Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-02-06
HOMAGE TO THE DEAD
Funeral Cortege of the Queen Passes
Through London.
Viewed by Hundreds of Thousand
OF SOrrOving Subjects Inn
pressive Ceremonies
Windsor.

obsequies of so mighty and well-be-
loved monarch, all that is mortal of
Queen Victoria was borne through
the streets of the capital and taken
to the ancient fortress-palace of
the sovereigns of En- gland. The solemn
magnificence of Fridays opening phase
of these last rites was duly main tanned.
Perhaps the stately grandeur of Sat
urday's sorrowful pageant through
the swarming streets of London, with
hundreds of thousands of mourners
forming black border to the route,
will never be surpassed.
Distinguished Mourners.
Never in English history has a SOW
ereign been borne to the grave attend
ed by so many distinguished mourners.
The gathering of crowned heads sur
passed those who rode in the jubilee
procession. All the great officers of
state participated.
The display of the naval and military
forces reached the great total of 81, 900
men.
Minute Gun Fired.
The firing of minute guns and the
tolling Of bells at a quarter past II an
nounced to the countless multitudes
who had been crowding London's mud
dy streets since daylight that the
funeral procession with the body of
Queen Victoria had begun it's passage
through the capital.
People Seek to See Comm.
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 show
of dazzling regalia, with hundred
royalties crowding after, and then dis
persed, while al the church chimes of
the city were ringing and muffled
dirges were played.
Funeral Train Arrives.
1t was nearly II o'clock, when
amid cries of ''The king of PortugaIs
horse" the grand duke of Hesse's
horse" as the princes mounted. the
train steamed into Victoria 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, Emperor William and
others alighted.
Coffin Removed from Train.
Then the bearer party advanced to
the saloon carriage, and with his
hand at the salute and standinga little
in advance of the others, King Ed
ward watched the painfully slow re-
mOUo1 of tho onffin 70 ho
riage. 1t was finally accomplished
and the pail and regalia of the Brit
ISL crown were placed on the coffin
Procession Starts.
The king and the others with him
then mounted and the procession
started.
The procession, apart from the gun
carriage bearing the coffin, and the
royal family and official mourners
about it, was not noteworthy. Par
lament, the judiciary and the com
mercial bodies were not represented.
Royalty, the army and navy monopo-
lied the pageant. Three thousand
soldiers and sailors, picked companies
representing all branches of the serv-
ice, cavalry, artillery, infantryJ, yeo-
many, militia volunteers and colo
malls, formed the advance escort.
March Without Music.
They marched slowly and without
music Most of the uniforms were COW
cred with dark overcoats and the stand
ards were draped with black, the Of
fcers wearing bands Of crepe on their
sleeves. The infantry marched in col
umns of four, with rifles reversed.
They were half an hour in passing.
Then came Field Marshal Earl Roberts
and his staff, and, after them, four
massed bands playing funeral marches.
Three hundred musicians announced
the coming Of the body Of the queen.
There was long array of court Off
Gals, under the leadership of the duke
Of Norfolk (the earl marshaD all at
tired quantity and brilliantly, bearing
maces Or wands, most of them elderly
men who for years had served the roy
al lady for whom they were performing
the last offices.
The Royal Mourners.
Immediately after the company
about the coffin three royal mourners
rode abreast. King Edward VII was
the central figure Of the three, but no
less ostentatious parsonage was seen
in the procession.
A black chapeau with a plume Of
white feathers was on his head, and
long black cloak was buttoned around
him and hung down over the big black
horse which be was riding. The kings
familiar face seemed grave and care
worn. He looked straight ahead. APP
parently at the gun carriage on which
was the body of the sovereign whose