The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-07-25
FOR
POPE LEO'S BURIAL
Body Lies In State and Will Be
Buried Saturday Evening.

! n OME, July 1.-the body of Pope
II Leo today reposes in the chamber
Where his last death struggle took
place, which for the time being has
been transformed into a mortuary
chapel
Late this afternoon the body of Pope
Leo was embalmed and clothed in full
pontlncal robes, preparatory to the 1u-
neral obsequies.
Through the night and early morning
many simple emblems of grief had been
| displayed, but the main thoroughfares
| cid not present a spectacle of universal
mourning. No flags were half-masted
and no buildings were shrouded III
crepe, as when temporal rulers pass
away. The busy centers of Rome pre-
sented the usual scenes of animation.
IL was in the poorer sections of the city
that the evidences of grief were more
manifest. Entering the Borgo district
leading to the vatican, the hum of eX-
element attending the event was more
apparent. steady stream of car
riages bearing cardinals and diplo-
mats, swung through the narrow lane
called the Via Borgo, leading to the
piazza of st. Peters.
Quiet As the Grave.
Coming now to the piazza of s..
Peters a scene of vital interest began
to unfold itself There was not the
slightest evidence of hustle or confu-
sion. The vast eXpanse enclosed within
the stately colonnade looked majestic
i'll it's serenity, Although groups of
people hurried here and there, their
presence was completely lost in the
immensely of the whole
Nowhere about the esplanade was
there the slightest outward sign of
mourning, neither on the church front
nor on the columns or doors to the
vatican The main entrance of the vati-
can showed the chief evidence of ac-
tfvity, AS the equipages drove up
with distinguished oreiates the heavy
iron chains continued to keep back the
crowd, leaving a small aisle for the ar
irving carriages. Back of the chains
were massed crowd of curious sight
seers. The presence of the Italian sol
diery was kept noticeably in the back
ground. At the foot of the stone steps
stood an officer of Italian grenadiers in
fatigue uniform and cap with small
detachment of troops, so broken into
squads that they did not have the ap-
pearance of being in martial array.
With them were the vatican and NUM-
cipal soldiers in sombre uniforms with
broad chapeaus, some tipped with lit
tie blue DomDoms.
Vatican Doors Closed.
The renderous bronze doors of the |
vatican were closed, presenting a front |
which might have withstood an army. |
The only means of ingress was a small |
opening which had been cut through |
the solid bronze has reliefs. Behind |
this tiny entrance, only wide enough to |
admit single person, stood a Swiss |
guard, with fixed bayonet. AS the car
dinals and diplmoats came up they |
went to the tiny door, knocked and |
were admitted. Outside those favored |
few the exclusion was absolute.
Inside the magnificent church of st.
Peter could be heard the sound of the
hammer and chisel already preparing /
Leos temporary tomb. A massive
wooden platform had been rolled into
the basilica, reaching half way to the
ceiling to the left of the nave. Around
this rough staging stood a crowd
half dozen workmen pre-
pare the niche in which Leo's coffin
will soon rest. High above the niche
hey had driven into the solid masonry
hire enormous steel hooks from which
he tackle will be operated to hoist the
1offin into place. The resting place for
he casket is a marble slab, about fif-
cen feet above the pavement, forming
he upper easement of one of the mas
i've doors. On either side are great
rarble cuoids. while the light comes
limly from above through two domes
by exquisite mOsaics, one
howing the apostles and saints and the
ther an angelic chorus. Two workmen
bounded and called out their COM
hands, in strange contrast with the
GLENN surroundings. f
Church Yet Undraped.
The interior of the church was as yet
lndraped with mourning. The mas
i've crimson hangings had been re-
noved, bringing out the CHASTITY white
ess of the marble nave. At the fur
her end could be seen groups of
RESTS, kneeling about the tomb of St. {
'eter, where scores of tapers burn I'M !
easingly. Only the usual masses were
aid during the morning, as the cere-
lonials in connection with the death
the pope have yet to be arranged .
Within the right nave still another 5
reparation for the pope's obsequies
as going on. This was the prepara-
on of the chapel of the holy sacra- I
lent for receiving the body after it's a
=moval from the vatican. Cardinal I
espighi, the vicar of Rome, had given c
rders for these arrangements. AL
lough Cardinal Oreglia has supreme s
Of the interests of the t
1urch. it is Cardinal Respighi who @
as been given immediate charge of the s
ersonal affairs relating to the dead t
1pe. Accordingly the beautiful chapel
as invaded by sweepers and cleaners, Y
no poured buckets of water on the 7
osaic pavement and began securing O
The front of the chapel is cut off s
ON the main church by massive n
estle through which the faithful can D
ok upon the altar within. This is of D
lid brass with heroic brass kneeling c
lgels. Before the altar is very mar "
w space where Leo's coffin will be de- I
)sited when it comes from the vati G.
n. This space is so small that the 8
OF of the casket will extend to the o
on trellis. The purpose of this ar le
ngement is to carry out the ancient D
remony by which the actual foot of a
e dead pontiff Will extend through o.
e iron barriers, to permit the kneel- a.
g faithful to approach and kiss the B
st remnant of former papal authority Il
rough it. This morning people crowd p
about the grating and gazed at the
operations going on within.
LAST TRIBUTE TO LEO. w w