The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-21

| The portiers dividing the oooI | drawn back to the utmost to aofn. 1
 much air as possible, while the nsn' ".eS. I',t., | ing through the green shades or tile A dow rendered his sunken eyes shranken features absolutely gnasuy, | If was A most solemn moment InS S head of the Pontiff. with its wnite shu'' can. now winter than the fringe or sn-
 yer hair rising above the crimson c"Vel | let his hand raised in the familiar ges- ture of benediction, the kneeling assemo-
 lage being too earnestly absorbed m oeep affliction, veneration and weeping 10 even | make a movement. .,.
 Holy Father, and this time found that ne
 was at the extreme limit or ms powers l of respiration His eyes began 10 pecoihs dull and clouded and Leo XII: entereu | into the real agony of death, which was | recognized by all present Ihe lasI eoii scious act of the Pontiff was to turn ms eyes toward the great crucihx oh eno
 o,aiI after which he suffered from par oxysm of choking. during whlch ne pass
 ed away.
 The Requiem Alderman. The silence of the awe-stric<en assemo-
 1aqe was broken by the sonorons voice or Cardinal Serafino Vannutelli the srahu | nIeninotentiary, intoning the requiem ae- | ternam (rest eternal) This was the sis nal for an outburst of tears ana the souIIu of weeping which could no longer DC Ie, | pressed. all the kneeling preiates anS others kissing the dead hand-tnat mana which had dispensed so many benents' charities and benedictions. Outside the death chamber expectation
 was intense but the sight of the faces ol those leaving the room was sunlcieht witbout words, to disseminate the sad news. which was not long In spreading throughout Rome.
 The occurrences in the death cnamoer Immediately following the Popes demise
 wera the intensity of solemnity. Couriers | had been dispatched to summon those who are delegated to perform the first religious offices toward the dead Pope and soon the chant of the Franciscan monks was hoard as two by two, in coarse brown ha bits. and with sandaled feet, they pro ceeded to the room in which Leo lay dead. From time immemorial the Franciscan have been penitentiaries of St. Peters. Following them came the Noble Guard. to watch over the pontif's remains the brilliancy of their uniforms contrasting strilzinglv with the sombre attire of the
 quaintly garbed monks and the solemn dignity of the chamber itself. The only sound heard was the measured chanting of the psalms of penitehce by group of monks kneeling beside the couch of death Two noble guards took up positions at the foot of the couch and stood by, rigid and silent as statues with swords drawn and reversed, pointing to the floor.
 The Death Chamber.
 The death chamber presented much the
 same appearance as it did at the time of the final illness of the Pope It Is situ- ated on the, third floor of the Vatican; the apartments fronting the piazza of St. Pe- ters and the window of the room com manding a view of the tall obelisk and playing fountain with Rome stretching off beyond the Tiber. Across the middle of the room hang heavy draperies partly conceaIing the bed on which lay the sil- ent form of the dead. Beside the bed burned number of candles and from aboy ! lo ked down the picture of the Ma donna / h the infant Christ in her arms.
 Leo's was closed. but some of the
 books religious topics which he kept. remal on it.
 Tha Jdy lay exactly as 1t was at the nom9fst of the Popes last expiring breath
 A white veil was thrown over the dead mans face while awaiting the solemn entrance of the CamerlingO, who was to officially pronounce the Pontiff actually dead.
 The gFuesome details of embalming will not be performed until after the lapse of twenty-four hours. Then the body will be | robed in full ponuhcal vestments for the | imposing funeral ceremonies