The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-11
March to the Throne Hall.

church. The globe is also surmounted
by a diamond cross on an immense sap
phire.
March to the Throne Hall.
Shortly before l o'clock. in obedience
10 signals, the streams of guests began
slowly flowing towards the great ST.
Georges hall. At each door of the Sc
Tles OF salons stood two foot soldiers at
present arms while along the walls
were ranged detachments of guard reg1-
ments in picturesque uniforms, that
the march of the members of parlia-
nle ,d 70 the throne room was almost nke
a review OF the Imperial Guard At the
entrance of st. Georges hall was
guard OF honor composed Of veteran pal
ace grenadiers, twelve Of whom are sur
vivors of the reign of Emperor Nicho-
las l. St Georges hall is apartment
100 feet long by so feet wide. and is Civ
en- stately appearance by double row
OF graceful COrinthian columns and mar
BILE walls, while through its forty win
ooWS today streamed flood OF brilliant
In the center of the Marauerty stood
an altar on which were burning candles
Al the end of the hall on a dais was
gilded throne, in a corner of which was
flung with studied carelessness the err
Behind the throne, which was sur
rounded by canopy bearing the en-
perlal arms worked on a great velvet
tapestry.
From the gallery where the journal
Associated Press commanded a view OF
the brilliant scene below, as well as
vista OF the endless succession OF halls
through which the human tide advanced.
The first to appear We're the cOurtiers,
generals admirals and uniformed digni-
taries of state. They engaged in care
less conversation while awaiting the ad-
vent of the emperor.
Many a Strange Attire.
The entrance of the members of par
HameTt, over 300 In number, introduced
strangely homogeneous element in the
giittering assembiage uniformed in gold
sparkling
of the members were in evening dress
but many wore ordinary frock coats and
even short coats and yellow shoes. Their
ranks were tnterspersed with Moslems
in white turbans and kaftans, Tartars
in fezes, a Polish Catholic bishop an puT-
pie robes and the Orthodox clergy in
sacredotai attire, and retired army and
navy officers in uniforms. Most of the
members who came in their ordinary cos
tunes blouses and high boots, made
strange contrast The peasants and
wOrkmen appeared to be awkward and
i'll at ease, but resolution was stamped
on their faces, for it was the first time
that the men had dared to appear thus
at a state function of the Russian court,
where etiquette in the past was so rig
Orous that it even compelled American
diplomats accredited to st. Petersburg to
don a uniform.
The members of parliament lined up
on the right side of the hall, as if to
offer battle to the glittering array of
bureaucrats and cOurtiers opposite, whose
hostile contemputous glances showed
how little they welcomed the new and
dominant force in Russian political life.
The members of the council of the
empire and the cabinet ministers took
their places on the left Of the throne.
Entrance of Diplomatic Corps.
The diplomatic corps with the dean. NJ
Bompard. the French ambassador. IN ad-
vance, and Ambassador Meyer in court
uniform, entered and occupied the gal
lery in the rear of the hall while the
generals and a vast thrOng of civil and
military dignitaries in uniform and with
Hn11
took. the places assigned to them.
The last persons to enter were Antonius,
number of the clergy of the highest
rank, in mitres and robes of cloth OF
gold who formed in front of the altar.
commandant Of the palace, in company
with General MasolOff, the minister of
the court. then made final and careful
survey of the arrangements and with
Baron Fredericks. minister of the i'm
perial house and aide de camp of the
emperor. then made a formal announce
ment to the emperor that the council of
lament awaited his arrival I'm the throne
room.
Semi-Barbaric Display.
As the strains Of the national hymn
played by an orchestra in a far-off gal
lery announced the starting of the impe-
rial procession, three raps of the cham
berlain's slaves on the floor stilled the
assemblage into instant silence.
A magnificent. but to foreign eyes semi
barbaric, pageant. headed by two mas
tiers of ceremonies in gorgeous uniforms
ficials had sparkling orders across their
breasts, one displaying the scarlet rib
the other the blue ribbon of the st. An
drew order These officials bore the
golden keys Of office on their hips. Be
fore them walked two grooms and three
court heralds with gold-tipped wands
Then, like a phalanx, came resplendent
array of court dignitaries and officials
high chamberlain. the gentlemen Of the
imperial bed chamber, the master Of the
master of the hunt. the lord steward, the
high cup bearer and the high carver
ali with their breasts covered with deco
rations, their places in the procession be
ing in inverse order of rank Following
them. escorted by twelve tall grenadiers
with bearskln snakes, under the command
of two guard officers with drawn sabers
six high dignitaries bore the emblem of
the secretary OF the house Of Romanoff
the seal of the empire. the imperial stan
dard. the sword of state with its long
straight blade borne point up, the orb
and sceptre and the glttering crown. in
the order named.
Enter the Emperor.
Half a dozen PAGES in the rear the
emperor walking alone, advanced cas-
lily, holding himself erect and evidently
steeli1g himself for the ceremony. He
of q colonel OF the Proebranjensllv regi-
ment of the guards, with half long boots.
anu MS Oilly hENOl dNiOHS were The gcar-
/ let ribbon of the Alexander Nevslxy or
der on his breast and a diamond star
OF the St Andrew order. He carried his
military cap in his left hand
At an interval of two PAGES came Baron
Fredericks and two special aides-de-
camp, and then the two expresses. the
! place of honor being accorded TO the
dowager empress. and the other mem
! bers of the imperial family with the ex-
cepuon OF the baby heir to the throne
| Grand Duke Alexis NicOlaieviteh, and the
/ daughters of the emperor, headed by the
Grand Duke Michael, brother of the en-
! sion to the throne.