The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-21
THE DEAD OF MUNICH,
Inantmate Forms On FlOWery Beds Ex-
posed to Public View.


G. G. Fulton writes from Bavaria to the
Baltimore american as follows:
The cemetery at Munich always has
attractions to the visitor On account of
the popularity Of funerals and the expos
ure of tine bodies of the dead for three
days before burial. The law requires the
body Of every one dying ID Munich to be
conveyed to the cemetery within three
hours, there to remain, IN buildings
erected for the purpose, for three days. \
wire is attached to the hands of each
corpse, leading to spring bell, so that an
alarm will be. given to those whose duty
it is to be on. guard in case OF resustica-
ton. We could not asc ertain whether
there had ever been a case OF resustica-
ton, but it appears that long time ago a
case of burial alive had led to the estab-
ishment of this custom, which had been
regularly kept up ever since, to avoid
the recurrence Of such catastrophe.
We Immediately proceeded to thefrst
Of these halls, in which the bodies of the
poor were deposited, and there found
eighteen bodies, not laid as if for burial,
but reclining in floral bowers or resting
upon beds of flowers. Spectators were
not admitted to the rooms, but they were
surrounded by windows, through which
full view and inspection of each could
be had. There were eighteen bodies in
this room, seven of which were infants
and eleven those of grown persons, except
one beautiful girl of about twelve years,
arrayed in white muslin, resting on a
bed of flowers, with wreath Of orange
blossoms around her head, reclining as if
asleep, with her bare arms lying care
lessly by her side. None of them except
the infants, were lying as we usually dis
pose of the dead, but in every case,
whether old Or young, there appeared to
be an effoft to place them in a careless or
half-reclining attitude, so as to have the
appearance of being in a natural sleep.
An old man in this room, not less than
sixty years of age, the body dressed in
black cloth suit, was almost IN sit
ting posture.
Around each body there were also a
number of large bouquets, with cards
attached to them, having been sent to the
cemetery by friends of the deceased, just
as they are sent t. the house by friends
in Baltimore. After the expiration of
three days the body is placed In the
coffin by the undertaken, and the friends
and relatives all assemble at the cemetery
and the funeral takes place. After view
ing the bodies of the poor, and critically
examining the floral decorations, as we'll
as the bodies Of the seven innocents,
which were arrayed in plain white dresses,
we passed on to the adjoining hall, where
the bodies of the wealthy were lying in
state. Each one was numbered, and
list on the outside wall gave TIE name and
age CT the deceased. The twelve bodies
in this room were each LYING in state I'M
der magnificent floral canopies, and
looked as if they were reposing on banks
of the rarest and richest exDtics, carried
up to wreaths and arches over their heads.
They also were lying in positions to re-
semble life rather than death, even to an
old lady, whose age was given on the list
as eighty -four, but who did not look IN
her reclining position, banked up and
crowned with floral tributes. to be more
than sixty. Under another floral canopy
were two little girls about six years of
ace. perfect models of beauty and inno-
cence. There appeared to be boxes under
them, probably Rlled with ice. Just as
we were leaving another infant was
brought into the poor room by girl,
who carried it in white box. From the
number of boxes lying around we sup
pose that they are furnished by the un-
dertaker. Bouquets were being handed
in by some of the friends of the deceased.
and quite number of strangers were
there looking at the bodies and the dec
orations through the windows. None of
them had the CHASTITY appearance Of death,
the effort apparently being to deprive
death of its terrors.