New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-09
THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.
PROPOSING THE PURCHASE OF WHAT -
SAID TO BE THE REAL TOME

| railroad from JaiIa 70 Jerusalem comes an appear
! in the English press addressed 70 the members
| of the Protestant Episcopal Church, slened oS
| the Archbishop of Canterbury and nunoer OF
| other Anglican bishops, well Ms prominent !aN
| men, for funds to purchase the site AZ Jerus1Iem
| which according TO the researches Of General Cor
| don and OF the Palestine Exploration COMMITTEE,
| Is believed TO be the location of the Holy oepui-
| chre Topograp hica researches indicate that 'he
ppot now covered with TIE split marble Slap'
which all pilgrims dcvoutly kiss under the imprcs-
sion that it is the Holy Sepulchrc, Is notmug VI
| the kind and that there is no hewn scpuichre
| either there or in the immediate vlcinitN- Inc
sepulchre which the Archbishop of Canterbury
| and his friends now wish to purchase ana Whirh
| is supposed to be the real one lies outsid" the
| present city walls, near the Damascus Cate"
1t is doubtful. however, whether the Sublime
porte will rive it's consent TO the purchase. even
if the money for the purpose is raised Both Rus
| sa and France who each consider Themselves as
| possessing a specie of proprietary right to the
holy places in Palestine are certain strenuouly 10
object TO any act of the kind on the par oil the
Protestant Church Moreover, the Sultan can
certainly have no wish 10 Increase The diilcaitN
which his Government already experiences in keep
ing the various rival scots Of Christians eSfao-
lished at Jerusalem from coming into oper conflict
with each other Until now the Pr0testants nave
proved the least quarielsomc Of the Chils'la'
secs established there. This Is mainly a'trIh-
ntablc to the fact that they have hitherto Ia ~
spccial holy places of their own, and scarcely
think that the Sultan will ferl disposed e. enable
them TO secure any and thu- Great" new elements
Of discorl and trouble in the Holy City
The disputes concerning these holy places in
and around Jerusalem are very bitter There are
even opposition holy places Thus the Latin
Catholics possess what they believe TO be the
Garden of Getlscmanc, which they have fenced
and planted, and the very olive stones. whereof
they sell at a great price TO the faithful who
desire TO make rosaries of them. The Greek
Catholics have set up anothc: Garden of Geth-
semane of their own hard by. and Latins and
Greeks each denounce the garden Of the other
as swindle ard an imposturc They are agreed,
however. upon the site of the Holy Sepuchre. and
this they occupy in common. In the chapel OF
what they believe to he the site of the Holy
Sepulchre. u narrow place in which there is barely
roem for three people to stand. there burn forty
three silver lamps. OF these. thirteen belong
to the Latin Catholics. thirteen TO the
Greek Catholics. thirteen 70 the Armenian
Christians and four 10 the COptic Christians.
Even here the sects would fight but for III"
Turkish authorities. and the most ediiying of all
the sights that the Church of the Holy Sepul-
chre has TO afford is that of the stolid. arme1
Turkish guard seated smoking inside the porch
TO prevent the Christians FROM cutting each
others threats over their religious differences.
At Bethlehem. in the church over the spot
reputed TO b. tho birthpac" Of Christ. post OF
Turkish soldiers has likewise been placed By the
Mahometan Government for the purpose OF
keeping peace between the Christians. The church
=. IL.
Christians and by the Greek and Roman Cath
ocs In this church there is a place covered
by straw mat. and over the straw mat a
terrible battle has been raging for some time
Tie Roman Catholics complain that in some
manner their right OF way is nterfcrcd with
by the mat 10 an extent which, on inquiry proved
TO be eighteen inches The Armcnians declare
that they will rather perish than move the
mat or have it touched. Both parties appealed
to the Turkish Governor. and his common scnsc
suggestion that eighteen inches should be cut
of from the mat has been treated with dcrision
by both sides
II was only year or ago that pitched
battle took place between the Creek Catholics
and the Roman Citholics in this church aroun
what is generally believed 20 b. the Holy Mangor |
Following a custom which has existed for many
generations the GrecL Church cclcbrltes lis
liturgy every Saturday at the ManQcr' as il IS |
generally on that day tla. the greatest number
OF pilgrims arrive in Bcthlchem. One SATURDAY
after the Greek aren't i-hop had celebrated the
liturgy he stayed for moment 10 bless the Host
before proceeding 10 that portion OF the sacred |
ed6ca devoted 70 the Greek Catholics for the |
purpose Of administering the sacrament. While |
he was blessing the lost. ten Franciscan monks. |
who had taken up their position on the other |
side OF the Mangrr, behaved in such manner as
greatly TO vcX the orthodox worshippers As the |
archbishop w9s about ~ return TO the Greek |
orthodox par: of the church the deacon carrying |
the Hest in walking round the Manscr, placed |
lis foot on ground which the Roman Catholics
consider rs belonging 10 them. The moment Ii" |.
did this one Of the Franciscan monks sprang at
the deacon and struch him on the head with a |
stick which he carried under his mantle, so that |
he fell backward with the Host 70 the ground. |
The Creek archbishop immcdiat'ly advanced and. |
holding the cross before the Franciscan, sought |
to protect the deacon But his efforts proved Of
10 avail, and both he and his deacons were SO
numerically beaten that all three had to be con-
veycd 10 the hospital. Since then Turkish guards
have been stationed there.
1t may be added that it was the possession of
this Church Of lie Nativity at Bethlehem which |
led to the dispute that in sj4 resulted in the
Crlnean War
1t i, possible that the opening OF the railroad |
from Jafa TO Jerusalem, which will assuredly |
increase the number of pilgrims, may likewise
augment the disp1'es and the quarre!s of which |
Jerusalem llas been the scene from time immc |
mortal Apropos of this railroad it may be of
interest 10 the readers OF The Tribune to know |
that the locomotives employed are Of American |
construction, and that il was the loot of
Yankee steam whistle which announced the |
arrival of The first railroad train at the Holy |
City.
The Construction Of this railroad has already |
led TO an enormous boom in real estate in and |
around Jerusalem. New buildings are rising |
daily. villas, churches, Shops. cafes and bazaars
are springing up all sides, and are filling |
I'D the formerly desolate neighboIhood 10 the dis |
lance of half ar hours walk beyond the old limits
a;A. L. are N the rnn hnl- |