The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-26

st. Petersburg, August 25.-A wave
of rejoicing and festivities swept over
Russia with the rising Of the sun on
the christening day of the heir to the
Russian throne, eliminating when the
TIE Deum, softly chanted in the beau
tiful little church Of the Peterhof
was accomplished and the news was
heralded to the world without by the
crash of cannon and Ginning of in
Vulnerable church bells, reaching from
the Baltic to the Black sea and from
the frontiers of Poland to the confines
of farthest east.
Notwithstanding the momentous sit
uation prevailing at the front the
whole population turned gladly for the
time being from more serious consid-
erations TO participate in the day Of
glittering ceremonial and pageantry
at Peterhof. where the tiny successor
of the Great White Car received at
the hands of the church the name of
Alexis Nicholaevitch, from which he is
destined to pass in course of time to
the dignity and responsibility of auto
crat of all the Russia.
st. Petersburg awoke to the futter
of flags from every house front. Even
the street cars flew pennons, like those
CT battleships under way and the
droskys were nearly all decorated with
flags
Within the royal part of the Peter
hof palace, from the moment the cor
tege issued from the gates of Alexan-
drja villa. to the instant the glasses
were clinked around the Imperial
table in the great palace, the scene
was one of magnificence and brilliancy
almost touching the barbaric and
possible nowhere in the world save
where the west meets the east in the
court of THE Little Father Of the
RuSSianS.'
over perfect roads, beneath stately
overhanging trees, the procession
moved through the royal park, a beau
tifully composed, slowly changing pic
ture, perfect to it's smallest detail. 1t
was headed by the master of the i'm
perial household, his uniform a mass
of gold decorations. He was sur
rounded by retinue of officials only
little less brilliant.
The center of enthusiasm of course
was the golden state carriage, drawn
by eight milk white horses, with out
riders and walking .groomS in which
sat the Princess Galatzin, mistress or
the empress household, with the i'm
perial heir. At the door of the coach
one outside rider was the grand
equerry of the court, Lieutenant Gen.
eral DeGrunwald, and on the other
side the commander of the household
troops, Lieutenant General Heese.
both superbly mounted and uniformed
like glittering equestrian statues. Fol-
lowing the coach came an armed es-
cort. with poised lances, of the famous
Blue Cassacks of the Don. which The
baby heir is now Ataman. or COM
ma nderin chief. Each man and
horse Of this picturesque guard was
groomed to perfection. the very ideal
of the wild, light cavalry of the Rus
sian steppes. The procession passed
through the palace to the church.
There was another picture in the wait
ing room. The royal saloons were
filled with a most brilliant assemblage,
the ladies of the court in sparkling G
jewels, the officers resplendent in the
gorgeous uniforms of the empire.
Mingling with the modern throng were
many persons in quaint and curious
and national costumes, some OF them
| ante-dating the founding of the north
| ern capital on the banks of the Neuva.
The emperor. his face wreathed in
| smiles and with the Dowager Empress
| on his arm. led the procession, follow
/ ed by the other members of the i'm
i perial family-the grand dukes and
l grand duchesses in the order of their
rank, the baby bringing up the rear
| the youngest of all. His majesty was
| met at the door of the church by the
| Metropolitan of st. Petersburg, with
| raised cross. But here the emperor
l retired, as the rules of Orthodo,
/ church gave him no place in the GER
emony in which the baby was present
ed by his spiritual parents to the
| heavenly father
Inside the chapel were assembled
NJ Pobedonostseff, procurator genera
of the Holy Synod, and the member
l of the Holy Synod, the diplomat,
l corps. with whom was Ambassado
Mccormick and imperial guests from
every court in Europe. The christen
ing party gathered at the jewel
l crested font The baby was carries
by Princess Galatzin and supported b.
l General Reichter and Prince Dolgo
/ rouki, aides de camp to the emperor
The SuopSorS repreSentod an emperO