The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-23

two members of the Noble Guard took
positions on either side. of the bier.
The procession then reformed and
returned to the Vatican, leaving the
BODY of Leo XIII in the greatest church
IN the world, alone except for the faith
Iul guard and penitentiaries, whose
prayers could be heard in the imme-
dlate vicinity of the chapel of the sac
rament. Throughout the remainder of
the vast basilica silence reigned.
Not Opened for Years.
While the remains of the Pope were
nelng carried into st. Peters this even
ing, the private ceremony of deposit
ing the urn containing his viscera in
the church of Saints Vincent and Sas-
tasius was taking place.
"A curious hitch occurred when The
solemn procession arrived at the door
of the special depository in the crypt
1t was stopped. as the key was not TO
be found. The attendants hunted high
and low and finally We're obliged to
break down the door. The depository
had not been opened since 1916, as con-
trary to custom, the viscera of Plus
TX. are at st. Peters.
The rector of the church of Saints
Vincent and Anastasius will ask that
the viscera of Plus TX. be transferred
to his church also in order to make
the sequence complete.
First Great Ceremony.
The first of the great ceremonies of
Pope Leo's funeral commenced to-day,
when the body lay in the throne room
of the Vatican from $3.50 o'clock this
morning until l o'clock this afternoon.
All the diplomats accredited to the
Vatican, the Roman princes, dukes,
barons and other representatives, of
ancient families remaining faithful to
the P9nacW a 10 oh ri as
of the church, the archbishops, bish-
ops, patriarchs and heads of the re-
ligious orders, passed in solemn pro-
| cession before the bier of the late
Pontiff.
The Papal throne had been removed,
and in it's place, under the famous red
silken canopy, on a small bed lay the
| body of Leo XIII. Over the bed was
thrown a red damask covering, on
which the body reposed, robed in white
vestments, with the red rOchet and
camauro hood, and on the feet, slip
pers embroidered with gold.
The thin hands, clasped over the
chest, held tightly a small ivory cruel
fix. Around this was entwined a
On the third finger of the right hand
the huge emerald Pontifcal ring
sparkled. In striking contrast with
the CHASTITY face was the purple hood,
drawn down over the head, almost to
the eyebrows and over the ears. The
sunken chicks and jaws brought the
nose and chin nearly together on the
mouth, which was reduced almost TO
nothing, though no signs of agony were
visible. 1t was the corpse of a man
who might have been dead fifty years.
The silence was only broken by the
solemn chanting of six Franciscan pen
| itentiaries, who, kneeling or standing
at bench at the foot of the bier, con-
tinued their incesSant SupplicatiOn.
The only light thrown on this solemn
scene came from the candles beside
the body and from the faint rays of
sunlight which filtered through the
two windows, curtained with white
silk and rich green hangings.
Scene Almost Simple.
The red damask tapestries with
which the room was hung gave touch
of royal splendor to the surroundings.
Otherwise it was an almost simple
scene. for the death rites of a Pope.
There was no carpet on the marble
floor, and not a flower was to be seen,
according to the strict ritual of the
last honors of the church to a pontiff.
Outside the throne room the long
corridors of the Vatican presented
brilliant spectacle. At the entrance of
the court of Saint Damazo, pontifcal
gendarmes were drawn up and render
ed military honors as each carriage
drove in. The diplomats wore full uni
| forms and the princes and others were
| dressed in deep black
From the Saint Damazo court they
| passed up the marble staircase into
the Clementino hall, where the Swiss
| Guard was ranged in double columns
! on either side. Next they entered the
! hall of Palafremieri, where the twenty
! five grooms in red livery led the way
! to the hall of the Swiss, where COM
pany of gendarmes, wearing heavy
! black chapeaus, skin tight white trous-
ers and high cavalry boots, stood on
guard at the threshold of the ante
| chamber, containing a platoon of the
| Palatine guard Further along they
! passed through the hall of tapestry and
! the chapel of the Pope.
The Noble Guard in full scarlet uni
| forms, glittering brass helmets and sill
yer sashes. the latter covered with
creme kept the last watch at the door
| of the apartments of their dead mas
! fer. Outside the Vatican an interested
crowd, including a number of Italian
soldiers, watched the coming and go
ing of the privileged mourners.
VIII BE Held at Rome.
Tn the meanwhile the Congregation
| of Cardinals met in the hall of the
| Consistory under the presidency OF
Cardinal Oreglia. 1t was determined
to arrange for the accommodation OF
the cardinals during their enforced
seclusion at the conclave in exactly
| the same manner as when Pope Leo
was elected.
Monsignor Merry Del Val to-day took
UP the duties of secretary of the Con-
sistorial Congregation
At this mornings session of the Con-
gregation when Cardinal Oreglia ask
ed if the conclave would be held in
Rome, it is reported that only Car
dinals Martinelli and Steinhuber OBJ
jected on the ground of possible in
fuence of the italian government. Car
dinal Oreglia, who himself at the time
of the death of Plus TX had favored a
proposition to hold the conclave out
side of Italy, to-day declared that
interference by the Italian government
was impossible, and the proposition to
hold the conclave at Rome was car
ced unanimously
Observance at Washington.