McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-13
SKULLS AND SKELETONS.
In the CapPuccini Monastery at Rome
Among the Bones of 5000 Monks.

z "And then l Owed to the caves OF
death, and drew from wither'd bones,
and skull, and heap'd up. dust, con-
clusions most forbidden"
When I was in Rome I dill rs mighty
few Romans do-went to church about
eight times day. They were, in fact,
the only places where one could keep
cool. Rome is hot enough in August
to pass for suburb of Tophet, even
though the good Leo lives there; the
stone pavements become so heated
that the pedestrian thinks he is NOV
able chop in process of broiling on a
gridiron, while the brass angels on the
top of Saint Angelo and Saint ter's
are gradually melting into oblivion, l
am told, for the want of an umbrella or
a Japanese fan.
1t was on such an afternoon that
took refuge temporarily beneath a
group of trees that stand just opposite
the Barberini palace, seating myself
among quantity attired group of fruit
hucksters, with whom soon opened up
a trade to the extent of pocketful of
apricots and figs and few oranges.
Such an extensive commercial transac-
ton threw the honorable body of mer-
chants into the most intense excitement
until l was compelled to seek relief by
escaping. In the rear of the little
market place stood queer looking
church, with such a wonderful archi-
tectural design that it was impossible
to even locate the front door. There I
would certainly find rest and GOODNESS,
and that quiet peace that only q snug
seat in a church pew can
give. At the head of a flight
of stone steps huge oaken door,
studded with rust-eaten nails, barred
the pilgrims progress-knobless, bell
less, c1apperless. 1 had to resort to
my trusty cane with which 1 vigorously
thumped the closed portal. A chain
ratified, bolt was drawn, a key
turned slowly, the door sprung open
and stooped-shouldered specimen of
antiquity of monkish mien and costume,
with shaven head and barred feet,
peered through the aperature. 1 babe
him good day in my best Italian-con-
Observation-Disclosures style, but the
only response that came was the beck
oning of his loug, skinny finger. 1
willingly followed, as much mesmer-
| lied by the finger as actuated by curl
osity. Throug Oh corridor after corridor,
lined with the portraits of hundreds of
| holy fathers of the past centuries who
stared ominously at me as my Alpine
boots echoed along the stone floor;
through gloomy passages and old
doors, through chapels and rooms we
passed, but no church interior was re-
vealed. On the contrary, he led the
way down flight of stairs, where an
other huge key opened another door
which closed upon me with startling
echo. I was in a cellar, illumined
only by few streaks of light that
forced its way through the narrow,
dust covered window at the top. A
rapid glance around Mortified me. A
nightmare of the most elaborate kind
seemed to have taken possession of my
mind, all the spooks and COLLINS and
gorgons of my childhood faded into
nothingness. The ghost that inhab-
tied the garnet in our old farm house
ever since the hired man was found
dead was an angel in comparison with
the sightl beheld. Right in front of
me, so close that could almost touch
the horrible creature, stood grizzly,
grinning, grotesque skeleton, its un-
even Uranium ornamented with little
tufts of dried and withered
hair, the orbless eyes looking
through and through; its lines
of moIdy teeth standing out in hideous
prominence; its bony fingers elutching
string of beads and bunch of flow
ers withered as itself. Then it dawned
upon NE had accidentally strayed into
the: famous Cappuccini underground
cemetery. It was the most extensive
gallery of sculpture 1 had ever seen.
Skulls to the right of me, skulls to the
left of me, skulls around me grinned
and scowled. From graceful arches
and bedecked affairs; from cobwebbed
walls and massive columns, hundreds
upon hundreds of pale, yellow. discol
ored skulls faced me some with dis
tended mouths and awry features, as if
their last struggle had been paroxysm
of pain; some gazing with unutterable
horror on their f1eshless companions;
some smiling dlabolically as if they
gloated over the fact that the world
would have to follow them. On the
floor were piled cord after cord of neat
ly arranged bones, surmounted by ped
estals of skulls propped up by the more
distinguished monSs, clad in brown
cowls and moth-eaten cassocks. From
the ceiling were suspended clocks and
chandeliers and hanging baskets made
of connecting bones; the walls were
covered with curious ornaments more
repulsive than picturesque-cente
pieces of leg bones bordered with radi-
ating ribs and spinal joints; arches and
pillars covered with twisted vertebre;
bas-reliefs of knee-caps and ankles rep
resent,ng historical and legendary fig
ures. No less than 5000 good old
monks have contributed their anatomy
to build up 'sthis bony framework" as
Hawthorne called it, and one cannot
blame the inquisitive if irreverent New
| tn \