Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-01-21
REMAINS OF NAPOLEON.
The i;xiil,IllatiOIl.

u hC h IAhUsHhtthOus
The ceremony Of opening tie tomb at
81. Heleno, the remarkable preservation OF
the body, lis appearance, dress, Sc. are fully
described in the following interesting cx.
tracts from the oihcal report Of Count Rohan
Chabot and Captain Alexander, the French
and Engllsh Commissioners appointed to SUI
perlniend The exhumation. The Emperor
Was buried on the OH Of May, le2l-nearIy
twenty years ago.
Aicr mentioning the persons who entered
within The enclosure, The report proceeds as
iolIoss:-
I'VE first removed the IRON railing that sur.
rounded the tomb, together viii! the .trong
layers oi stones on winch ii was fixed ; aud
the covering of The tomb II feet inches by
9 e'ieet inch, composed OF three slabs, se; m
second edgiug of masonry, was then reno.
we'd. THIS was done by half past one. We
thcn iound rectangular wall forming the
four sides Of vault | feet deep, and B feet
by fee, inches IN the area This vault
vas filled wub earth To within u inches OF the
top. After having dug into this earth Tor q
q
cement udhrrlng firmly all over the surface,
and hermellcslly fastened to the sides of the
walls BY three O'clock this layer having
been completely laid bare, the commission.
,rs descended INTO the tomb, and verified thai
II was perfect IN fact aud without any injury
III any part.
The layer Of cement having been cut ihru,
II was found To- cover another layer, 10 inches
thicK, III blocks of stone fastened together
with iron stanchons, which we were not able
tp get removed until alter four hours and
half work. The extreme difficulty Of this
operation decided The English commissioners
on cutting trench Oh the left of the vault.
ana on Knocking down the wall, IN ordri 10
arrive al the coffin. lmme diatey under the
layer thus demolished we found a strong slab
9 feet "a lEehe. long, 3 feet wide aud inch
es thlck, forming The interior sarcophagus
containing the coffin. This slab, perfectly
sound, was surrounded by an edgng OF blocks
of stone and Roman cement strongly fasten.
ed 10 the wall Of the vault. THIS last ece
OF masonry having been carefully removed
ami two bolts having been fixed on the slab
every thing was ready by half past niue COR
opening the sarcophagus. Dr.. Gulard then
purified the tomb by sprInkling chbrate Di
llnc about It, and The s!ab. by order of the
English commissioner, was raised by means
"ta crane, aud lodged on the edge of the !,
tomb.
as soon as The coffin was visible, all pres 1
ent uncovered their heads, and the Able Co |
qucreau sprnklcd holy water, and rccltcd the |
lie Protnndls. 1he commissioners descend. 4
ed To inspect the coihn, which they found
wen preserved, but a small portion of the !
lower pnrt, which,, although it was on a strong
IL nh tlt,lf tod
slightly dccayed. Some sanitary precau-
tons having been again taken bv the sur.
geon, an express was sent off to his Excel
lsncy the Governor, to inform him Of The pro.
gfesS OF The operation, and The coffin was
drawn up BY hooks and cords. and carefully
transported bepcalh II tent aised for its re.
ceptIon. At this moment, the almoner re.
ctiVed the body according to the rites of the
Catholic church. The commits ssioners then /
inspected the sarcophngus. which was cert I
n'n IN be ~ a proper state OF prescrvation |
nnd entirely contormable TO The fiicia des- |
cnptions ct the burial. Conforrnable to the |
arrangements made. we removed with pre-
caution the nrst coffin, in which we found |
coftln OF lead IN good preservation, which we
placed IN that which had been sent from
France. His Excellency the Governor. nc. |
compaDlcd by his staff entered the tent IN /
be present ot the opening Of the inner coffin.
The upper part Of the leaden coffin was
then cut aud raised with the greatest pre
canton within It was found n coffin of wood
~ very good state, and corresponding to the
descriptions and rccollcctions of the persons
present who had assisted at the burial. The
Iid "' the third coffin having been raised, there
was found lining at tn slightly oyydsed.
"hlrh having also been cut through and rails. |
rd. allowed us to see a sheet Of white satin ]:
'his sLr't was raised with the greatest pre- 4
'huil"n 10y iho hands of the doctor only, md
we 'n'lrr BODY OF Napoleon appeared. The I
"b'"reS had suffered go little NJ 10 he imne II
o'r'ly recognized. The different objects
drr"s'ted ~ the c'lfn were remarked in the II
exact positions where they had been placed III
nc h'hus were slhgulary we'll preserved Ill
the "niioHn' the orders. the hat, but little
changed IN" whole person, in fact, seemed
Ia Indicate a recent Inhumation. Tho bod, II
remained exposed Ia The ar for only, n, mos, II
The two minutes necessary for the surgeon 10 II
take the measures prescribed by his ins,ruc. H
hon%, ~ order 10 preserve IL from all further
alteration.
Therrocess verbal of the opening tho cor /
hns, drown up b, DR.. Guillntd, sergeant.mn.
pr of the Belle poulc. continues as follows
"Shncthlng white. which oppearcd to have
bceon" detached from tho lining, covered. \
NJ Hsnh u thin esuze, all that tho cstTit II
Contained. The cr1nlmn and E,rchrad. which II
adhered sirongly 10 tho satin. wcie par,lcn. II
lody stained with u. but worry lhile was seen
on The lnwer pot of the face. on tho hands or
IN ,Ap trs The body ~ the Emperor was
u an c1s" ppsliions when u vas placed ~
he colhn, the upper msmbvis we're llld a.