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Show LATEST NEWS FROM BOME. Anniversary of Pope Leo's Coronation Corona-tion Striking Scenes Witnessed People Present From. All Over the World. Rome, March 3. From sunrise today all Rome was on the alert and showing most unusual animation and interest in the celebration of die twenty-fifth anniversary of the coronation of Pope Leo XIII. This movement was especially espec-ially noticeable at the large hotels, which were illuminated as though for a ball. An idea of Ihe number of people peo-ple congregating at the Vatican could be formed by the fact that it was utterly ut-terly impossible to get a carriage if the vehicle had not been ordered yesterday, especially as it was raining, and by the prices charged for those secured in advance. ad-vance. The scene on the piazza of St. Peter's was magnificent. There were j assembled many hundreds of Italian troops in various modern uniforms, making a striking contrast with the medieval costumes of the Swiss papal guard on duty at the bronze doors cf the cathedral. The crowds which gathered before the first cordon of troops were impatient impa-tient as they stood drioping under the persistent rain. There was a great ciasping of umbrellas and a genera! feeling of discomfort among, the waiting wait-ing sightseers, who included very many women in most varied attires, comprising compris-ing foreigners of all nationalities and Italians from all parts of the country, the uniformity of the crowd being pleasantly broken by groups of sisters in the different gowns of their orders. Catholic students and picturesquely attired at-tired friars. When finally the doors of St. Peter's were opened, an almost indescribable struggle occurred, in wnich all present forgot the rules of hotiness and strove hard with push of elbows and feet to reach the interior of the sacred edifice, while on all sides were heard cries of fear and imprecations not very well suited to the spot where a notable religious re-ligious ceremony was a-out to begin. Once inside the cathedral, the ladies who wore lace gowns found them to be in a much mutilated condition, and some of the women were carried away in a fainting condition. The tribunes were soon crowded to overflowing and all the best standing places were taken. A period of comparative calm succeeded this great rush and the attention of the people was attracted to the gilded throne near the high altar and to the immense pillars of the basilica, hunjr with red silken draperies. Some of the tribunes on each side of the altar were filler! with men and women blazing with decorations. decora-tions. In a group of royal personages were the Crawn Princess Victoria of Sweden and Norway, the Countess Mathilde of Trani, of the Bourbon-Napls family; the grand duchess of Saxe-Weimar. Duke Robert of Barma. the grand duchess of Mecklenburg, the Prince of Leichtenstein and Prince Maximilian of Saxony. in a special tribune was the pope's family, fam-ily, the diplomatic corps and the members of the Order of Malta all in full uniform. Special interest was shown in the innovation in-novation introduced by the uniforms of the different detachments of the papal guards. The Swiss guard wore red velvet vel-vet knee breeches, red silk stockings, black shoes with red rosettes, burnished steel cuirasses inlaid with gold and steel collars in addition to large, white linen collars, starched stiff, falling over their shoulders. The silver mounted arms of the Swiss guard were also inlaid with gold and they wore steel helmets with red ostrich plumes, .similar to the helmets hel-mets of the Sixteenth century. The noble no-ble guard wore, their new uniforms of bright red. After an hour of very fatiguing waiting a majestic procession began to appear. It was composed of the great dignitaries of the church, the forty-five cardinals present, pres-ent, gorgeous in their red robes, alone making a most imposing, characteristic and picturesque group. At 11 o'clock precisely the great bell off St. Peter's rang out a signal which was followed by the clanging of the bells of about 500 churches in Rome as they sounded the announcement that the pontiff pon-tiff was on his way to the basilica. The life of the ancient city seemed to pauge for a moment, hats were raised and the sign of the. cross was made. Shortly afterwards, aft-erwards, inside St. Peter's, silver trumpets trum-pets blared out their message and the pontiff appeared. The people held their breath for a moment and then all of the pent up enthusiasm burst forth in a tremendous tre-mendous roar of welcome. From his elevation on the new sedia gestatoria, carried by twelve men in costumes cos-tumes of red brocade flanked by the famous flabelli (spreading feather fans), and surmounted by a white and gold canopy, the pope appeared to be more than a human being. He seemed to be a white spirit, this impression being added bv the pontiff's white robes and white mitre, delicate features, face white as alabaster and his thin hand moving slowly in benediction. As the sweet toned, well trained voices of the Sistine choir sang "Tu Es Petrus" thousands of voices shouted "Long live Pope Leo!" handkerchiefs fluttered in the air, the banners of the various societies so-cieties represented were waved and many of those present, overcome with emotion, sobbed loudly -hile others fainted from excess of feeling or fatigue. Meanwhile the pope proceeded slowly on what seemed a carpet of heads, absorbing ab-sorbing the entire attention of the vast throng. When the pope arrived at the throne, the ceremony proceeded rapidly. Leaving the sedia