The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-11
FULLY SEVENTY THOUSAND PEG.
PIE CRUSH INTO THE sA-
CRED EDlFIcE.
= ssl
P0NTIFF BECOMES FATlGuED
ORDEAL or THE CORONATION
is ALMOST BEYOND HIS
ENDURANCE.

Rome, Aug. 10.-The ceremony of
the coronation Of Pope Plus X I TX
place Sunday in the basilica of st.
Peters in the presence OF the princes
and high dignitaries of the church,
diplomats and Roman mobiles, and
with all the %solemnity and splendor as
ISOLATED with this, the most magnifi-
n rite IN the Roman Catholic
church.
AS Cardinal Macci, the dean of the
cardinal deaCons, placed the crown on
the head of the venerable pontiff, the
throng of 10000 PEI Il gathered
within the cathedral burst into unre-
strained acclamatiors, the choir in
toned a hymn OF triumph and the bells
or Rome rang cut a joyful peal.
1t is ffty-seven years since the
Romans and Europe assisted in such
a function at st. Peters. The great
basilica. popularity supposed never to
have been quite full, was
Overlooking With Humanity.
The papal throne, a b%ewildering mix
ture of gold, red and silver, was
erected in front of the high altar. AS,
contrary to custom on these ceremo-
NOUS occasions, there were no gal
leries, the basilica bore more of it's
normal aspect. On the altar, which
was in white, stood the famous silver
gilt candlesticks and a magnificent
cIuclfiX. All the available standing
space in the cathedral was divided in
to sections by wooden barriers, which
to a certain extent kept the vast
crowd in order. In the early hours
after sunrise a thick fog hung over
Rome. and n bank of the Tiber could
not be seen from the other, while from
the St. Angelo bridge one seemed to
look into a fathomless abyss instead
of into the river.
The effect was especially magnifi-
cent on entering the piazza of st.
great dome disappeared completely
from view. while at others it appeared
through the flowing golden mist. AS
the morning wore on the fog dis
persed and the sun shone with all it's
southern Intensity until it became I'M
bearably hot, and the stones, columns
and statues seemed to radiate the heat
on the thousands
Waiting to Enter the Church.
At 6 a. m. the ringing of bells an
nounced the imminent opening of the
doors and a connection at once began
among the crowd. But ten minutes
had to elapse before the doors were
o~ened and each seemed a century to
the waiting crowd which for hours al
ready had been standing before the
closed portals. The police and Italian
soldiers had a difficult task to main
tain order, as the crushing and fatigue
had begun to tell on the patience of
the people.
When the doors opened the thrush
was terrific, many who started from
the bottom CT the steps outside were
lifted off their feet and carried into
the cathedral. 1t was a great human
torrent let loose, thousands Of people
rushing and squeezing amid screams,
protests, gesticulations and cries for
help. But once in the whirlpool there
was no escape and the cOmpactness
of the crowd proved to be the safety
of those caught in it. Women tainted
in comparatively large numbers and
even men We're overcome by he heat,
but no serious accidents were report
ed. Fortunately there were very few
children present.
On Their Feet for Ten Hours.
After their. entrance, the people had
further long hours OF waiting. and it
is computed that the majority were
on their feet altogether ten hours, five
before the ceremony and another five
hours while it lasted.
Those who had received special in
yitations, including the high ecclesias-
tics, who were not participating in
the procession, the diplomats and the
Roman aristocracy, had a reserved en-
oro ~, tho ~ q 0ricfxy ~ CT
Peters.
Inside the vatican palace there was
no less movement and hustle as the
papal procession composed of about
500 persons, all of whom had gathered
early in the apostolic palace, was
formed. The pope seemed TO be the
only tranquil one among them all. He
arose unusually early n took a
stroll in the vatican garden. Then he
allowed himself to be dressed by the
cardinals. He evinced no nervousness
and even said jokingiy to the master
of ceremonies, who the other day sug-
sested that he should use the plural
form in speaking of himself, 1--WE feel
very will this morning, but we may be
different on returning from our coro'
nation"
Just before entering the sedia
gestatoria he asked for his spectacles
and when the mastor of ceremonies
d~iscreetly limited that his holiness
would
Look Better Without Them,
he said: II have no desire to appear
what I am not and he wore them dur
ing the entire ceremony.
TIC procession was a long time In
getting under way, but afterward as
it moved through the magnificent halls
and corridors of the vatican it re
called former days when all was color
and sict%uresqueness within the palace
The central figure in the long cor
tege was Plus X, borne in the sedis