Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-03-18
Independent in all things
ASHTABULA, OHIO, SATURDAY, MARCH IS, 1877.
of the hammer and trowel came up from

an army Of workmen.
THE TOWER OF COLUMBUS
AT the Southeast corner OF the CITY,
where the river meets the sea, stands
the Tower of Columbus, the center Of
the citadel, its lofty square mass soaring
above all other structures in the city,
From its summit vessels approaching are
deserted and signaled hours away at sea.
One of its thick-walIed and strongly
grated cells, high up in mid-air, is shown
as the dungeon where Columbus was i'm
prisoned by Bovadila. All about the
citadel are wide wastes of ruined pal.
aces and monasteries. Almost in the
center of the city is the great cathedral,
once the richest shrine in all America,
but long since despoiled Of its golden
ornaments and precious stones. The
high altar is still plated with an immense
field of silver, and the sacristy still con-
tains in the old mahogany drawers,
robes OF priests and bishops, whose fa-
ded splendors OF tarnished gold and
tilne-stained silks, are mirrors of the de-
parted glories Of this archiepiscopal see,
where the Primate of all the Indies min
istered. The great nave, flanked by two
imposing aisles, is bordered by a row Of
six chapels on either side, each dedicated
to saint whose image looks down from
its altar. Several paintings OF merit are
still hanging on their walls, though most
of them are sorry daubs. The roof is
very wide, and though not lofty, as in
the great gothic cathedrals of Europe,
for the earthquake torbids soaring and
delicate masonry, the effect is very grand
by mere vastness in the spread of the
arch and the immense sweep of the
nave In one of the chapels is shown
the mahogany cross erected by Colum-
bus upon a mountain, Cerro Santo, COM
manding view of the great plain of
Vega Real-the first cross erected upon
this island. Its apocryphal wood is
coveted by relic-hunters, who are permit
ted to cut away bits for slight fee--a
destruction which does not embarrass
the holy men who have it in custody, as
/ it is replaced every few years. 1t has
been three times burned, but to the
strong faith OF the devout this is no Sc
rious discredit, for by new miracle it
was each time saved or renewed. A
more inspiring relic is the slab near the
high altar which for centuries COW
cred the ashes of Columbus. In ev-
cry part of the city are huge churches,
or the ruins of churches, far more than
could ever have been necessary for the
accommodation of the population. San
Francisco Church and Convent on the
north side of the city, near the wall, al
ready mentioned, is a vast and most
picturesque ruin, as beautiful as Melrose
Abbey, which it strongly resembles
from some points of view, though it is
much more extensive, and its tropical
vegetation overspreadng the crumbling
masses, is infinitely more striking than
English evergreens or MOSES. ST. Mich
elias Church, in the midst of the city, is
a high, massive, splendid ruin-the
beautiful roofs of some of the chapels,
and the mordngs and tracings over the
high altar, still almost as perfect as ever.
The churches of La Merced, with its
great square belfry crowned with bat
tlemented towers; Los Remedies, with
sun-dial turned askew by an earth
quake; Regina Angelorum, San:a Bar
bar, Santo Domingo, Carmen aud half
dozen Others tell OF an earlier age and
heartier faith.
DIR. Brown, in his history, published in
1886, of Santo Domingo, tells of the or
igin of this city the following remantc
story. A Spaniard returned to the set
tlement at Isabella in 1896 from this
coast of the Island, whittier he had
strayed, and where he had become en-
amored of an Indian girl who resided in
this vicinity. The latter, to allure her
lover to remain permanently with her,
told him of the superiority of this part
of the island, of its'mines of gold, which
was SO much valued by his ceuntrymen,
and of its greater salubrity than the
sickly fens around the vicinity of Isabel
la, and urged the removal of the Span
lard to a residence on this more favored
coast. The Spaniard reported these
things to Columbus, who was then on
the eve of his departure for Spain, and
! had placed the government of the colo
ny in the hands Of his brother, Don Bar
thoomew- The latter was Immediately
ordered by Columbus to explore this
part of the island during his absence,
and ascertain the truth of the Spaniard's
report From this incident, so casual
and trivial, arose the first permanent
city of the new world Don Bartholo-
NEW had already made an expedition to
this coast, when he received letters from
his brother ordering him to select site
for the establishment of town in this
region. This spot was chosen, and the
settlement was named Santo Domingo,
in honor of the father of Columbus,
whose name was Dominick.
Ben Johnson having heard that Lord
Craven was anxious to see him, went to