Evening star., 1903-07-23
TROOPS IN ST, PETERS
Unusual Sight in Great
Church in Rome.
CROWDS AT BASILICA
FOPULACE ANXIOUS TO VIEW
PoPE'S REMAINS.
In Spite of All Precautions the Crush
at the Church Was
Terrific.
CROWDS AT BASILICA

ROME, July H3-Today the form OF Leo
NH lay in state In the BaSiiica OF 81
Peters. while thousands of persons from
the ordinary walks of life filed past to pay
their last tributes of love and vcneration
The impressive ceremonies of yesterday
were viewed by only favored few or the
nobility. aristocraCy and the highest clergy,
but today the doors We're opened to the en-
tire public. Many remained on the piazza
throughout the hot night in order to gain
place at the head OF the line. By clock
this morning there was crowd of several
hundred, which had increased by o'clock
to several thousands.
Elaborate 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 stations had been erected
including one at the entrance to the piazza
and another beside the door of st. Peters
Exactly at 8 O'Clock the bells of the great
cathedral began tolling mournfully-a small
bell beginning in the high notes and the
chimes running down through the scale
until a deep bass stroke had completed the
minor chord.
Italian Troops Present.
AT the sound of the first bell two regi-
ments of Italian grenadiers marched smart
ly across the piazza to the stone steps, and
soon the vast portico swarmed for the first
time in years with Italian troops-3oo on
the porticn and 200 surrounding the colon
nades. The grenadiers wore long, blue ser
vice coats and peaked caps. They stood in
double column at parade rest, the lines eX-
tending from the threshold of the church
through a narrow gateway of a temporary
wooden structure. which was holding back
the crowd.
At 6:O5 o'clock the gate was opened and
the human tide began to flow in. The jam
at the narrow entrance soon became ter
rife, threatening serious results to the
struggling mass of half-iainting women and
children. Although the crowd was not eX-
traurdinarily large the steady movement
into the funnel-like Enclosure made the
pressure terrific. Many women had their
dresses wells torn off and some were
lifted. exhausted over the wooden inclo-
sure and out of the crush. Fortunately,
there were no serious accidents and the
ambUlauctS We're not summoned
Efforts to Keep Crowd>in Line.
Within the church temporary railinss
had been erected to keep the people in
straight line leading directly to the bier.
This WAS the center to which all eyes
turned The body lay on catafalque ten
feet high 30 that all could see 1t. The body
slightly inclined. with the head raised
and facing the passing thrOng. The vlSage
had Il chalky whitencsS and appeared to
he unnaturally shrive"d 1t robed in
the full vestments as the Roman public
knew the poutiff in life. Around the bier
burned thirteen high candles, while on
each side stood the noble guards, motion
less Further back We're knceliug priests
and acplytes softly iutouing invocttions.
The crowd pushed against til" iron trel-
lis which separates the chapel from the
main portion of the church. but those who
expected to kiss the spperrd feet were
disappointed, as the officials had adopted
pre-. .Utouary measures 50 that the lower
eNtr"mitics of tn" body We're half yard
back of the iron grating.
All ranks and stations IN life were repre-
sertrd in the great throng. Some were
working people, there also We're groups of
convent girls under the care of nuns. and
of school boys headed 10y priests. Crowds
continued 70 pass before the bier through
out the morning.