The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-09
THE REMAINS
REACH LONDON

LONDON. Feb. with every clfcoi
stance of splendid pomp BETTING the
obsequies of so mighty and well-beioVeo
a monarch, all that is mortal of Queen
Victoria has been borne through the
streets of the capital and started towards
the ancient fortress palace of the sover-
eigns of England. The solemn magnlh-
cence of yesterdays opening phase OF
these last rites was duly maintained.
Perhaps the stately grandeur of today's
sorrowful. pageant through the swarm
ing streets of London with hundreds OF
thousands of mourners forming a black
border to the route, will never be sur
passed.
There was in Victorias funeral process
sion an absence of that black ceremonial
generally connected with the final prog
reSS to the grave.
Today the coffin was drawn by cream
colored horses. The pail was white and
the uniforms of the troops and the golo
trappings of the foreign Sovere1gnS,
princes and representatives formed
glittering medley, giving brilliant color
ing to the scene The chief mourner
himself with his Field Marshafs uni
form, even though this was partially
hidden by his oyercoat, surrounded by
his corps, helped to 1eaven the symbols
OF mourning marking the route.
Never in English history has a sover-
eign been borne to the grave attended by
gathering of crowned heads surpassed
those who rode in the jubilee procession
All the great officers of the state partici-
pated
The display of the naval and military
forces reached the great total of 3o,0UV
men.
The firing of minute guns and the toll
ing of bells at a quarter past IL an
nounced to the countless multitude who
had been crowding London's muddy
streets since daylight that the funeral
procession with the body of Queen Vic
toria had begun its passage through the
capital
The people fought for hours for
glimpse of the coffin and the Kings and
others following it. They saw a long
| procession of soldiers, a passing snow OF
dazzling regalia, with hundred royal
| ties crowding after, and then dispersed,
while all the church chimes of the city
were ringing and muffled dirges were
played.
( Europe has seen grander royal funerals
! than the Queens and had a more gor-
geous spectacle in the celebration of her
sixty years of reign, but no episode in
the Victorian Era will live so deeply inn
pressed on the memories of those who
witnessed it or participated in the cere-
monies.
The day was sombre, wet and chilly as
are most of London's winter days. The
, cloudy sky added to the gloom of the
/ whole city.
The scene at Victoria station from
early morning was most brilliant and
impressive. For today's ceremony the
station was transformed into an immense
reception hall. All trains were stopped
before g. and the long platforms Were
covered with purple cloth. On another
pla torn, facing that at which the
Queens train was to arrive, guards OF
honor composed of bluejackets, 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 wers
expected to mount their horses, were
placed at intervals at the side and cen
ter. AT 10 o'clock an army of grooms
, with the horses arrived, and thencefor
: ward naval officials and foreign royal
ties in dazzling uniforms, came in quicl
succession. The Lord Chamberlain ani
. his officials, bareheaded, with their whit
wands of Office, received the most dis
: tinguished personages and conducte'
) them to little pavilion erected on tn
: platform.
e The whole station by that time resem
e bled the scene at a levee.
6 The Commander in Chief of the force;
: Field Marshal Earl Roberts, on beau
tful, spirited brown mare, carrying III
f Field Marshal's baton, at this juncsur
n trotted into the station and became tn
a center of interest. He was soon follow
g ed by the Earl Marshal, the Duke {
q Norfolk and many of the most distir
+ suished British officers. Then came til
= carriages for the Queen and the PHI
- cesses They were the state carriage
j. used the occasion of the Queen
9 jubilee with beautiful gold-mounte
10 brass and trappings The horses Wei
in scarlet iackpt
d with only narrow bands of crepe on the
10 arms as mark of the great change, II
er carriages were closed.
SO Following the carriages and precedt
A. by an officer came an object at whit
g. every officer in the animated throng il
h. stinctively came to the salute and e
cry head was barred.
ct 1t was the little khaki-colored 81
CT carriage which was to carry Que
Ell Victoria to Paddington station. The eig
st Hanoverian cream-colored horses, WIFI
he also drew the late Queen on the occasi'
of of the jubilee, were used today. II
in gold harnessed, scarlet-coated postilio
N. and scarlet and gold-covered grooms w
ds held each of the horses by the brid
Ike were all the same. Only, the little g
,e- carriage. instead of the glittering gla
ng and gold coach marked the change.
" With the exception that rubber tir
were on the wheels, the gun carria
de was as II IN actual use. Inc place i
ng the coffin to rest was over the gun.
he 1t was then nearly II o'clock VIII
ar cries of 1.-The King of Portugals horse
81 The Grand Duke of Hesse's horse
ar the Princes mounted, the train steam
Ie into the station a minute ahead of tin
m All heads were uncovered as the
IN loon carriage bearing the Queens
TX mains stopped exactly opposite the g
tie, carriage and King Edward, Queen Ale
for andra, Emperor William and 9th
Ten alignted
life Then the bearer party advanced
ire the saloon carriage and with his ha
at the salute and standing a little
riy advance of the others, King Edwi
vas watched the painfully slow removal
of the coffin to the gun carriage. 1t Y
ets finally accomplished and the pail {
a the regalia of the British Crown W
his placed on the coffin.
The King and the others with
tells mounted and the procession start
ely The procession, aside from the gun C
and riage bearing the coffin and the TO
lple family and official mourners about
to- was not noteworthy. Parliament,
ms, judiciary and the commercial boo
ng- were not represented. Royalty, the ar
at and navy monopolized the pages
in Three thousand soldiers and sail
OF picked companies representing
branches of the service cavalry, al
the lery, infantry, yeomanry, militia vol
ling teers and colonials, formed the adva
i'm escort They marched slowly and w