The Penn's Grove record., 1910-05-20
KINGS BODY BORNE
TO WESTMINSTER
Vast, Silent Crowds, With Barred
Heads, View Stately Procession.
GEORGE v. FOLLOWS ON FOOT
Women Overcome Weep as Widow
Passes-53,OO 600 Persons After
ward File Before the Bier Of Ed
ward VII.


London.-With solemn and impress
siye state, and amid the reverent 81
lence of many thousands of persons
that was more impressive still. the
body of King Edward was borne from
Buckingham Palace to Westminster
Hall, in which temple of hard-won
English liberty it will receive the
tribute of the nation to a monarch
who deserved we'll of his country.
A memorandum was issued ex-
pressing King Georges satisfaction at
the admirable manner in which the
beautiful ceremony was carried out,
and adding that nothing could have
been better than the quiet dignity of
the tribute thus paid to the memory
of my beloved father"
Never we're royal words more truly
spoken. From early morning, when
the preparations began for the cere-
monies of the day, TIL the doors of
Westminster Hall were closed, after
5000 persons had slowly passed be-
side King Edwards bier, all the pro-
ceedings were marked by dignity and
reverence.
Vast crowds assembled all along
the route during the early hours of
the morning, and grew in magnitude
as 11.30 a. M, the hour for h start
of the procession, drew near. The
people covered the approaches to
Buckingham Palace, they filled the
Mall and the Horse Guards Parade,
and in Whitehall and about Westmin-
ster Hall were great multitudes. Cor
dons of police drawn across all the
approaches to the line of route pre-
vented overcrowding.
Almost in silence the crowds
waited until the solemn note of big
Ben," tolling in dull, muf1ed tones
for the first time in it's history,
sounded in the heavy air. Then, amid
the booming of minute guns. with
massed bands playing Beethoven's
Dead March" and the slow beat of
muffled drums, the funeral cortege
began It's progress from Buckingham
Palace. 1t moved with funereal pace
through the great crowd of spectators,
silent as death.
At the head of the procession were
the brilliant uniforms of the army
Headquarters staff. Then came the
blue and gold of the Admiralty Lords.
Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener
marched abreast alone after the first
division. After them and the Admir-
ais of the fleet came the second divis-
ion of the escort and the massed
bands of the Brigade of Guards, 400
strong.
All the men in the crowd nco
NroI oo thn pa 20 rrio oo with Tho ooC.
ket containing the body of King Ed
ward approached. The air throbbed
with the beat of feet marching in
slow cadence and with the wailing Of
the bands.
All in the crowd were deeply
moved. The coffin lay with the orb
and sceptre on the forefront and the
crown on the after part.
Behind the carriage, with firm,
slow step, marched on foot King
George, in an Admiral's uniform, with
his two sailor sons on either hand.
After him followed the Kings of Nor
way and Denmark, British and for
eign Princes, and the dead sover-
eign's household.
Another division of Life Guards
came next, and after them came a
procession of carriages. In the first
sat the Queen Mother. She bowed to
the crowd with pathetic grace and
dignity. AS she passed the affection
ate sorrow of the crowds lining the
route broke down all restraint, and
many women, overcome with grief,
Wept.
At Marlborough House the music
changed to a Scottish lament, "The
Flowers of the Forest" played by
pipers of the Scots Guards. The
wall of their bagpipes sounder with a
and the muf1ed drums, marking time,
broke in with superb effect.
Nearing Whitehall Chopin's Fun
eral March" was rendered by the
massed bands. When the procession
entered Whitehall a new overture
for drums, specially composed by
Lieutenant Rogan, Numbered forth
with thrilling splendor. Then the
Dead March" of Handel was played,
the final burst of triumph echoing
just as the body reached Westminster
Hall.
Nothing could have been finer than
the demeanor of the crowd through
out, or it's manifold indications of
reverence, loyalty and love.
At Westminster Hall the body was
received by the Archbishop of Can
terbury. The coffin was lifted to the
shoulders of a detachment of giant
.guardsmen and carried to the cata-
falque. The royal mourners gathered
about it, and a short service, i'm
pressive in dignity and simplicity,
vas said.