Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-12-13
Catacombs of Palermo.


In the Independent, George Allen Butler thus
describes one of the strange sights at Palermo,
the Sicilian city which has just come into the
possession of the victorious legionS of Carl
baldi:
"The strangest of all the strange sights at
Palermo are the cataeombs of the Capuchins
We are all familiar with the character of the
Roman and Napolitan catacombs, underground
excavations, remarkable for their great extent,
and for their associations with the history of
the early Church The Palermo catacombs
have frightful peculiarity of their own. You
descend from the little church, just outside
the walls, not into deep subterranean pas
sages, but into succession Of vaults, well
lighted aud Of no greater depth than an or
dinary cellar. These vaults are long aud mar
row corridors, on either side of which, in
inches cut out Of the wall, ranging in ghaSty
ranks are preserved the bodies of the dead
not confined out of sight, but each in the garb
appropriate to it while living, or else in a long
robe of winding sheet. Below these inches
are wooden collins, with windows at the sides
to show the faces OF the occupants. Over
head, near the ceiling, are skeletons of chill
dren sitting or Of men reclining all perfectly
the bones Others have nothing left but skull,
and shoulders, and hip bones, with the arms
in front, piously crossed. Some peculiarity of
the soil prevents the ordinary decomposition,
and men buried nearly two hundred years ago
still survive in this skeleton company. Strange
to say, they are not permitted TO rest in peace
On the ID Of November in every year, the
jrtgr des mortiS, or festival of the dead their
relatives flock to this dismal place. the well
known mummieS are taken out of their glazed
collins and dressed in gala costume. They
number not less than six thousand in all and
| know of nothing more fearful than for
living man to ind himself, as l did, unexpect-
euly among this army of dry bones
" The most horrible feature of the whole
exhibition is, that nearly every face wears in
It's fossil decay and ruin dreadful ludicrouS
add comic gaze down upon you, have a sort
of grim vitality Of their own, and through
the entire array it seems as if there was a
dumb integeHce-a mute correspondence
and sympathy-in the sinister and almost
wicked way IN which they return the curious
stare Of the iutraders. Yet you cQnuOt help
staring in spite of all this, and the eye wan
ders from one group TO another, with strange
aud morbid fascination.
Some are large-liuhed, thick-skulled. com
placent in their successful preservation ;others,
with worn and weary looks, as If tired Of such
stiff, calcareouS companionShip Others. who
seemed to have twisted and wriggIed their
joints loose, and must stand perpetuatiy still,
or fall to pieces others, with their rgined
heads hung down, as il in contemplation OF
their ended earthly lie aud Others, inditfer
ent and idle, some indignant like the ghosts
that Dante saw in hell, with scowls and grius
sarcastic-aIl silent, sepalchTal, almost infer.
nal.
"One such sight is sufficient for q lifetime
As write, l recall those spectral forms with
a thrill Of horror-the monks and priests in
scarlet and black, tue children in full holiday
garb, and the women, most hideous Of all, in
capeS and shawls, aud satinS"