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Show FIE! RITES FOB UTE MIKADO BEGIN Great Crowds "Gather at Mid-.' Mid-.' night to Pay the Last Tribute Trib-ute of Respect. ' TOKIO, Sept. 1.1. Funeral ceremonies ceremo-nies of, tho... late Emperor Mutsuhito of Japan, posthumously known as "tho emperor of" era of enlightenment," enlighten-ment," began (odny n?nid surroundings in which, tho' century-old rites and costumes cos-tumes wore mingled with modern display. dis-play. For somo time Japanese subjects sub-jects have been assembling in Tokio. At midnight great crowds had gathered gath-ered ' along- the routo of tho procession. The weather was fair. A police cordon cor-don was established, shutting oft." tho streets through which the body "of the emperor will be takon, and upon which it Is estimated that half a million persons per-sons will bo accommodated. Soon after af-ter midnight oflicials proceeded to tho palace in preparation lor tho early ceremony. cer-emony. Official representatives of cvcnr nation na-tion havo co mo to Tokio to, participate in tho solemnities. Among them wero princes representing reigning houses of Europe. Secretary Knox of tho United States was among them, accompanied by Brigadier John G. Porshing. Members Mem-bers or the regular foreign diplomatic body were prosont in their uniforms. From an early hour in tho morning tho palace, in its great private park in the heart of tho enpitnl, was tho goal toward which virtually evcrybod' in Tokio made his way on foot.. The lato emperor only occasionally, during his life, left the moated cnclosuro whero his body had lain in state since August 13. Since that date, on each tenth day, solemn memorial servicos and sacrifices to the spirit of tho departed de-parted ruler wero performed. Tho casket containing the body lay. in stale in tho main hall, It had been decorated according to Shinto rites by a special corps of ritualists. The caskot measured nearly ton foot, by fivo and weighed one and a half tons. |