The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-05-26

Toxic. Nav eG-A million torches
ana Lantern Illuminated Toxic sunday
might when he body OF the Empress
DowaEer HHruko was borne through
the streets M q beautiful funeral ca.
drawn by white oxen. There had
been mo- pageant of such solemn gram
dcur here since the funeral of I'm
pcror M%utsuhito, "a year aud "A half
ago.
Practically the ontire American coll
ony viewed the procession from ytri-
Gus points OF vantage. u b. q rule
that M Japanese subjects may look
down upon "a royal parsonage from
elevated points. whether the royal
ties bee dead OF alive. In strict OBJ
%soryance OF this every door and win
dow above The first flovrs along the
funeral route was closed and dark.
The ceremonies last night were the
elimination OF "a series of services
h 10 daily since the official death Of
- Empress DOwager GA April II.
Her actual death occurred two days
earlier az Numadzu. but tradition pre-
stribes hat mo- member of the Inn
pcrial family can die outside the CAPE
ital, So the body of the Empress was
conveyed TO Toxic, and driven smart
~ to The Aoyama palace Ia a closed
private carriage. At the pnlSce she
Officially" died n Few hours later.
Ia the six weeks since then. "a spe-
cial temple vas erected on the NoyO-
90 military field. southwest of the
city. who're the main funeral service
WAS held. In the morning the ser
vice OF installation Of the spirit was
performed with great ceremony. The
Emperor. the Empress, Princes and
Processes of th, blood were prcseu'
20 pray bcfor, the shrine.
At dusk when the illumination OF
tho route had been completed tho Inn
periul coffin was placed loo me iuu-
eral ear 40 p1yama palace. and the
procession formed with o. large mill
tary force 90 its head Amid dun
yellow and white banners and torches
came the funeral commissioners, aC-
'cumpauied hy their secretaries. and
court servants dressed in ancient
robes. lntersp rscd were men bear
ing evergreen trees.
Tn advance of tho cortcre was al
most noisci,-s, tho streets having
been covered with n thick layer Of
sand Tho :uncral flutes were heard
az the funeral ear itself approached
n was led by Baron Hatano. minister
OF d Imperial household. a striking
figure in white, whose way was m
blazeuea by torches.
Three white oxen In reserve plodded
ahead Of the two which were yuKed
to the funeral car. The car was of
cubic form. with It's interior eXquis-
itoly lacquercd. rnrtly in black and
partly in chestnut Bamboo llincs
hung from the square, OPENINGS aud
brass curtains from tho side. The
oxen were covered with % rHr, white
cloth and their horns were wound
with material at th, same t%rNtur,.
Tho people bowed and WcDt as the
Imperial hcarso advanced.
Later came hundreds OF priests and
hearers of b court and the
tamhours, % OF many culored
sireamors and banners The Princes
uf iho blood, each with his heiiuuc
holders of high Imperial orders
Lords-iu-va.tiuE member ~ the Diet
and several regiments Of military aud
bodies uf aHrinss Nsllod the line.
A sacred gateway marked tho en-
trance mo temple ground The
emperor aud Empress had already
arrived and were seated on 70 throne
near the principal shrine while th,
diplomatic corps Including George ".
Guthrie the American ambassador had
also taken thcit places iu O. reserved
section.
Standing watch fires Foe immlta-
tion of those used ir the Imperial
court yards boz ancient days. made up
of pine iagFpts. we're allIzr .u various
parts of she temple in iron basket.
ret on tripods.
when the funeral car had been
drawn up before the chief shrine tho
dirge was chautcd and food offerings
were given. other Offerings includ-
cd gold brocade. damasks. silks and
'- thread. an placed in "a box made
.u How branches.
The Emperor paid his homsRe by
reading an address. He was followed
hy Others representing tho court and
Che Empire. These. over the cur
tnlns were drawn before the shrine
ana the Imperial coffin was borne
10 a special train conveying Il 20 Mo-
moyama, near KiOto, 90 be laid away
IN a plot Of land ear the mausoieum
OF the Emperor Mutsuhito. Al the
departure cannon Numbered from
-shinnrawa has several miles away