Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-19
10000, ESTIMATE
Of STREET CROWDS
AS CASKET PASSES
BIeachers Filled Before Funeral
Hour; Uncounted Numbers
Stand for Hours

Forty thousand people are estimated
to have thronged the line Of march
and witnessed the procession OF the
Liliuokalani funeral cortege.
Early in the morning the bleachers
in front of the Capitol grounds were
filled with silent spectators. The
streets were lined with waiting peo-
pie, waiting to pay their last re-
spects to the beloved queen. Silent,
reverent and orderly. the crowds
gathered early, and despite the Diaz-
ing hot sun which beat down upon
them. waited patiently until the last
Of the funeral cortege had passed. Not
once did the crowd overstep the po-
lice lines or give trouble to the guards
and police
The crowds gathered as early as
o'clock, the more foreseeing selectingR
seats on the mauka bleachers, under
meath the shade trees. and protected
from the rays of the sun. Not long after
these were filled, however, the makai
bieachers began to fill. and by $3.50
every seat was taken. The police kept
the plaza in front of the Capitol en-
trance cleared, and there was a mini
mum of passing back and forth across
the street.
Several motion picture cameramen
were perched on the small ticket
booths which were to have been used
for selling tickets to the bleachers-
1t was decided Saturday night to eban-
don the proposed selling Of bleacher
seats, and the booths were used only
for refunding money to the early pur-
chasers. An operator from the Jesse
Lasky Film Co. held the vantage point
on the top Of the booth directly OPP
posite the main gate Of the Capitol
grounds, while directly beside him, in
an automobile, was another movie
camera man. Inside the grounds were
two more motion picture operators.
These camera men win ship the films
of the funeral cortege to the mainland,
wnere they will be released through
out the United States, an invaluable
record of the solemn and historic oc-
casion.
Trees and Windows Crowded
Even in the branches of the trees
lining the Capitol grounds small boys
and men had picked out vantage
points from where they could view the
procession. Every window along the
entire line of march was crowded with
spectators, and. even the picket fences
were iammed with people. Along Null
anu street the residences were packed
with people, and most of the property
owners along this residential street
had thrown open their grounds to the
waiting throngs, the broad trees lining
Nuuanu street affording a welcome
relief from the sun. Yet despite the
/ discomfort Of the heat, the crowds
stood silent and uncovered as the ca.
tafalque bearing the casket passed.
Crowds Are Reverent
There was no laughing, no loud
talking, no disturbing noise. Every
spectator was impressed with the
solemnity of the occasion It was not
holiday crowd, despite its size.
Every spectator realized the impress
siveness, and reverence and silence
marked the feelings of the people.
As the military band at the steps oe
the Capitol played the American ma.
tional anthem, the easket was borne
| from the throne room to the eatafal-
que. and every person In the huge
crowd gathered about the Capitol stood
silent and uncovered at the first note.
They remained standing while the
band played Hawaii's anthem, "Ha-
waii Ponoi.' As the national stand
ard of each regiment of infantry. and
each artillery and cavalry detaeh.
ment passed the crowds rose and un.
covered.
When the body OF the queen was
/ borne from the throne room a silence
| fell upon the crowd, broken only by
! the crying of small child, and the
heart-touching wailing Of group OF
j Hawaiian women, standing near the
entrance gate.
No one spoke, no one moved, as the
catafaique passed slowly from the
/ Capitol grounds into King street.
Flags at HaIf-Mast
Along the line of march the flags
we're at haIf-mast and every consulate
flew the half-masted flag Of the nation
| 1t represented. In front of the Imper-
/ ial Japanese consulate on Nuuanu
street, a guard of honor composed OF
sailors from H. I. j. M. Tokiwa. the
cruiser now in port, were lined W.
They were not under arms. but stood
at attention when the eatafalque was
drawn past the consulate. This de.
! tachment of Japanese sailors was dis.
j tinct from those in the procession
/ While number of flags we're hoist.
ed to full mast as soon as the final
salute was fired by the field artillery
/ battery as the casket bearing the
Queens body was lowered into the
crypt, the majority of flags through.
out the city remained at half-mass
during the entire day No formal an.
announcement had been made OF the
hour for changing the colors.
When the services at the cemetery
were completed, the crowds did nos
throng about the entrance gates. but
4 went silently to their homes. It was
not SO much curious crowd that wit.
7 messed the funeral cortege as a crowd
Of silent, reverent people, paying their
! last respects to the queen.
CHAMBER f)F COMMERCE