The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-03-01
VICTOR HUGO CENTENARY.
France Honors the Memory of Her
Foremost Poet and Liter
airy Light.
FESTIVITIES BEGUN IN GAY PARIS.
The Pantheon Thronged with Rep
resentatives of Science, Art anu
Literature, Headed by President
Loubet. to Inaugurate the Festni
Season.

reaentativeh OF Sciehct' ~ "
Literature, loaded by President
Loubet, to Inaugurate the Festni
Season.
Paris, Feb. 26.-The series festiv-
tiles to celebrate the centenary OF
the birth of Victor Hugo, which VIII
last until Sunday next, opened
Wednesday morning with a grand
ceremony, within the Pantheon, UNI
der the auspices of the government.
President Loubet, M. W~aldeck-Rous-
seau, the premier, and the other
members of the cabinet, the members
of the senate and the chamber OF
deputies, representative delegations
from the institute n other state
bodies, including the leading lights
of art, science and literature IN
France, and Populations from the
various lycees and educational lnstl-
buttons were present. President Lou-
bet was warmly cheered along the
route as he drove to the Pantheon
escorted by a squadron of cuirassiers.
The president and the cabinet min
listers took their seats in the Official
tribune erected in the choir, while
in the transept, beneath the dome,
were two other tribunes, one to the
right, reserved for Nine. Loubet and
the wives of the ministers, and the
other to the left, on which the mem
bers of Victor Hugo's family were
seated. The United States ambassa-
dor, 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 flowers, the bust of Vic
tor Hugo by the celebrated sculptor,
David Dangers, and this was the
!, symbol to which the eyes of the thou-
: sands of spectators assembled within
the vast hall were directed.
A few steps behind the bust was a
Il little platform, from which the art
; lists of the Coincide Franchise reciteo
verses from the poets works. III
Dunes for the senator's, deputies
academicians and the other principa
!. guests were ranged around the nave
about 5000 persons in all being pres
ent. A privileged position between
the bust and the front of the presi
nj dents tribune was reserved TO
about ninety young men and girls sc
!, lected from various schools to typif,
I'd the youth of France.
al The decoration of the interior o
=. the Pantheon, for which parliamen
voted so 1000 francs, was very simpl
%. but impressive, blue being the dom
nd nant color. The sides were drape
es with blue velvet ornamented with tn
initials w. H." and beneath the dom
be was suspended an enormous gilt lal
,is rel wreath attached to the SURROUND
IN. ing walls by light garlands of foliag'
90 The walls of the apse were complete
" hidden by blue velvet hanging
embroidered in gold, in the center {
d. which stood out a large wreath il
closing within it a Tyre and the in
BY tails ~. H." beneath being the dat'
"1s02-1902."
The principal facade was also hur
with blue velvet, bearing the nan
I'd of the poet, while clusters of pain
TT and flags heightened the extern
his color effect.
me The ceremony began shortly aft
rec ten in the morning and was conclu
ed at 11:45 a. m. The programme i
md Guided eulogistic orations by
the Leygues, minister of public instru
My ton, and NJ. Hanotaux, president
len the institute; r~ecitals of several
nds Victor Hugo's poems by members
on the Coincide Franchise, and the re
npt dering of hymns based on Huge
works by NJ. Delmas, of the opel
cry and a choir of $50 men and WONT
yer The band of the republican guar
and an orchestra numbering 100 p
sons performed the instrumen
part of the exercises.
The scene within the Pantheon "
mr. most imposing and full of color. c
ing to the brilliant toilettes of
ladies' and the uniforms of the O
Gals.
ON In all the public schools of Frai
bic the day was celebrated by lectu
mp on the life of Frances national p
lred and by readings from his works