Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-05-16
will prevent the importation of pesti-
lence into the South.-Aemphis Appeal.
The Tomb of Christopher Columbus


A controversy having arisen respect.
ing the whereabouts of the final burial
place of Christopher Columbus, both
Havana and Santo Domingo claiming
to contain the ashes of the great dis.
coverer. Until quite recently it was
believed that the remains, taken up
from their resting place in the capital
OF Santo Domingo, had been removed
to the island of Cuba in Spanish
man-of. war end redeposited in niche
prepared for them at the Cathedral
Church at Havana. Thousands OF
Americans have seen the tawdry, but
interesting mem orial slab which in that
church commentaries him who gave
New World to CASTLE and to Leon.
On the 10th of September. 1877, how
ever. the city of Santo Domingo be-
came excited over the alleged discovery
in the Metropolitan Church of the
Indies of q small coffin shown by in
dubitable signs, exterior and interior,
to contain all that was mortal OF Chris
topher Columbus. An accomplished,
conscientious and eloquent Spanish
writer, Senior Manuel Colmeiro, has
recently issued work, Los Restos
de Colon" which throws considerable
light on the vexed question. It is dis
tinctly conclusive as to the fact that the
only accredited remains of Columbus
which ever existed in Santo Domingo
were removed to Havana in the month
of December, 1895. At that time the
Spanish authorities in Santo Domingo
ordered tomb to be opened in the
Cathedral of Santo Domingo on the
Gospel side of the main chapel, in
which were found some fragments of q
leaden coffin with "some pieces of
human bones and a quantity of decom-
posed matter recognized as the remains
of human body" This tomb, so
opened in December, 1895, at the earn
est instigation of General Aristizibal,
the Spanish COMMANDMENT Chief, who
feared. and had good reason to fear,
the probable proclamation of the great
discoveries tomb by the French Re-
publican negroes of Hayti, had been
regarded for nearly three centuries as
opened in. 1888 on the suggestion of
an Intelligent French traveller, NJ.
Moreau de st. Merry, by the Church
authorities, and the Dean of the Cathe-
dral Chapter, Don Jose Nunez de
Caceres, testities that it then contained
ga leaden coffin in very bad state.
with number of bones,' which bones
were "thoSe of the Admiral Christie.
pher Columbus" From 1888 back to
the time of the death of Colum bus at
Valladolid. May 20, 1906, the history
Of these remains has been traced with
great candor and apparent accuracy by
Senior Colmeiro.
Immediately after the death of Col
umbus his remains were deposited in
the Franciscan Convent at Valladolid.
Thence they were removed in accord
ance with the Admiral's express desire
to the Carthusian Monastery of Las
Cnevas, without the walls of Seville,
in transiiu for the New World. This
removal certainly took place before the
year 1923. In 1886 they were trans
ported to Santo Domingo. From 1857
to 1910 the grandson of Columbus, Don
Luis Colon, who received the remains
in Santo Domingo and with them a
royal order signed by Charles V. al
lowing them to be inferred in the royal
vault of the main chapel, had to battle
with the Dean and Chapter to get this
royal order obeyed. However, at last,
in 1540, the point was carried, and nine
years afterwards, in 1919, we find the
first Archbishop of Santo Domingo
writing "that the tomb of the great
Admiral which contains his bones is
much venerated and respected in the
Church of Santo Domingo" From
that time tradition is constant in its
recognition of the tomb which was
opened by the pions and patriotic care
OF Gen. Aristiz;bal in December, 1895.
Whatever grounds there may be for
believing that the traditions of Santo
Domingo as to the tomb opened in
1895 were accurate, and therefore that
the remains transferred to their actual
resting place in Havana were indeed
those Of Columbus, Senior Colmeiro
makes it clear, even to demonstration,
that the tomb opened May 10, 1877, in
ssanto Domingo, did not then contain
and never can have contained the re.
mains of Christopher Columbus, the
discoverer. 1t is possible, and Senior
Colmeiro even inclines to think it prob.
able, that this tomb may really have
been the tomb Of one Of the grandsops
of the great Admiral, Christopher
Columbus, the second, brother of
Don Luis, the third Admiral, who died
between the 9th OF January and the
10th of April, 1879, In Santo Domingo.
One of those very clever fellows that
are often seen at social parties, amusing
the guests by their accomplishments,
ingenuity, and wit, created quite an ex.
element in Ottawa not long since. He
claimed to be mesmerist, and select
ing dull-looking subject, soon exer-
cised his wonderful power, and forced
the victim to do some very absurd and
laughable things. When the poor fell
low had gone on in this way for over an
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