Morris tribune., 1903-07-25
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM
ALL WALKS OF LIFE PAY
TRIBUTE TO POPE LEO.
BODY LIES IN STATE AT ST. PETERS
IMMENSE CROWD ON HAND WHEN
THE GATES ARE OPENED AT
SIX IN THE MORNING.

Rome, July 24-All day the form OF
Leo XIII. lay in state in the bas1l1ca
Of st. Peters, while thousands OF
persons from the ordinary walks OF
- life filed past to pay their last tributes
of love and veneration. The impress
sive ceremonies of Wednesday were
viewed by only a favored few Of the
nobility, aristocrats and the highest
clergy, but Thursday the doors were
opened to the entire public. Many re-
NAMED on the piazza throughout the
hot night in order to gain place at
the head of the line. By o'clock in
the morning there was crowd of sew
eral hundred, which had increased by
6 o'clock to several thousand. Elab-
crate preparations had been made to
guard against accidents in the crush.
All converging streets were cleared OF
vehicles, leaving them free for foot
passengers, while six ambulance sta
tions had been erected, including one
at the entrance to the piazza and an
other beside the door of st. Peters.
Exactly at o'clock the bells Of the
great cathedral began tolling mourn
fully and two regiments Of Italian
grenadiers marched smartly across
the piazza to the stone steps and soon
the east POI tico swarmed for the first
time in years with Italian troops-300
on the portico and 1,200 surrounding
the colonnades. They stood in double
column at parade rest, the lines ex-
tending from the threshold Of the
church through narrow gateway OF
temporary wooden structure which was
holding back the crowd.
Gate Opened to the Crowd.
At 6:O5 the gate was opened and the
human tide began to flow in. The jam
at the narrow entrance soon became
terrific, threatening serious results to
the struggling mass of half fainting
women and children. Although the
crowd was not extraordinarily large
the steady movement into the funnel
like enclosure made the pressure ter
rife Many women had their dresses
or wells torn off and some were lifted,
exhausted, over the wooden enclosure
and out of the crush. Fortunately
there we're no serious accidents and the
ambulances were not summoned.
Within the church temporary rail
ings had been erected to keep the peO-
pie in straight line leading directly
to the bier. This was the center to
which all eyes turned. The body lay
on a catafalque ten feet high so that
all could see it. 1t was slightly in
clined, with the head raised and fac
ing the passing throng. The visage had
a chalky whiteness and appeared to be
unnaturally shriveled. 1t was robed
in the full vestments as the Roman
public knew the pontiff in life Around
the bier burned thirteen high candles,
while on each side stood the noble
guards, motionless. Further back
were kneeling priests and acolytes,
softly intoning invocations.
All Glasses Represented.
All ranks and stations of life were
represented in the throng. Many were
working people; there also were groups
of convent girls under the care of
nuns, and of schoolboys headed by
priests
At $3.50 a. m. a solemn pontifcal
requiem mass was celebrated in st.
Peters for the repose Of the soul of
Leo XIII. The crowd was kept con-
stantly moving within the wooden bar
rierS, but other entrances were pro-
vided for those desiring to assist at
the mass on the OLher Slde OF tne
church. Several thousand persons
were present, although in so vast a
church, capable of containing 10000,
they appeared to be mere handful,
especially as they were all standing.
During the hot hours of the day the
crowd at st. Peters decreased and lit
tie difficulty was experienced in view
ing the body.
An extraordinary significant element
was introduced later in the morning
by Italian soldiers entering the church |
for the maintenance of order, in full
uniform, wearing their caps and side
arms. They lined the aisles Of the
basilica and stood two deep in front
of the body itself until the whole
church assumed an aspect almost more
military than religious.
The event, which was unprecedented,
created widespread comment.