The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-13
MIKADO'S FUNERAL
HELD TODAY
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Promptly at six o'clock the whole
Imperial Guards Division, 10000
strong, paraded in front Of the imper
ial palace At seven o'clock the sig.
nal was given for the departure OF
the imperial coffin and instantly the
whole body of trumpeters of the
guards blew the hymn of national
mourning In low and melancholy
tone Immediately the casket enclos.
ing the remains Of the dead mikado
was brought forth and placed upon
the funeral car, gorgeous with deco
ration and in front OF which blazed
the imperial crest Of the chrysanthe-
mum. Harnessed to the funeral car
were the four mandari ushi, or sacred
bullocks, especially selected according
to immemorial custom for the obse-
quies of the ruler who Is half god.
The first OK was black from nose to
tip Of tail. the second all black save
for white stripe on. the forehead,
the third all brown except for black
line from nose to tail and the fourth
black with white markings, nearly a
piebald.
AS soon as the body Of the dead
ruler rested upon its bier a sharp
order detached about 5000 of the
imperial guards who, at a slow
march, passed out of the palace
grounds into the damned but silent
streets. Behind them fell in the
bands of Shinto priests always at
tendant on the mikado and certain
other functionaries bearing aloft
white and yellow flags, bows and
arrows, shields, halberds, sakaki
(sprigs OF the god tree) and the i'm
perial bands. Then came the court
officials. headed by the master of the
imperial household and then the en-
perors coffin
The casket was attended by six
chamberlains and twenty army ana
navy officers as pail bearers; the
grand chamberlain and aid-de-camps
to his majesty; Prince Kanin and
Princess Kanin. who represented the
Emperor Yoshihito and the Princess
Higashifushimi, who represented the
empress domager, escorted by officers
Of the imperial guards.
After Prince Kanin the presidents
of the state funeral committees and
other committees were in line. They
were followed by the princes of the
blood and their aids-de-camp, two rep
resentatives of the mobiles having di.
rect relationship with the dead en-
peror, the holders of the Dai-kun-i
(Grand Order of the Chrysanthe.
NUM-; officials of Shinnin rank
ministers, generals, adnnirals, etc.
and other dignitaries among whom
were State Secretary Knox of the
United States. Admiral James Rey
nolds. U. 8. Navy and Brigadier Gen
John Pershing, U. s. Army.
More than 10000 persons took par,
in the funeral march which was Sc
long that its van had arrived at the
Aoyama parade grounds before the
last detachment had left the palace
Meantime throughout the streets en-
route hardly a sound was heard but
the steady tramp, tramp. tramp, of the
feet of millions mingled with the low
music of the imperial bands as they
droned out the funeral march
Arriving at the Aoyama parade
grounds for the funeral ceremony the
dead rulers cortege debounched from
the semi-gloom of the city streets in.
to a perfect blaze of light. Hundreds
of electric lights shone aloft and al
regular intervals about the grounds
but especially between large build.
ing where the funeral services were
held and the two Shinto tori, or al
tars, scores of Kagaribi, or watch
fires roared ruddily as the body was
borne in
Surrounding the whole enclosure
for the obsequies were tall bamboo
fences and within them, in specially
assigned positions, the women OF the
court, wives of the officials OF Shin.
min, Chokunin, Hannin and Sonin
rank, abbots of the Hoganji 1.-THE
templesl, foreigners and their wives
and dignitaries of the governments OF
the cities of Japan awaited in dead
silence the celebration OF the spec
tacle.
Just inside the second Tori, OF
shrine, the Emperor Yoshihito. the
empress and the empress dowager
With the princesses of the blood met