Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-08-25
Christening Of the Cars
Son, Wednesday.
Imposing Ceremony at Church
Of PeterhoH Palace.
Procession Of GiIded Coaches Accom-
panied Infant Prince from Alexandra
Villa to Chureh-Empress and Child
in Excellent Health.

IL
Of the Peterhof palace with imposing GER
emony. A procession of gilded coaches
accompanied the infant prince from the
Alexandra villa to the church. After the
metropolitan Of St Petersburg had admin
istered the sacrament to the heir the En-
peror invested the latter with the insig
mia of the order of st. Andrew. Imme-
diately thereafter the ringing of church
bells and the firing of a salute Of 1O1 guns
announced the completion of the ceremo-
ny.
Both Peterhoff and St Petersburg are
lavishly decorated. There will be illumi-
nations at night
The Empress left her bed, Tuesday, for
the first time since the birth of her son.
Both she and the infant are in excellent
health. The heir weighs about 1913
pounds.
The weather cleared later in the af-
ternoon and tonight both the grounds
Of the Peterhoof palace and the city of
st. Petersburg were Illuminated. There
was an extensive display Of fireworks
in both places, music was rendered in
the parks and a free performance was
given at the Imperial Theater.
A wave of rejoicing and festivity
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 beautiful little church of the Peter
hoof palace announced that the cere-
mony was accomplished and the news
was heralded to the world without by
the crash Of cannon and the Ginning of
innumerable church bells echoing from
the Baltic to the Black Sea and from
the frontiers of Poland to the confines
Of the farthest east. Notwithstanding
the momentous events passing at the
front. the whole population turned
gladly for the time being from more
serious considerations to participating
In the day of glittering ceremonial and
pageantry at PeterhoOf where the tiny
successor of the Great White Car re-
ceived 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 responsible
ty Of autOcrat of all the Russians.
While some festivities usual on such
occasions, for instances the state ban
Quet, were omitted. a simple Breakfast
being submitted in Difference to the
grave struggle in which the country Is
involved, nothing was discernible in
the bright morning at Peterhoof to put
the slightest damper on the christening
day. From every angle and corner of
the palace flags waved i'm the crisp cool
wind driving in across the clear blue
waters of the Finnish gulf.
The historic wall fountains broke
into snowy foam and rainbow spray in
the clear sunslight. The soldiers Of
the guards. brilliant in the imperial
uniforms. moved in continual swirl
Of color around the doorways of the
palace.
st. Petersburg itself awoke to the
dutter of flags from every house front.
Even the street cars flew pennons. like
those Of battleships under way, and
the droskys were nearly all decorated
with flags. The garrsons of the fort
resses were more alert than usual.
There was a bright panorama of guard
mounts and dress parades. and the
gunners were early at their stations
ready to fire national salute in honor
of the baby heir. Within the royal
part of the Peterhof palace. from the
moment the cOrtege issued from the
gates of the Alexandra villa to the in
slant the glasses were cIinked around
the imperial table in the great palace.
the scene was one of magnificence and
brilliancy almost touching the bar
barrie and possible nowhere else in the
world save where the West meets the
East in the court Of The Little Father
Of the Russias."
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 blaze
of gold and decoration. He was sur
rounded by a retinue of officials only a
little less brilliant.
The center of interest, of course, was
the golden state carriage drawn by
eight white horses. with outriders and
walking grooms. in which sat the Frin-
cess Galatzin. mistress of the Empress
household. with the imperial heir
At the door of the coach on one side
rode the grand equerry of the court.
Lieutenant General De Grunwald. and
on the other side the commander OF
the household troops. Lieutenant Gem
eral Hesse, both superbly mounted and
uniformed like brilliant equestrian
statues.
Following the coach came an armed
escort with poised lancers Of the ia
nous Blue Cossacks Of the Don. of
which the baby heir is now a Taman
or commander-in-chief. Each man and
horse Of this picturesque guard was
grooned to perfection, the very ideal
of the wild light cavalry of the Russian
steppes. The procession passed through
the palace to the church. There was
another picture in the waiting room.
The royal salons were filled with a
most brilliant assemblage. the ladies of
the court all in sparkling Jewels, the Of
ficers respondent in the gorgeous uni
form OF the empire. Mingling with the
modern throng were many persons in
quaint and curious national costumes.
some Of them ante-dating the founding
of the northern capital on the banks of
the Neva-
The Emperor. his face wreathed in
smiles and with the Dowa per Ev,praSs