The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-09-18
The Prince

Prince Brasansa died In Italy In Fsbru'
ary. 1880. an exile.
After the Italian undertakers had done
their work . strange scene might have
been Witnessed In the room where his 70.
mains lay. One would have seen his
widow. tears streaming down >her cheeks.
taking careful measurement Of his body.
Then with the utmost care she wound the
tape around the cold forehead and read on
the inches to secretary taking notes.
Then she measured the head from the
brows back. Minutely all the dimensions
were taken. as carefully as q scientist
would of skull about whose capacity he
was preparing paper. go
All his life, the Princess knew, her hus-
band had longed to wear the crown or
Portugal. She had never dared take these,
measurements while he was living. She
never dared tell him what plans she had
for him after he was dead. But now the
time-had come to put them into execution.
For months she travelled about the CAPT.
tails of Europe seeking coffin Of enduring
silver and bronze in which his body could
rest. She found none that suited her. Eu-
rope has had to build SO many caskets in
recent years that all fancy touches have
been eliminated. The Princess could not
even ret silversmiths to take her seriously
when she tried to get them to make a spe-
cial coffin for her.
50 few weeks ago she slipped quietly
into the United States. There she dis
covered that q silver casket is not alto
gether unknown. For some years they
have been made for sale to motion picture
millionaires and others whose relatives
wished to keep their bodies on view. At
the greatest coffin makers IN America she
was shown at last chaste YET massive
design that suited her. II was Of sheet
bronze sides, huge solid bronze castings
on the corners, an inner silver casket,
glass topped and hermeticslly sealed. and
the whole outer shell covered an inch thick
with silver.
The price was tens OF thousands Of dol
lars, but she did not mind.
Then. after me design had been selected.
the Princess drew from around her neck
jewel. on which was small model Of the
crown OF Portugal
II want to have great oblcng metal
boz fitted on one end OF the coffin, and I
want this made IN solid silver to rest upon
IT, she said. aBut II IL important that the
crown be Of q certain size. The dimensions
that viii give You Cor the inside measure.
ments OF the crown must be followed with
an absolute accuracy"
To the astonished officials Of the com.
pany the Princess then proceeded to read
from notebook the exact measurements
OF her dead husbands head which she had
made more than year ago In the room
where the body had lain.
al want the crown made 80 that Il would
exactly it the head of my husband II he
were alive" che said,
The casketamaking company called n
one OF the best siiversmiths of New York
To him the Princess repeated her irstruc
tions. Then the order for the casket wat
sent to the factory at Boyertown, Pennsyl
yania. In due time the silver crown, Q
masterpiece OF it's kind, was shipped tc
the little Pennsylvania city. Princess Dc
Braganza had been living there In retire
ment In the meantime, superintending the
construction OF the coffin. She spent al