Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-24
MORNING LEADER
WEDNESDAY aIORNING. JUNK "a, 1888
scenes in tho church ofthe HOLY seBulohrc.

1
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JUNK 94,Iss8
Scenes in the Church Of the Holy sepulchre.
A correspondent Of the London Times,
writing from Jerusalem on the 18th Of
April, describes the scenes he witnessed
in the Church Of the Holy Sepulehre on
the 10th Of that mouth.
The sight that met the eye was twofold
first the walls and roof enveloped in
blaze Of unequaled light; and, secondly,
the floors covered by families made MP for
the night. The families covered the floor
far more wonderfully than the light COW
cred the walls. Some shady spot on the
latter you might have found, but not an
inch on the former was untenanted The |
galleries were equally occupied, and many |
were the crates and large squsre planks /.
projected from inches in the wall sll full |
and covered with devotees. We made our !
way over bodies sleeping and disposed for
sleep, to our places, and then looked over |
the vast circumference. Every variety of |
form was there, every variety of dress, ev-
cry variety ofnation, every variety of "get |
up for the night.
A hustle was heard, and in a single file |
there came enc hundred Turkish soldiers, |
with bayonets fixed, officers, and Colonel. |
The Colonel was armed, not only with his
sword, but with a more serious weapon.
He had q whip of bulls hide, silver mount
ed in its long handle, and with a stiff
thong which reached twice as far as his
sword just what you read of in the lara
bian Nights" He preceded his leading
soldier, shrieking at the top Of his voice at
each recumbent form, and striking at it if
not instantly out Of the way, bedding and
all, with blows that resounded through the
whole church. His oaths and language
were dreadful, his blows more noisy still.
The scene would have disgraeed gambling
hell, and yet it was the house Of Christ
Aushrank from him as from an exploding
she'll The stricken ones writhed under
the fearful blows. If any even made o
cry, they were Immediately handed over
to the soldiers, and violently thrust out Of
the church haoA---s-4t- INC way down the
-nI1s5 and the great fear Of election kept
the majority quiet.
When beds had been piled on beds, and
the way was cleared, it was held by the
soldiers, and the Turkish Colonel, who had
just knocked man down with the butt
end of a musket (he was introduced TO us
afterwards, and seemed with ladies q very
gentle being) looked complacently around,
as if he had done the Christian religion
good service. All this time you must not
think the church was quiet, It was the
most noisy assemblage L ever was in. All
who were not asleep were talking or
shrieking, or singing hymns or quarreling
with each other. You had tG baWl to make
yourself heard even by the person next to
you and as all were bsWling at once,
and there were probably five or six thous-
and people in the church and chapels, and
scarcely ten together we're baWling the
same language, it was rather q tower Of
confusion than a Church Of God entering
on its most sacred ceremonial
The pageant began. Itlasted from nine
at night till four in the morning; but we,
with great exertion, got away at two. 1t
consisted in nothing more or less than in
carrying Jesus Christ all about the place
They carried Him from prison, where He
was crowned with thOrns. They carried
Him from prison to the stone of Flagella-
ton where he was scourged. They carried
Him up stairs to Calvary, where he was
crucifed. They parted His garments
among them, and cast lots upon His Ves-
ture. They took him down from the Cross
and carried him TO the stone Of UnctiOn,
where he was annointed. They carried
Him to the sepulehre, where He was bu-
ried. They carried a cOyerlet for the
tomb, very much like the one [ saw leave
Carlo for Mecca to envelope thu Holy
rnTngs wnetner ne f5gs5r il lh, sll tAssss Alfs
went through His duty in the other parts
Of the church, as in the garden where He
appears to His mOther-whether He van
ished out Of the church at the spot marked
for that event, and whether the true Cross
was buried and found three hundred years
afterward in the crypt Of Santa Helena.
we were too tired 10 wait and see.
As pageant, it was magnificent. Flags /
and banners, mitred heads, croziers and |
diamonds, deep bass voices, three thousand |
hands armed with living flame, crosses 4
and genuhections, incense and blessings. |
Roman candles and other sWeetmeats, ali |
made up vision which millions have
come from distant parts of the earth to see,
and none should, on any account, omit,
who are near the Holy Land at Eastern
tide. There were two sermons during the
performance-one at the stone of Unction
at half-past eleven another at the sepul-
chrn, OF nalf-past one. During these, I
worked my way through all the different
parts Of the church. The unbelieving
(Who came to see the great sight of the
morrow and the undevout were all asleep.
or trying TO sleep. In the corridor Of the
Latin Church, where our Lord appeared to
Mary as the gardener, land which, with the
Greek nave, is the only part that is proper
ly preserved, l saw two or three barems
of ladies, who had come to see the Gaiours
show
They were evidently rich, and were
refreshing sight amid the mass Of squalid
misery, dirt, and filth which lay around
Their beds and night dresses were Of the
sOftest and whitest their coverlets Of the
richest silks; they sat up laughing and
chatting, and signaling to each other with
the smallest hands, the whitest of arms, /
and the darkest ofeyes. They pulled their
yashmaks down that the Giaour might see
their faces. Their black maids hustled
about over the beds, and the young ladies
ducked their heads under, and then put
them out again, and sat up. and laughed
till the place rang again, while three tall
ennuhs knelt down, with drawn swords,
in front of that soft mass of down and
silk, and flesh, perfumed with rose-Water.
It was almost the only dry, and
clean place in the church. In all the cor
ridors, in the entire circuit of the aisle, in
all the chapels, in the Church of the In
vention OF the Cross, in our SavioF's \
prison, in all the aisles, ruin and desOla-
ton are making rapid strides Not pill
lar, not floor, not wall, not roof, is
ft for the house of God.
The effluvium that hung about was un-
bearable. 1t was, Of course, rendered
worse by the qualities Of food which was
being eaten and brought IN hs OsUen by
thousands of hai-ers IdrIng the next tWen-