gestatoria the pontiff knelt and praved and then rose without assistance, donned the falda and the new triple crown and the celebration of the mass began. At the moment of the elevation of the host a profound silence fell on the assemblage, as-semblage, the guards presented arms, the people knelt, where it was possible for them to do so, and from the cupola : came the clear, thin sounds of silver trumpets giving the idea of heavenly music. The pope then administered the papal benediction and retired to a room for restoratives, re-storatives, prepared on purpose every time he goes to St. Peter s. There, addressing ad-dressing Dr. Lapponni, his private physician, phy-sician, the pontiff said: "You see that after all your warnings, the ceremony did me good. What touching touch-ing loyalty." -It was calculated that there were about 73.000 people present. There were about 1,000 Americans in the tribunes and the body of the churches. The trans-Atlantic visitors present included Mgr. Kennedy, rector of the American college at Rome, with eighty-five American students; Mgr. O'Connellthe new rector of the Catholic university at Washington: the Very Rev. Rudolph Mayer, general of the Carmelite order; General and Mrs. Clous and Charles Bristed Astor of New York. ! Alarming Rumors Regarding the Pope's Health Practically Confirmed. Con-firmed. Rome, March 1. Dr. Lapponi, the pope's physician, this morning. made a last effort to induce his holiness to renounce re-nounce his reception of ihe cardinals. He remonstrated with him, saying: "Your holiness, my duty is to point out that your health would greatly be benefited by your resting today." The pope replied: "My clear doctor, before your valuable advice comes my duty, which I shall perform until the end." The audience was held in the pope's private library. and Leo XIII spoke continuously for half an hour with the forty-two cardinals present. No address ad-dress was delivered and th:- most important im-portant words were when the pontiff referred with emphasis to his advanced age and approaching end. He was led to speak thereof in reminding the cardinals car-dinals that the room in which he was receiving them was the same in which Pius IX held his last consistory, he (Leo) being present, but in bed. The cardinals greeted this reference to the possible approach of death with a chorus of noes and with exclamations of "We have all come to wish you a long life." ' By this time the excitement of the reception had improved Leo's appearance. appear-ance. When he entered the library his form was bowed and trembling, but he now seemed to have acquired strength and animation. He showed the cardinals a magnificent antique clock which had just been presented to him by the Count of Caserta, the head of the Naples .branch of the Bourbon family. fam-ily. Before retirement he presented to each cardinal a richly embellished pamphlet 'reviewing . the chief events in his pontificate, including a Latin poem of his own composition and five of his most important encyclicals. His holiness ."aid: "I will order that the few cardinals absent, like Cardinal I Gibbons, shall also have it." j i Pope Refuses to Stay in Bed Physi- cian Apprehensive, But No Signs j of Collapse. ; Rome, March 5. Dr. Lapponi visited the pope today and found him no worse I with regard to symptoms of any spc- j cial illness. The phvsician has forbid- i den any one to see the pontiff, except the latter's nephew, Count Caniillio Pecci, who entered tho pope's room as Dr. Lapponi left it. The fact is that the pontiff's physical j ! prostration is due to overwork and ' over-excitement. which. however.; i leaves his mental faculties perfectly clear, wonderfully so. indeed. There- ' I fore Dr. Lapponi thinks that a few ! days' rest will restore the pope to his j I usual condition. The physician also says that the suspension of audiences j will induce the numerous pilgrims and j notable persons who are now in Rome j to abandon the - idea of seeing the j pontiff and thus avoid causing the lat- i ter further fatigue which might place j him in serious danger. j Count Camillio Peed, after his visit ' to his uncle, gave the Associated Preps correspondent a full account of the pontiff's condition, saying he would not hesitate to tell the truth tren were j the pope really sick. "',' "The pontiff not only not suffer- ing from any specific sickness." re- marked the count, "but it will be difficult dif-ficult ti ontinue to keep him quiet, aw ; ho. said to m: 'The doctor wishes ihat I should stay in my room until Monday, but I cannot have so many people waiting who came to Rome purposely pur-posely to ee me. if I continue as wel; as f sun at present T shall resume my audi -rues on Saturday.' " Continuing. Count I'ecri said: "In the uieanwhile the pope has announced th:tt U- wiil assist lomorrow at tile usual J.rnteu ."ertnor,. together with the cardinals. Dr. T.a;i.oni would have lik.d the pontiff to lo e; to his bed. s-. as to regain his s-trcnuth quicker, but the pope said: ' 'I c-.ir.r.oc do ir. Staying in bed instead of strem:hei)ir.-- nit? weakens me. f.esides I need light and air.' Yesterday the petit if:! arose at 4 o'clock in tile afternoon, but today get up at ! a. in. an 1 will remain tip until the evening. The pope had his usual conferences with S.-eretary of State Rampol'.a and employed the remainder of his time xt reading th- very many telegrams received, wishing to prsion- ally examine eacii of tluen." Count l'ecei ended wilii saying: "The best proof that there 1s not much tho I matter with the pontiff is that today j he had for luncheon a u'lo.! beefsteak." |
