Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-17
A Similar Event at Venice.
To the Editor Of TIE EVENING Star:


The recent letter of the United States consul
at Malta, which appeared In your columns, rela-
tive to the exhumation Of the remains of John
Howard Payne, late consul at Tunis, recalls
| similar event at Venice in the summer of 1881.
The American consul at that port had been In
structed by Mr.. Webster, then Secretary of
State, to cause the disinterment of the remains
of his immediate predecessor in the consulate,
William A. Sparks, Of South Carolina, and to
transmit them to the United States by the
! race Independence, then with the steamer
Mississippi at the port Of Trieste, under the
broad pennant of Commodore Morgan. It may
here be fntimated that, some two years pre-
viously, the Mississippi had conveyed Mr.. Payne
| from Marseilles to his consulate at Tunis. The
channel of the Ldgunes was too shallow to per-
nit either of the vessels to venture to the
port of Venice. 1t was necessary, there
fore to transport the remains to Trieste
plying daily. or, rather, nightly, between the
two ports. Mr. Sparks had been our repre-
sentative at Venice during all the horrors of
| the Austrian siege and bOmbardment Of that
city and it's final capitulatien,. in the fall
OF 1849, and was one of the last victims Of the
| cholera, which, with famine, had fastened. If it
did not cause, the capture of the heroic City of
the Sea. Under the most favorable circun-
stances an exhumatiOn is not very easily effected
in southern Europe But Venice was then
cholera less than two years before. The season
was midsummer. It could not be expected,
! therefore that any Of the customary formalities,
| at the very least, would be dispensed with.
Owing, moreover, to recent events-(the arrest
| Of Mr.. Brace at Grosswardein and his seemingly
enforced MISREPRESENTATION sympathy with
KOssuth-Mr. Webster's Hulsemann letter and
his vigorous protest at the Austrian
post office violation of our government
seal. &c, &C., the Austrian authorities were
by 10 means anxious to show themselves spe-
| cally Obliging to the United States in anything.
Indeed, quite the reverse. Obstacles which at
| first seemed insurmountable were, however.
after considerable delay, by persistent pertina-
city, finally overcome, aud at length the order
was issued, with rigid restrictions. for the exhu-
nation. It was on the morning of the 9th day
OF July, before sunrise, that the consul, with a
Venitian friend, repaired in his gondola to the
cemetery on the lonely islet of st. Christopher,
to superintend the dsinterment. He found
there no less than fifteen men awaiting his ar
rival, detailed by the municipal authorities to
effect the removal There was also. case Of
lead, heavy box Of two-inch plank, thickly
coated with pitch, plumbers furnace and
tools, and large cask Of pulverized charcoal.
The sandy soil, or rather the ashes of
human remains Of centuries accumulation,
were speedily removed and the coffin was raised
and at once deposited In the leaden chest and
herIheticdly seated bv TIE pluinDer. me CneSC
was then lifted into the deal box, the Sides bot
tom and top were packed with the charcoal pow
der, the cover screwed securely to it's place. and
the whole wrapped in tarred canvas and bound
with iron bands. The sun had been up some hours
when the task was completed. the consul and
his friend being partially protected from it's blaz-
ing rays by the shadow of small tree. The
ponderous box, by the united efforts of the if
teen men, was placed in barge, the United
States flag was thrown over it, the empty grave
was filed, a few sprigs Of cypress were plucked
as memento Of the spot and the whole party
returned to the city. The next STEP of course,
was the transportation of the box to the trigate
at Trieste. but the steam packet of the Austrian
Lloyds at once and fatty refused to take it at
any price! Days of negotiation ensued. At one
time 1t seemed inevitable that the frigate should
cross the gulf and lie Off the port Of Venice and
receive it from the barge. But all things must
have an end. Obstinacy was overcome by obsti-
macy. An order came at last from the Trieste
directory for the reception OF the box by the
steamer, the Inflated remains were conveyed to
that port over the rough Adriatfc, hoisted on
board the Independence lying of the harbor,
and in the darkness OF night, In ignorance Of
the superstiti0us seamen, lowered into her hold,
and soon after the frigate spread her wings for
Spezzia and home. F.