THE DUKE'S FUNERAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 19 March 1853, Page 10

THE DUKE'S FUNERAL.

Thursday, the 18th of November, appears to be the day at present fixed upon for the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. The lying-in-state will be, it is said, for six days at Chelsea College, and Avill be attended by her Majesty in person. The building consists chiefly of a central apartmant, of octagonal form, opening on the one side into the great hall, and on the other into the chapel of the college. The whole of this range Avill be fitted up in an appropriate manner, the Avails and every portion of the building being draped and festooned with black cloth and other appropriate funeial emblems:—

The great hall, where the lying in state will take place, is an apartment of noble dimensions, 150 feet long, by nearly 50 broad, and 40 high. The Marquis of Exeter, as her Majesty's lord chamberlain, has the direction of this portion of the ceremonial. His lordship has placed the matter in the hands of Professor Cockerell, b.a., Avho at once prepared a series of elaborate and very beautiful sketches. These designs have already received the warm approval of her Majesty and Prince Albert, and the progress of the works is only delayed by the care necessary in the removal of those time-honoured relics, in the shape of captured flags, with which the Avails of the old hall are hung. Many of these flags Avere taken in the Duke of Wellington's own battles, and it is intended that all these shall be introduced in the decoration of the chamber after the Avails have been draped. The catafalque on which the coffin will rest is to be placed at one end of the hall, opposite to the door through which the public will be admitted. The Avindows will be all dark, and the only light obtained will be from colossal wax candles in silvered candel- abra,l 4 ft. high, of which there are nearly 100 placed at stated intervals along the hall, which will be lined Avith men of the Grenadier Guards (the duke's regiment), Avith their arms reversed.

The body, Aye are told, according to the last arrangements, will remain at Chelsea Hospital till the morning of th 18th, and when it reaches Apsley House, those of whom the cortege is to consist will fall into their right places, and the procession proceeds along Piccadilly, St. James's Street, Pall-mall, and the Strand, to St. Paul's :

The military escort of the funeral will consist of detachments from every regiment in the service—of three battallions of the Guards, 84. pensioners, representing the age to which the duke had attained, the 33rd Foot, the.Stifle Brigade, six squadrons of cavalry, and 17 guns. The ■artillery will head the procession, but it is intended that the firing should be at the ToAver, Avhich is sufficiently near for the purpose, and is the more appropriate from the duke having been constable. Deputations of 100 men, with their proper complements of officers, will also attend on the occasion from each of the five continental armies in which the duke held the rank of fieldr marshal; and thus, in addition to a complete representation of the military force of this country, there will be assembled on the occasion types of those of Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain, and Portugal. It is not believed that more than 40 equipages will be required in the procession, which will be mainly conducted on foot.

Both at St. Paul's and at Chelsea Hospital the preparations for the approaching ceremonial are in rapid process of execution. The hall of the hospital has been completely cleared, preliminary to the arrangements for the lying in state, and the additional facilities required for ingress and egress are also being provided for. The great Avork of fitting up the cathedral i 6 likewise progressing satisfactorily, and it is expected that, irrespective of the procession, at least 10,000 persons will be accommodated with seats in the interior. There is no doubt that the coup d'asil of the gigantic edifice, brilliantly illuminated from end to end, and with the light of day completely excluded, will be inexpressibly grand. Several imperfect trials of the effect produced have already been made, and with the most striking results. The preparations for the state funeral are noAv pushed forward Avith activity. Fortunate is the householder Avhose windows overlook the line of procession. Some have made as much as jEIOO by letting seats for the occasion. Not only will every regiment in the British army be rep re-

sented, but delegates from those of five other European powers will be present. The great estates of the realm, and the various public bodies with which the name and fame of Britain are most identified, will find their appropriate places. A design for a funeral car has been furnished under the joint direction of Mr. Cole and Mr. Redgrave. The supporting frame will be entirely of bronze, 27 ft. long and 10 ft. broad, with six wheels, and the sides elegantly ornamented, The car will be draAvn by 12 horses, three abreast, and splendidly caparisoned. Some idea may be formed of its size, Avhen we state that it will just leave room to pass through Temple Bar, and will be 17 ft. in height. A broad avenue doAvn the nave from the grand Avestern entrance has been kept entirely clear for the passage of the cortege ; but, on either side of this, immense platforms of raised seats.stretch away to'the sides of the sacred edifice, and over the entrance and at the ends of the transept galleries are in course of construction, Avhich will hold a prodigious number of spectators. Acres of black cloth will be required to cover the amount of woodwork. UpAvards of 300 hands are employed day and night in carrying out the arrangements. Beneath the lofty dome a space, oval in form, has been reserved for the actual duties of the interment. The light of day will he excluded from the Cathedral, and it will be lighted up with gas, which will run in a' continuous stream along the lofty cornices from end to end of the building, and illuminate the majestic dome with a circle of flame placed at the elevation of the whispering gallery. Under that splendid and hitherto quite unprecedented effect let the reader imagine the clergy advancing down the nave, receiving the procession at the grand entrance, conducting it back through an assemblage of more than 10,000 persons, and while the service for the dead proceeds with a full choir, the mortal remains of the Great Duke solemnly consigned to their last resting place.— Times.

The following paragraphs are taken from the papers :r--

His Excellency the Duke of Terceira (upon a special mission from her Majesty the Queen of Portugal to.attend the funeral), accompanied by the Duchess of Terceira, aides-de-camp, and suite, has arrived in London.

The Lord Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) has requested all Privy Councillors under the degree of the peerage, rhe Vice-Chancellors, the Barons of the Exchequer, the Justices of both Benches, Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commanders, and Companions of the Most Hon. Order of the Bath, and her Majesty's LaAV Officers, desirous of being present in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on the occasion of the Duke's funeral, to signify the same to him, by letter, on or before the 4th of November.

The arrangements for lighting St. Paul's Cathedral, at the Duke's funeral, Avith gas are in active preparation. The City of London Gas Company have laid down three large " mains," the largest of which will be appropriated entirely to the supply of the whispering gallery, the nave, and the burners along the cornices, and as no other light will be attached there can be no flickering or unsteadiness caused by variation or pressure. The number of lights, it is calculated, will be from 6,000 to 7,000.

Alderman Challis has informed the Court of Common Council that after conference with her Majesty's ministers, it had been determined to suspend the usual municipal rejoicings on the 9th of November till after the funeral.