The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-25
IMPERIAL HEIR
WAS CHRISTENED
WAS GREAT JOY IN RUSSIA
AN IMPOSING CEREMONY MARKED
THE EVENT.

Young Alexis NichOIaevitch SquaIIed
Justify just as He Reached th.
Most Important Stage of the Pro-
ceedings-This the Russians
Thought, Was IA Good Omen-Joy
Guns and JOY Bells Announced
The Christening Performed.
st. Petersburg, Aug. PA wave OF
rejoicing and festivity swept over Rus
sia with the rising of the sun on the
christening day of the heir to the Rus
sian throne eliminating when the t.
Deum, softly chanted in the beautiful
little church of the Peterhof palace,
announced that the ceremony was ac-
complished, and the news was heralded
to the world without by the crash of
cannon and the Ginning of innumer-
able 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 the more serious consider
ations to participating 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 de-
stined to pass in course of time to the
dignity and responsibility of autocrat
of all the Russias.
st. Petersburg awoke to the f1utter
of flags from every house front. Even
the street cars flew pennons, like those
of battleships under way, and the
droskeys We're nearly all decorated with
flags. Within the royal part of the
Peterhof palace, from the moment the
cortege issued from the gates of the
Alexandra villa to the instant the
glasses were clinked around the impe-
rial table in the great palace, the scene
was one of magnificence and brillianoy
almost touching the barbaric and pos
sible nowhere in the world save where
the West meets the East in the court
of "the little father of the Russias."
Scene of Great SpIendOr.
over perfect roads, beneath stately
overhanging trees, the procession
moved through the Royal Park, a beau
tifully composed, changing picture,
perfect to its smallest detail. 1t was
headed by the master of the imperial
household, his uniform a mass of gold
and decoration. He was surrounded
by a retinue of officials only a little
less brilliant
The center of interest, 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 of the En-
press household. with the imperial
heir. At the door of the coach, Oh
one side. rode the grand-equerry OF the
court, Lieut.. Gen. de Gruenwald and
on the other side the commander Of
the household troops, Lieut.. Gen. Hesse,
both superbly mounted and uniformed
like glittering equestrian statues. Fol-
cort. with poised lances Of the famous
Blue Cossacks Of the Don. of which the
baby heir is now Ataman, or COM
mander-in-ch Each man and horse
Of this picturesque guard was groom
ed to perfection. the very ideal Of the
Wild light cavalry of the Russian
steppes.
A gorgeous Procession.
The procession passed through the
palace TO the church. There was an
other picture in the waiting rooms.
4 ne lOg al NdANtlC NfhN HAiFu WIN a
most brilliant, assemhlage the ladies'
Of the court, al Ia sparkling jewels, the
onicers YesplCudeut in The gorgeous
uniforms of the empire. Mlngling with
the modern throng were many persons
In quaint and curious national cos
tunes. 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 Dowager Empress
on his arm. led the procession. follow
cd by the other members Of the i'm
perial family. the grand dukes and
grand duchosses In the order of their
rank the baby bringing up the rear.
the youngest Of all. His majesty was
met at he door OF the church by the
metropolitan Of ST. Petersburg with
raised cross But here the Emperor re-
tired as the rules Of the orthodox
church give him no place 10 the cere-
mony. in which the baby was present
ed by his spiritual parents 10 the
Heavenly Father.
Inside the chapel were assembled NJ
pobedonostsen procurator general on
the holy synod, and the members of
the holy synod, the diplomatic corps.
with whom was Ambassador McCor-
mick and imperial guests from every
court in Europe.
When fhe Hnbr uassied.
The christening party Raihered a.