Connecticut western news., 1901-02-07
FUNERAL OF THE QUEEN
Impressive Scenes In the City
of London.
BUSINESS COMPLETELY SUSPENDED

cession which Escorted victoria's
Body to windsor-yast Crowds Pay
Last Tribute to the Empress.
London, Feb. 6.-With every circum-
stance of splendid pomp BETTING the OBJ
sequies of so mighty and well beloved
monarch all that is mortal of Queen Vic
toria was borne through the streets of
the capital and started toward the an
cient fortress-palace of the sovereigns of
England. Perhaps the stately grandeur
of the sorrowful pageant through the
swarming streets of London, with hun
dreds of thousands of mourners forming
a black border to the route, will never be
surpassed. There was in Victoria's
funeral procession an absence OF that
black ceremonial generally connected
with the final progress to the grave.
The coffin was drawn by cream colored
horses. The pail was white, and t. uni
forms Of the troops and the gold trap
pings of the foreign sovereigns, princes
and representatives, forming gittering
medley, gave brilliant eoloring to the
scene. The chief mourner himself, with
his field marshal's uniform-even though
this was partially hidden by his overeoat
surrounded by his corps, helped to
leaven the symbols of mourning marking
the route.
Never in English history has a sover-
eign been borne to the grave attended by
so many distinguished mourners. The
number of crowned heads surpassed that
of the jubilee procession. All the great
officers of state participated. The dis
play of the naval and military forces
reached the great total Of $4,000 men.
At Portsmouth.
Early in the day the remains Of the
queen were taken from the royal yacht
Alberta to a special carriage in Ports
mouth and conveyed to the kings train,
which started for London amid the
boom OF the guns from the forts. The
scene was pathetic and imposing. The
king, accompanied by Queen Alexandra
and some princesses who passed the night
on board the royal yacht Victoria and Al
bert, proceeded to the royal yacht AL
berta in a steam launch. King Edward
boarded the yacht FIVE minutes after EN-
peror William had steamed alongside the
Alberta from the Hohenzollern.
The guard of honor of the jetty con-
sisted of several hundred marines and
bluejackets. The commanders Of the
warships which took part in the naval
pageant had already assembled under
the covered way leading from the yacht
to the railroad station.
There was a short service on the yacht
before the body was removed, the Duke
of Connaught, the crown prince of Ger
many, Prince Arthur of Connaught,
Prince Henry of Prussia, the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess
Henry of Battenberg being present. The
only mourning visible was the dresses
of the princesses.
The firing of minute guns marked the
passage of the coffin to the draped rail-
road station, to which it was borne Shout
der high by petty officers of the royal
yachts, preceded by clergyman.
Immediately behind the coffin were car
ried the crown, globe, standard and few
choice wreaths..
The train from Portsmouth with the
body reached Victoria station just ahead
of that conveying the king, queen, EN-
peror William and the other royalties.
The royal party Immediately alighted
and were conducted to a pavilion, where
the kings of Portugal, Greece and Bel
GUM and other distinguished personages
had already assembled. The brilliant
gathering was received by the king and
queen with the Drle1eSt 0eldy.
The. coffin was removed by an officer
| and II grenadiers and deposited. The
| pail, with the crown on a cushion, the
regalia and the insignia of the Garter
were placed thereon, and the procession
| marshaled ahead became mobile.
The Funeral Procession.
The firing of minute guns and the toll
| ing of bells at quarter past IL an
=
had been crowding London's muddy
| streets since daylight that the funeral
| Procession with the body of Queen Victo-
| RIA had begun its passage through the
| capital. The people fought for hours for
| a glimpse of the coffin and the kings and
others following it. They saw a long pro-
| cession Of soldiers, passing show Of
dazzling regalia, with hundred royalties
| crowding after, and then dispersed. while
| all the church chimes of the city were
ringing and mufled dirges were played.
| Europe has seen grander royal funerals
| than the queens and had a more COR
geous spectacle in the celebration of her
| go years of reign, but no episode in the
Victorian era will live so deeply impressed
on the memories of those who witnessed
/ it or participated 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.
The procession, apart from the gun
carriage carrying the coffin, with the roy
al family and official mourners about it,
| was not noteworthy. Parliament, the jul
| dietary and the commercial bodies were
not represented. Royalty, the army and
the navy monopolized the pageant. Three
thousand soldiers and sailors, picked
companies representing all branches of
the service-cavalry. artillery, infantry,
] yeomanry, militia, volunteers and coloni-
| als-formed the advance escort. They
marched slowly and without music. Most
Of the uniforms were covered with dark
overcoats, and the standards were draped
with black, the officers wearing bands of
Grape on their sleeves. The infantry
marched in columns of four with rifles
reversed. They were half an hour in
passing.
| Earl Roberts Next.
Then came Field Marshal Earl Rob-
erts 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 officials, under
the leadership of the Duke of Norfolk
| Nlne carr mdEsndlJ, all dtIlTeu quantity
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.
Most of the spectators expected an i'm
posing catafalque, and the coffin was
almost past before they recognized its
presence by removing their hats. 1t was
pathetically small. oblong block, con-
cealed beneath a rich pail of white satin,
on the corners of which cleaned the roy
nj arms. Across the pail the royal stand
ard was draped, and large crown of
cold incrusted Sith jewels rested at the
head of the coffin, which was at the end
of the gun carriage. just over the gun.
On the foot of the coffin were two small
err crowns, with gold, jeweled scepter
lying between them.
The eight horses which drew the gun
carriage were almost concealed beneath
their rich harnesses. A large bow OF
l. Il <.