The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-21
A MUSEUM OF DEATH.
A PLACE THAT Is FULL OF SEN
SATIONAl HORROR.

CatarOtuDs OF Ssciiys Shpit"'' 'S'"s'"'
Tragedies In the Ante Room-Skeic-
tons In Full view--The Dead Standing
in inches Like statues.
The capital Of --PalermO-which
claims nearly quarter million people, is not,
upon the whole, very interesting city, al
though what we In America call very
"sinartn one. 1t is slowly drawing the life
blood from Mcssina, on the other end OF the
north coast II has the average number OF
churches, with their costly spiritual furni-
ture, il has handsome views from the bills
that nearly surround it: it has "A museum
containing some of the stone fragments OF an
cient Greece and Rome; but by far its great
est and most unique curiosityis its Museum
Of Death II is situated near one OF the
edges OF the town, and is called the Capu-
chm catacombs | sad that catacombs
were generally dull affairs, but this is most
startling exception DO not believe there
is any one place in the world that Is so full
of sensational horror
PICTORIAL TRAGEDIES.
You enter a plain ball hung with d multi
tude Of small paintings. These are pictorial
tragedies, telling the form IN which death
came TO those within. One pictures duel,
another the frightful stampede OF horse
the victim crushed under his heels; another
the Door victims fall from "A housetop;
another the fatal bite Of IA serpent, still
ano,her portrays q death in the Shock OF bat
tle MANY are pictured dying quietly IN
their beds some are floating away from
themselves into the regions of eternal bliss.
used 10 wonder at the Italian in America
who came 10 the stOrecutter and wanted him
10 engrave upon his little boys tombstone
picture of the load of hayfrom which he fell
10 his death. but here was the same thing,
only it was Sicilian hay, and done in oil In
stead of marble.
Bat this was only the anteroom 20 the great
assembly room of death \ mild, innocent
looking barefooted monk led Ms into long
corridor. with strong shelves upon each side
ARRANGED not unlikc the berths OF
steamer. only there were five or six of them
in a tier. Upon these shelves lay in full view
the skeletons OF the departed-nany of them
clothed as If they were still living some OF
them had white kid gloves npon their hands;
one woman was dressed IN pink satin, and
the poor grinning skull wore white lace
cap. surrounded by a wreath OF pink arti-
fetal roses. Two brothers embraced III
death: sometimes IA whole family were thus
reunited
Often there were suspended near the bodies
their photographs while living. There never
could be given To mankind palmer lesson
concerning the vanity of all earthly objects.
The beauty of womanhood smiled within
few inches of the shrunken bones that formed
its doeful wreckagc Handsome and intel
lectual man faces apologized for the poor,
idotic looking remains that lay behind them.
4 lovely girl of Is ana "a grand faced old
lady of 50 were among the life and death
contrasts.
THEIR OWN GRIM STATUES.
Many Of the dead stood upright in inches
their own grim statues. Some bowed their
blighted heads as if in deep reflection; others
were kneeling as if in prayer Sometimes
group of crones sat together, IS If talking
over Old times None but could easily he
found by inquiring friends, for each and
every one bore tablet containing tie name
and the date OF death Cardinals III their
faded red robes were there; bishops by the
score, lords and ladies BY the hundred, and
king and queen were not wanting to rule
over this silent and peaceful colony of the
grave.
Through not only one hut many Of these
awful corridors our bright faced monk led us
for there are 5000 guests in the solemn hos
telry In the middle OF the floors were great
piles Of collins heaped up like luggage at a
railway station Some of them were win
dowed with glass and showed plainly their
yhastly occupants, others charitably sealed
their contents from the eye. This commu-
nifty of the dead years is not without its little
ones; in many places lie the skeletons of
children dressed In dainty baby clothes. In
fact. there Is no lesson in the great text book
of mortality that this unique cemetery does
not teach
As ! emerged once more into the blessed
air and saw live sunbeams dancing around
lie 1t was with an effort that adluiged my
self still # the living. felt for while like
an csc sgf1 skeleton, and after pounding and
plnchng myself to be sure that was all
there walked away, thanking God that the
soul and body are two different institutions.
viii Carletons Sicily Letter in New York
Star