The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-25
Crash Of Cannon and Ginning
Of Thousands Of Bells GTtets
the Future Emperor
INFANT CzAREVITCH IS
NOW ALEXIS NICHOLAEVIICH
Babe Is Taken to Church In the Mag
nificent Golden State Carriage,
Drawn BY Eight Milk
White Horses.

White Horses.
st. Petersburg. August 24-615 p. MI
A wave of rejoicing and festiyity swept
over Russia with the rising of the sun
on the christening day of the heir 10 the
Russian throne, eliminating when the
te deum, softly chanted In the oeautl-
full little church of the Peterhof palace,
announced that the ceremony was ac-
complished, and the news was heralded to
the world by the crash of cannon and the
Ginning of innumerable church bells,
echoing from the Baltic to the Black
seas and from the frontiers of Poland to
the confines of the farthest east Not
withstandng the momentous events pass
ing at the front, the whole population
turned gladly for the time being from
more serious considerations to participant
ing In the day of glittering ceremonial
and pageantry at Peterhof where the
tiny successor of the Great White Gar
received at the hands of the church the
name of Alexis Ncholaevltch from
which he is destined to pass in course Of
Time to the dignity and responsibility OF
autocrat of all the Russias.
W hile some of the festivities usual on
such eceas ons, for instance the state ban
quet. were omitted, simple breakfast
being substituted in Difference to the
grave stsu1gle in which the country is
engaged nothing was discernable in the
bright m-rning at Peterhof to put the
slightest damper on the christening day.
From every angle and corner of the pail
ace flags waved In the crisp, cool air
from the palace.
Awoke to Flutter Of Flags.
st. Petersburg Itself awoke to the
fiutter of flags from everyah6use top.
Even the street cars flew pennants. like
those of battleshps under way, and the
droshes were nearly all decorated with
flags. The royal part of the Peterhof pail
ace from the moment the cortage issued
to the gates of the Alexandra to the
instant the glasses were kinkng around
the imperial table in the great palace,
was scene of magnif1cence and billiancy
almost touching the barbarc and possi-
billy never witnessed In the world save
court of "the little father of Russia"
The procession was headed by the mas
ter Of the imperial household, his uni
form blaze of gold and decoration.
Interest Centers on Golden Carriage.
The center of interest of course, was
the golden state carriage, drawn by
eight milk-white horses with riders and
walking grooms, in which sat the Prin-
cess Galatzin, mistress OF the empress
household. with the imperial heir,
At the door of the coach on one side
rode the grand aquerry of the court,
Lieutenatn- General DeGrunwad and on
the other side the commander of the
household troops, Lieutenant-General
Hesse Following the coach came an
armed escort Of the famous blue cos
saks OF the Don of which the baby heir
Is now a commander or commander-in-
chief. Each horse of this picturesque
guard was the very ideal of the wild,
light cavalry of the Russian steppes.
The procession passed through the pal
ace to the church.
The royal salons were filed with
most brilliant assemblage the ladies of
the court all in sparkling Jewels, the
officers resplendent in the gorgeous uni
forms of the empire. Mingling with the
modern throng were many persons in
quaint costume, some Of them antidating
the founding of the northern capital on
the banks of the Neya.
Emperor's Face Wreathed In Smiles.
The emperor, his face wreathed in
smiles, and with the dowager empress on
his arm led the procession, followed by
the other members of the family, the
grand dukes and grand duchesses in the
order of their rank, the baby bringing up
the rear. His majesty was met at the
door of the church by the metropolitan
of st. Petersburg, with raised cross But
here the emperor retired, as the rules Of
the orthodox church give him no place
In the ceremony, in which the baby was
presented by his spiritual parents to the
heavenly father
Inside the chapel were assembled M.
Foledonsstseff procurator general of tho
holy synod, and the members of the
holy synod. the diplomatic corps, with
whom was Ambassador Mccormick and
imperial guests from every court In Eu-
rope. The christening party gathered at
the jewel-crested font. The baby was
carried by Princess Galatzin. and the
cushion on which it was borne was sup
ported by General Reichter and Prince
Dolgoroud, aides -de-camp to the emperor.
The sponsors represented an emperor and
an empress two kings, one princess and
four grand duchesses.
The baby was so shrouded In filmy lace,
dainty hannels and a purple silk over
mantle, that II was almost impossible
to distinguish the form that lay so still
and quiet as the Metropolitan of st. Pc
tersburg anointed its hands, breast and
forehead with the mystical holy oil, COM
pounded for the purpose In solemn secre-
cy at the kremlin. But when the moment
came to complete the immersion in the
warm water of the fount the royal in
FAINT showed its humanity by lusty yell
which echoed through the chapel and was
greeted by a murmur of amusement end
approval as being a sign Of luck and
good augury for the future
Bells Resound CIamorously.
The te deum chanted by hidden choir
was the signal to the bells overhead which
rung clamorousy, while from the royal
yacht off the shore of the gulf thundered a
salute of thirty guns. The signal was
taken up at Cronstadt and st. Petersburg
and Moscow's 800 bells chimed. while the
guns Of the kremln rolled
AS the message sped forth from the
fort to the town the emperor entered the
chapel and mass was celebrated. During
the singing of the psalm his majesty con-
ferred on the heir the cross of the order