Wichita daily eagle., 1886-08-06
9ai19 eagle
CURIOUS CEMETERY.
A VISIT TO THE BURIAL PLACE OF
THE CAPUCHIN MONKS.

IH6 CAFOCf1IN MONkS.
The Chastity Mural Decorations OF the
Charnel-Rouse-Curio Scenes I'm the
Dimly-Li:hted Chambers OF the Dead
A Very Rare Experience.
Some things are done in Rome in q way
that would seem strange enough TO the good
people of other countries Let me give you
an instance At the end Of the Wis Capuc-
cini stands the little old church of the
Capuchin monks, church of plain exterior,
but rich within with marbles and paintings
Here is the celebrated St Michael by Guido
a figure known in every Christian land by
the aid of engraving and photography. But
it is not of St Michael that l wish to tell
you, it is of the good brethren of the
Capuchin order, that now are with the
saints, we trust Under this church Is their
burial place, and their place Of resurrection,
too-a temporary resurrection before the
final one. To see that this is properly done
is the duty Of the living members, not
merely their burying but their rising again,
to be clad in their monkish garb and placed
in the niche to which they are entitled ac-
cording to date and regularly established
order.
When in the church go to the left hand
corner near the great altar and by high
railing that shuts you from the dimly
lighted side chapels, you will see a bell-rope,
pull it Not always a safe thing to do, but
here entirely So Soon will appear behind
the railing q snuff colored old gentleman
little black cap like bowl fitting tightly to
the back OF his head, feet in sandals, all the
rest of him enshrouded in a dingy brown
ask to see the cemetery OF the brethren and
he will bid you meet him at a side basement
door outside OF the church; here after wait
ing few minutes, you will hear the key
rattling with the dust Of ages; the door
opens, the monk steps aside and you pass in
and down little narrow stairway into a
long corridor, from which opens a series of
rooms. These rooms are small burial plats
THE GHASTLY MURAL DECORATIONS
The floor is soft brown earth and smooth
as floor; with rows Of cypress trees planted
at the head Of the many graves All the
furniture and adornments of these rooms
are made of human bones-bones of de-
parted CapuchinS The candelabrun hang
Ing In each room is from head, finger and
arm bones. Any one who has visited an ar
senal will remember how sabers, bayonets,
pistols, and the various implements of de-
sructlon are woven into decorative wall
designs, rosettes, stars and the like. Let
him but imagine human bones so used and
he may call up a picture of the ghastly
mural decorations of this strange place,
where scarce a space on either wall or cell
ing Is not embossed with some tasteful de-
sign constructed from the 800 and odd bones
that go to the making of our anatomy. Any
ono wao doubts the picturesque ond decora-
tive qualities latent in a human skeleton
should visit the Cemetery Of the Capuchins
Every alcove or niche, and there are
many, is occupied by the skeleton of long
since departed Capuchin, dressed in the garb
of the order, their cowls falling forward
over the grim skull The effect il height
ened by scraps of hair and beard still cling
ing to the skull and jaws The order
Of promotion, or rotation, is as fol-
lows: Should one of the brethren die,
tho ground being full, then the one who
has been the longest time in the ground is
taken up and dressed, and the brother who is
the oldest occupant of the niche has to give
way for the new conner, who takes his place
in the niche, the old one being dismantled
and his bones distributed among the thou
sands that go to the wall building and deco
ration of the place He has had his day, |
and has thus suddenly been merged in the |
general whole.
Many Of the skeleton statues hold between !
their bony fingers card on which is writ
ten name and date. Some, if they state the
truth, have been SO held for more than |
century. These rooms, while not altogether |
cheerful, yet are SO grotesque and SO deco
rative in their furniture and upholstery |
that the impression made is by no means SO |
awesome as one would suppose; and, strange
to say, there is no charnel house odor to
them This is explained by the fact that
the ground in which tine monks lie buried is
holy earth brought from Jerusalem and
that it absorbs all the impurities that might |
otherwise prove offensive. If this be really |
SO there are other parts Of Rome that should |
be sprinkled with little Of it.
AS you pass from these dimly lighted
chambers of death to the light of day, q
small coin dropped into the hand of the good
brother at the door will not be taken amiss,
nor are you likely ever to regret either the
time or money given for SO rare an expert
ence.-Rome Cor. Detroit Free Press