Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-05-27
r From the Portland Duly Advertiser ]
THINGS IN NEW ORLEANS. .
A WALK AMONG THE GRAvksr

This afternoon, april 2sd,) walked under
hot sun--the day was as warm as our 4th ol July
among the tombs and the graves IN The Catho.
lie burning ground strOlled into Catholic
chapel near by. The priests in the church were
periormlnp services over a dead body. Colored
persons sat there or kneeled there with wax Ia
ners i'm their hands. A sexton, with cross or
a smear. and military band over his shoulders,
stood back Of the cross and the coffin Two priests
and a little boy were making loud noises IN La
tin and in Frcnch. and one was sprlnSlins the.
coffin with incense and holy water. The hearse
was at The door. The coffin was soon brought
out. The priests preceded the hearse. Men aud
women with wells. or bare headed, some under an
umbrella, aud some without, followed the hearse
ON foot to the grave yard.
went into the grave yard With the procession,
and saw each and all cross themselves as they
went by the crucifx The grave yard is large,
very large, covering perhaps five ten acress it
may be more or less--I cannot measui e acres With
my eye What spectacle is there! The horrid
image is vet 10 my mind cannot drive it from
imagination The tombs were ali above ground.
Those who can afford it, will never be buried un.
der ground. The t6mbs are chiefly. or all, OF
brick. some plastered over, some not. They
are from two and half to three feet highland
there is a little o,en.holp, or front door, into
which the body is put. Some OF the tombs IN
this. the Catholic burying ground. are elegant
and well walled over The weeping willow
overshadowed few, but a very few. A few
flower pots were on the SUBMITS 0f sumo: others
had little paings for suard-and many had IN
scrptiuns.
This grave yard is all dead level, and in
rainy days inundated with water. IL Is morass.
a swamp partl, rescued FROM its wilderness.
fullowed the procession TO the grave. The col
fin was taken from the hearse. The priests re.
ne ated their ceremonies. Some Latin was SAID.
A boy in n scarf and robe brandished the cross.
Hulv water and incense were again thrown over
the coffin. Tie priests ceased aud turned on
their heels. The hease galIopel III, and the
procession dispersed.
| now watched the process OF interment. -
The body was that OF co!0red person who had
died of the cholera (Which is not an epidemic
now The mourners were fur looking mulat.
toes They tarrcd to see the last OF their friend
The grave was not two feet and half deep. |
measured it for curiosity. The bottom was soft
mud, into which | could thrust a stick almost
apv dep,h The water was within foot OF the
TOD of The grave The ciods Of earth around it
were all ciayey-snch earth as would be dug
from bog. The coffin was put into The grave.
and il fuated so as to be level with the surface
A negro, a fend like looking brute, with his
pantaloons above his knees, all covered with the
clay in which he had been working without hat,
without coat or whole shrt,-but with hoe
and spade, mounted on the top of the coffin,
and trampled it anslsv water, and then brother
looking being threw the heavy clods on. The
mourning women also threw on clod or two.
then kneeled round the grave. devouty crossed
themselves, dropt a tear or two as Tor the last
time they bid adieu to form they once valued,
and walked home alone.
then looked around Among the graves.
hole here. and holes there. we're all ready tor the
next comers--some six feet long or more, some
three or four feet long. The water was IN all
the graves. The ground beneath our feet was
like that 0f a swamp the surface oi which the sun
had iucrusted. ! tumbed over broken collins,
pieces Of which were piled in little heaps, and
pieces Of which were placed as stakes to mark
the spot Of the last buried The very earth gave
way under my feet. The vegetation was that OF
swamp. The rank weeds nourished roughly
over many dead budy. Old sticks, old poles,
such as our gardeners stick peas with, with sides
of collins were nut up as grave stones. What
spectacle! tell you the plain truth in unexas-
sera,ed words.
Wandering vet further to the borders OF the
yard. approached what appeared like ovens
and so they are called. They looked exceeding
" like thu oyen-duprs in our kitchens. They
were six OF seven feet deep, SIX or seven ieet high
aud there were three ters-ihat Is, three bodies
could be laid above the same spot OF earth, one
above the other-s' an oven' being assigned for
each. The doors Of these ovens. when filled.
are bricked and piaistered over. On some Of
these there were inscriptions ON marble, per.
haps. Many of these ovens were open mouthed,
warning visitors Of their fate, and almost. as it
were, inviting them to enter. hurried, sick.
ening, from the spectacle. Far from the earth
pes,ilence seemed to be issuing In many places
the odors we're insufferabe.
This morning. april 24,) rose with the sun
so as to escape its burning rays not to be risk
ed, without danger, for long time. by person
not northumberland curiosity again drew me TO
another grave yard. Curiosity is an impulse |
cannot resist. 1t gets the better even Of coward
ice, and all the disgust which haunted me after
Yesterdays stroll. went to the Protestant. the
American buryins ground. The tombs there are
all above ground. but not any were a. neat as
saw in the French graveyard. 1t is more