Evening star., 1901-02-04
Public Was Unprepared to Hear Of
Queens Death,
Sine Err E SORROW MANIF ESTED
Question as to Procedure in the
Matter of Succession.
OF KAISER
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


1.-The queen is dead" That was the mes
sage that flashed over the wires last night
and put to an end all the ominous waiting
of these last few grief-laden days. The Of
ficial time of her death was given G:30
O'Clock yesterday evening, but many be-
lieve that it occurred some time before that
hour, if not the day before. The queen had
fallen into a comatose state SO many times
during the past two weeks that it is be-
lieved that her physicians wished to wait
twenty-four hours to assure themselves of
her death
But what a scene it was: well-beloved
monarch. mother, grandmother, mother of
her people scattered to all the corners of
the earth, quietly passing away, surrounded
by her loved ones, serene, calm, peaceful,
secure in happy blameless past, filed
with hope for holy future.
Instantly the contrast presents itself to
the mind between her death and that of
another monarch, called also well be-
lCved.' Those who have read Carlyle's
French Revolution can picture the scene
that master hand drew for us of Louis XIV
dying solitary, forlorn and unheeded by his
people; of prayers being said by perfume
tory priests at so much the hour, and no
one but the Dubarry left to care whether
he lived or died. When any speculation
raised to the king it took the form
of when will he die?''
Here lay sovereign who had the love OF
all her subjects Hourly bulletins were
published and wired around the whole
world, and people said God bless her and
let her live" So few people can remember
any sovereign but Victoria in these isles
that the idea of the queen ruling is so
firmly implanted in the mind not only of
people in Great Britain but in the world
al large, that it is hardly possible to con-
ceive of any other sovereign here. Pracu-
cally the whole of her people have been
born within the compass of her reign, and
lived their lives under conditions created or
fostered by her influence. The very grand
fathers of the rising generation know little
or nothing of any other state of society
than that which has received its tone and
traditions from her life and example For
over sixty years it has been for "our SOW
ereign lady, Queen Victoria" that countless
congregations have prayed, week by week;
only the most venerable have ever heard
the chief toast of loyalty given in any other
form than that of THE queen" Her mai
esty had not only been a national institu-
ton, but in the minds of her people had
been suffered to occupy the place of per
manent possession. They had insensibly,
almost, invested her with the gift of i'm
mortality, and dismissed any unwelcome
thought of a time when her gracious spirit
would be withdrawn from their councils
and their homes. All this has naturally
grown out of affection that has only varied
to deepen and expand but it has also been
powerfully stimulated by the unparalleled
freedom winch mas Deen enjoyed from even
a momentary anxiety about the queens
health In all these sixty-three years The
extraordinary vitality of her majesty's con-
stitution, coupled with the regularity of
her life and the care of her physicians has
enabled her to escape the periodical sick
ness which is the lot of ninety-nine people
out of a hundred.
News Came as a Shock.
The news that the queen was nearing her end
came with terrible suddenness to those less
well informed and 1t seemed impossible for
most people to grasp the fact that the
queen was at last approaching her final
hours.
Even on Saturday and Sunday last nu-
merous papers, especially the provincial
press, refused to credit the reports, and
called them "alarmist.''
The fact is that the queen had been aiing
for long time, but so we'll had the secret
been guarded that very few knew 1t and
were totally unprepared for it when it had
to be revealed.
time as the last forty-eight hours. One
subject only filled all thoughts-has been
the topic Of all conversation. Men who
are still middle aged can remember periods
Of great tension-the Illness of the prince
ccnsort and his ultimate DEATH the attack
of fever which threatened the life of the
Prince of Wales in 1872, and that fatal at
tack of diphtheria on the Princess Alice
ing her child-which terminated on De-
cember IA, 1873, are cases in point But
only the most advanced in age can remem-
ber the serious Illness of a British SOW
ereign. To live In London during the last
two days has been an education-to any
foreigner who thinks the English stolid and
cold in affection it must have been rev.
elation.
1t was only yesterday that the fact
seemed to be realized that the queen was
dying. The shadow which hung over the
land seemed to darken the spirits Of Lon
don's immense popuace. The shock at the
sudden illness of the queen seemed to have
stunned the public at first, but soon their
sense of the irreparable loss which might
be telegraphed from Osborne at any mo-
ment fully awakened them, and there was
only one topic discussed by the millions in
the metropolis. There is something very
impressive in the attitude of the crowd
here. This demeanor is curiously quiet and
collected, and yet on the anxious faces
which scanned the public announcements
of the latest bulletins not only In the west
end and the city, but in the poorer parts
of London, only one expression could be
read-namely, of the deep and affectionate
regard of the community for their sover-
eign. From early morning till the last bull
letn was made public London was in a
state of feverish anxiety. With the shad-
ow of great fear hanging over every one,
every scrap of news sent up from Osborne
was eagerly read and commented upon.-The
evening papers were bought up almost be-
fore the ink was dry, while the Contents
bills were scanned by thousands of anxious
eyes, There was never much on them,
alasi to reassure the fears which all felt
though now and again some more hopeful
message would give out ray Of sunshine
Past Year Stirring One.
The past year has been a stirring one for
the English people. and it has been my for
tune to see the emotions Of these people
who are said to take their lives somewhat
scberly. and slowly run the gamut from ex-
element and delight to sorrow and gloom,
but never to despair. but the blow that has
just fallen has sounded a greater depth
than any other. But there is no extrav-
agance in this sorrow. 1t is too deep for
words. and people throng the streets In
sober attire and do reverence to their de-
parted beloved queen in silence. 1t is too
early to say what will happen. OF course
the queen will be buried in the beautiful
mausoleum at Frogmore near Windsor
which she herself built for the prince con-
| scrt.
| The officials are perplexed and do not
know what to do. For sixty years and
more, since the death of the last sovereign,
| the royal heralds have held their position In
| succession to each other and drawn saIar-
iss for work they have never been called