The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-01
BURIAL PLACE OF COLUMBUS.


49, Y0RK. August 3L-Senor SuareZ.
Che diplomatic representative Of san Domia-
ms country, taxes a warm interest
III th:. controversy about the various places
where the bones of Christopher Columbus
nre supposed to repose Some people asser
that they are in Havana, but the Senior Is
of these who contend they are still in san
Domiego. The controversy IS so exciting
that It appears there may be a falling ont
between Spain and San Domingo The
Benor talked freely on the subject today.
eve know" he said, THAT Columbus
died at Vallodolid in 1906; that between
1907 and 1913 his remains were taken to the
convent Of Las Crevas at Seville; that be-
tween 1887 and $40 they were removed To
the cathedrBl of Santo Domingo; that in
1875 box purporting TO con-
tain the remains OF the Illus
trious admiral was taken TO the
cathedral of Havana, where it lies today.
And lastly, that fn September, 1877, while
yvorkmen were making some repairs in the
cathedral of Santo Domingo two vaults
were discovered, one of which contained
the remains of the Admiral Don Louis
Colen. due of Neraguas, etc, and the other
the remains of the First Admiral Don
Cristoval Colombo, the discoverer Of
America The Official documents showing
the authenticity of this discovery leave no
doubt whatsoever in regard to the exist
eDce of the remains in the vaults OF the
cathedral Of Santo Domingo. You are
aware that.Santo Domingo was the favorlte
land of Columbus and that he expressed
In his will the desire that his remains
should be buried in a chapel to be built
and properly kept by his heirs at town
called Conception de la Vega, in His
DanioIa. now Santo Domingo. But they
rest today at the Cathedral of the capital
of the island, notwithstanding all that has
been published to the contrary"
but how do you explain the existence
of the Chapel el Templete, erected in Ha-
vana with the special object Of serving as
2 repository of the remains OF Coiumbut"
Every easily" said the senor The act
of the exhumatiou OF the pretended relics
o. the illustrious admiral, bearing the date
of December 20, 1895, and signed by Don
Jose e. Hidalgo. notary of the chamber OF
the royai audience of Santo Domingo, does
not set down in explicit terms that the rel
les exhUmed from one of the tombS OF the
cathedral and transported to Cuba were
those of Columbus. The act simply says
that they found in said tomb certain lead
plate, supposed to be parts of a coffin, and
therein bones and dust supposed TO be hui
man remains Now, If the remains said to
he deposited at Havana are the genuine
ones. nothing could be easier than to prove
their authenticity by proceeding TO a sol
emn examination before reSpectaDle ana
trustworthy witnesses, such as the foreign
COnsuls residing at Havana.
On the other hand, If the relics existing
at Havana prove TO be the real relics Of
the illustrious navigator who did so much
for the glory and greatness of Spain, now
IS the time for the Spanish people to show
their gratitude AID veneratton for the
great discoverer of the new world by re-
storing his mortal remains to the place
where be wished them to rest in peace and
by joining the Dominican people to raise a
memorial to Columbus on the spot where
he was put in irons like a vulgar criminal
and sacrificed to the petty hatred of enem-
fes. This veXatiOus misunderstanding
has been the cause of bad feelings between
the two countries and it is very probable
that on this account Santo Domingo will
abstain from taking part in the celebration
that viii take place in Madrid in 1892 to
commemorate the four hundreth anniver
Bary Of the discovery Of America"