other stations along
the line. After II o'clock the engine. draped in
purple and white and displaying a large metallic
/ crown. steamed into Victoria Station with the
| funeral car. two bogie carriages and two vans
! behind il. and drew up beside a platform car
\ peted with purple cloth. vshich a large wait
4 ing room with purple hangings had been erected
/ for the convenience OF the royal mourners.
I gun carriage was opposite the funeral car;
horses for the kings and princes and carriages
| for Queen Alexandra and the princesses were
not far away. and two hundred Foot Guards
were posted in the station a guard Of honor.
| with a mounted escort of nearly a hundred Life
Guards in the outer courtyard The public had
been excluded for full hour from the inclosure
of Victoria Station and all approaches to it and
Buckingham Palace Road were in possession OF
military forces
| The route OF the funeral cortege was about
three miles long. leading from Victoria Station.
by buckingham Palace Road. across st. James's
Park to Pail Mail thence by ST. James's-st. and
PtccadiIly to Hyde Park Corner and the Marble
Arch and finally by Edgeware Road to Padding
ton Ststion II lined all the way by regu-
lars and volunteers with mounted forces at
every street crossing, and with special guards or
honor at railway stations and buckingham and
St. Jamess palaces. About twenty-five thousand
troops were employed in guarding the route from
an early hour in the morning. The police pre-
cautions against Overcrowding were as excessive
as on Jubilee DAY. all wheeled traffic being
stopped in the parks ard along the route
early as o'clock no vehicle being allowed TO
stand within 500 feet of the line Of the process
sion. and spectators who had purchased win
dows and seats at a high cost. as we'll patient
crowds in the footways and open spaces. being
hampered and incOnvenienCed in many ways.
The military and police martinets who planned
the details of this pageant were appalled, from
the OF tset by the difficulties and risks Of their
undertaking. and succeeded mainly IN mInimiz-
ing the pressure of the crowds and rendering It
tmpracticable for multitudes of sober minded.
quiet sightseers to have anything more than a
nasstne glimpse OF the mOurnfuI and stately
nageant They exhibited the same perverse
talent for fussness and the lack Of organization
for which the "Aldershot gang" was conspicuous
in South Africa during the early stages Of the
/ campaign
THE PROCESSION THROUGH LONDON.
The procession itself was designed to be
representative guard OF honor for the lamented
sovereign All branches Of the military service
were represented in it. 1t was preceded by the
hands Of the Household Cavalry playing ChOpm's
and Beethoven's funeral marches. Three volun-
teer organizations of rifles engineers and ar
tillery were the vanguard. followed by detach-
ment Of yeomanry a colonial contingent and
four battaIions Of Scotch. Welsh. Irish and Eng
Hsh militia representing the splendid reserve
forces with which the army in South Africa
has been stifened. Next came files Of hard
working branches Of the service. whose impor-
tance is ordinarily neglected on military occa-
sons. These were the veterinary department.
pay corps, ordnance corps. chaplans depart
ment. medical corps and the laboriOus army
service corps. No branch of the military organI-
cation was passed over in this tribute of respect
TO the dead sovereign. The file of representa-
tves of the Indian army opened the way for
/ the fighting services There were six battalions
| of infantry of the line. Scotch Irish and Eng
! lsh. followed by four detachments OF Foot
/ Guards. Irish. Scotch. COldstreams and Grena-
ders. The Royal Engineers came next. with
| detachments of garrison, field and horse ar
| tiIlery followed by lancers. hussars dragons.
| Horse Guards and Life Guards. Detachments
| OF marines and hIuejackets brought this varied
and characteristic representation OF the British