THE MIKADO’S FUNERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8264, 29 October 1912, Page 2

THE MIKADO’S FUNERAL

IMPRESSIVE SCENES AT TOKIO.

A NATION’S GRIEF

Tho body of tho latp Emperor was removed from the Imperial Rabico I*° Aoyama parade ground shortly after 8 in tho evening amid scenes which, in many respects, were strangely weird and impressive. The Ministers of State, the high officials, the members of- both Houses of the Diet, and the. other high perisonages privileged to bo present, were assigned places at the entrance of the Palace, where they formed a double line. All were in full uniform or mourning dress, with mourning knots, bands, and badges. A watchfirc had been lighted in. tho courtyard, while flares Bet in braziers burned at the corners, ami it was to the light of their fitful flames that the funeral car, which, according to immemorial custom was drawn by five oxen, was brought to the entrance and the cotfill placed within it. Tho coffin, consisting of several caskets one within tho other, was a. size, measuring nearly ten fwjt by five, weighing a ton and a half, and was moved to tho car along wooden rails that carried it up to the level of the car floor. It waa covered with pure white cloth of a very rich and heavy texture. MELANCHOLY CREAK OP WHEELS.

Tho car. specially built for the occagiou, was a two-wheeled vehicle or very heavy structure, weighing about the same as tho coffin. The wheels tuot shafts wore painted black, as was the interior of the body, whieh was boxshaped and covered with dull copper. Its body was surmounted by a longitudinal rib with upturned ends, and the peculiar shape of the car undoubtedly had its origin in China, vehicles of much tho same general appearance being still in use iu Peking. The wheels were so constructed ns to make seven different melancholy croaking sounds as they revolved, this peculiar effect being tho exclusive art of a family of carpenters at Kyoto, whose forefathers have constructed many a bier for the Imperial Court. This strange conveyance was brought up to the entrance in charge of officials ot the Imperial Funeral Commission, wearing the ancient national Court mourning, consisting of an upper robe of horsechestnut color, loose, dull-colored trousers. and karomuri (or coronet cap) or black silk. , . „ , The five oxen had been specially chosen to accord with the colors associated from ancient times with Imperial obsequies, the shaft-ox being black and white, with white fore legs, and the others being in pairs of brown ana black and black and white. According to ancient custom, the Junior Fifth Grade of Court rank should have been bestowed on the beasts, but this is not to be done in the present case, though the animals will bo pensioned on and maintained in the Imperial pastures until their death. LIGHTED BY 800 TOUCHES. The coffin was brought from the main hall to the funeral car in a solemn procession headed by the Chamberlains carrying lighted candles. Tho Emperor, wearing the full uniform ot tho Daigensui, or Commander-in-Chief of tho Army and Navy, with oropo, tho Empress and tho Empress-Dowager, tho Crown Prince and his two younger brothers, and the young Korean Prmoo followed tho coffin to the main gate of tno Palace, but there separated from the procession, afterwards, with the exception of the Empress-Dowager, driving off to the Aoyama parade ground by a separate route from that to be followed by the procession so that they might receive the Imperial remains on their arvnl. The Empress and Empress-Dowager, who wore European dress in the morning, were now attired in native Court dress made of hemp cloth, the upper garment being dark brown and the ekirt of dull orange. The Court ladies were iimilarly dressed, but neither tho Empress, the Dowager-Empress, nor the Court ladies had dressed their hair, the official instructions being "Hair dishevelled.'' BRITISH SAILORS IN NAVAL guard; The naval, duard of honor ■was about 10,000 in number, and included 600 British bluejackets. Everyone participating in the cortege was on foot, even the cavalry and artillery of tho escort. The decoration of the streets through „hich the funeral precession passed had been undrtaken by the municipality at a total cost of 250,000 yen. From the Imperial entrance to the palace on the Nijubashi to Babasaki gate of the palace precincts the cortege passed between giant sakaki, or mourning -rees, standing 21ft high, in strong white vooden frames lift high, and distant 12U apart from each other.' From the _ tope* '•v these trees were hung go-hei-m, or long paper streamers of black and white. Between the logs were blazing torches ..insisting of three pine logs placed in h.-aziers fixed on tripods Bft in height,. In addition to these ten sets of powerful are lights were placed 60ft apart, swinging between high poles across tho broad roadway. STREET ORNAMENTATION. From the Babasaki gate to the parade giound every 30ft thirty-foot polos had been erected, at the summit, of which vera 1200 candle-power arc lights. Alternating with these electric light poles were twenty-loot Venetian masts, swathed from top to bottom in black and yellow. Midway up each hung a cypress wreath, whilst at the top was a crossyard banner, from the five corners of which hung long streamers. The whole length of the route was connected by a rope, swathed in black and white, looped from mast to mast all the way. By order of the municipality every house in Tokio displayed mourning lanterns. Tho procession passed slowly through the Palace grounds to the Great Double Bridge across the encircling moats which is only used by the Emperor himself and by foreign Ambassadors, or by holders of rank on New Year's Day.

The great city was almost as silent as the grave itself, although along the whole of the three miles to Aoyama the sides of the streets were packed with people held back by lines of troops.