The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-27
HONOR VICTOR HUGO
CENTENARY OF BIRTH OF GREAT
NOVELIST CELEBRATED
AT PARIS
DISTINGUISHED MEN PRESENT.
Ceremony IncIuded EuIogistfc Trtb.
utes to the Great Novelist and
the Reading of His
Poems.

PARIS, Feb. 26.-The series of festivi-
Ties 10 celebrate the centenary of tha
birth Of Victor Hugo, which win last
until Sunday night, opened this morning
with a grand ceremony within the pan
theon, under the auspices of the gover1- y
ment
PRESIDENT Loubet, NJ Waldeck-Rous-
seau, the premier, and the other men,
pers or the cabinet. the members of the
senate and the chamber of deputies, rep
resentative delegations from the insti-
tute and other state bodies, including the
reading lights of art, science and Htera- :
ture in France and deputations from the
various lycees and educational institu-
tions, We're present. :
Inc president and the cabinet members
TOOK their seats in the official tribune
erected in the choir, while in the tran5{
sept beneath the dome, were two other
trlbunes one to the right reserved for
Nine Loubet and the wives of the min
lsters and the other, on the left. ii
which the members Of Victor Hugo's
family We're seated. The United States
ambassador, Gen. Horace Porter sat IN
the front row Of the seats set apart for
the diplomatic corps.
Exactly beneath the center of the dome
rose from out of a cluster Of palms and
NO''~-Sj N4AO ONoI VI tICIOE hugo, DY the
celebrated sculptor, David dangers, and
on this the eyes Of the thousands of
spectators were fixed. A few steps be-
hind the bust was a little p1a+forn,
from which the artists of the Comedie
Francaise recited verses from the poets
works.
Tribunes for the senators, deputies.
academic1ans and the other princin,1
guests were ranged around the nave i
ABOUT i've thousand persons il. all beino.
present. A privileged position betwaa1
the pust and the front of the presidents
Ct1pune was reserved for ninety vo1,no.
men and girls selected from various
scnools to typify the youth Of France.
Poems Read to Thousands.
Inc decoration of the interior of the
Fantheon, for which parliament voted
0V'VVo francs, was very simple, but inn
pressive.
Inc ceremony included eulogistic ora
tlons by M. Leygues, minister Of public
instruction, and NJ Hanotaux. president
OF the institute; recitals of several of
victor Hugo's poems by members Of the
Ccmedie Franchise, and the rendering
OF ny mns, based on Hugo's works. bv..
M. Delmas, of the opera, and a choir
OF 15O men and women. The band Of the
Repuohcan guards and an orchestra
numbering 100 persons performed the in
strrmental part of the exercises.
All the public schools of France todav
VIII celebrate by lectures on the life Of
Frances national poet and by readings
from his works by the professors
There was an immense concourse this
afternoon to witness the inauguration Of
the monument to Victor Hugo, erected
on the Place Victor Hugo, in the Passy
quarter, within a stones throw of tka
house, 124 Avenue. where the poet died.
IliuminatiOns at Night.
The square, the surrounding buildings
and the tribunes erected for the specta-
tors were gaily bedecked with flags and
bunting. This was municipal fete. at
which the monument was officially hand
ed over to the city of Paris
The square and the adjacent thorough
fares, and also the Place dHotel
de Vile, were illuminated this evening.
The fetes will be continued tomorrow by
a concert and reception in the hall OF
festivities and the other salons of the
Hotel de Vile, and the building and
place will be again Illuminated Friday
the foreign delegates will be entertained
by the municipality and taken for a
drive through Paris.
the festivities VIII culm1nate on sun
day with a magnificent celebration un-
der the auspices of the municipality on
the Place Des Vosges.
whole Nation Celebrates Day.
The theater Francaise had a gala ap'
pearance tonight upon the revival, IN
honor of the centenary, of Hugo's drama
LES Burgraves, which was played for
the first time since 1S43. The leading
notable personages in Paris were present
at the performance which was reserved
to invited guests.
NM. Mounet-Sully, Lambert and Style
Wan and Mesdames Barte and SECOND
weber filed the leading roles in the
drama, which was splendidly staged.
There was an interesting ceremony
after the third act, when the curtain rose
and revealed a bust of Victor Hugo in
the center of the stage upon which Mes
danes Barte and Segondweber, as the
MUSES. of Poetry and Drama placed laurel
wreaths. The actresses also recited vers-
es by Victor Hugo.
Dispatches received here today say
that the centenary was suitably cele-
brated in most towns Of France as wen
as in the capitols of Europe.