Harbin, Jan. 19.
'The weather turned out' excellent for the annual traditional Blessing of the Waters, a ceremony which has been observed by the Russian Church for centuries, and which every Russian of the old faith makes a point! of attending. To-day the sun shone brilliantly on the rick vestments of the priests, on the banners and crosses eat ried In the great procession, which wended {ts way from all the Russian churches in the city and on the special Cross of Ice, erected in the middle of the Sungari River at a Spot where a hole had been cut for the priest to bless the water.
"The processions started out carly in the morning from the various Harbin churches and joined at the Blogovesichensk Church, the one nearest to the river edge. From this point, the procession, which numered thousands, proceeded {to the bank and then over the lee to the selected spot. A dense mass of people packed tke shore, while besides the actual worshippers, there were many Japanese and Europeans who not only watched the ceremony but were busy with their cameras the! whole of the time, 'There was a heavy frost but the wind was not so bitter as it has been recently, making it possible to stand fon the ice without being frozen. The "sun poured down its warming' rays fand helped to make a scene, such as feannot now be found in any other part of the world, To-day's cere-many was similar to that seen on the Neva in front of the Winter Palace In St. Petersburg in former!
lacking however, the booming 101 guns from the Fortress: of St. Peter and St, Paul, Here the bells of all the churches rang clearly throughout the entire church ceremony. The words of the Priest, as well og the anthems sung] by the choir, wore broadcast by the Harbin Radio to all parts of Manchoukuo as well as to Japan.
From 20 to 25 persotis bathed in' the ley waters after they had been Dlessed, including a 70-year-old Rus sian, who has bathed in the blessed waters for 48 years without a break, in olden days in Russia and for fifteen years in Harbin. One or two Indies drove up in motor ears, threw off their heavy furs and plunged into the water In. bathing costumes, immediately returning to their cars, to drive home again.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.