Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-11


mouth the quaint old Spanish city Of santo
Domingo has stood ever since Bartholomew
columbus. the brother and fellow voyager OF
the great discoverer, founded it there in 1896
10 be the metropolis Of the new world; and
amid Its ruins and churches and houses of this
the Oldest city in the western hemisphere one
can nnd SO much of interest to an American
especially at this date of Columbian festivities.
that 1t would take days to see it all
"hen Christopher Columbus found this
lsiand which now bears the name of Hayti or
San Domingo its beautiful mountains and
iuxurlant valleys drained by crystal rivers
giaddened his sight and he named it Hispanola,
the new Spain, and before his return from the
second voyage he directed his brother to found
the capital OF this new world on the island On
the east bank of the river a little chapel had
been built Of coral stone and shell mortar in
l4s4, and across the Ozama river from the little
cnurch Bartholomew built a fort and lett a
garrison. During the next two wears it grew
and became the center of what little ciyiliza-
ton the western hemisphere could boast. A
wall was built around the city and fortress
with square tower guarded the entrance to the
river.
WHERE COLUMBUS WAS BURIED.
1t was here in 1900 that Bobadilla came from
Spain to inquire into the supposed misconduct
OF Columbus and without trial or inquiry threw
him into prison in the fortress and thence
took him to Spain in chains. The brave old
admiral never returned as "yiceroy of the New
World" (his rightful title), but on the return
TO spain from his fourth voyage in 1904 he
stopped in the port for water and provisions to
hnd his former well-governed city a scene Of
riot and mlsrule, resort for freebooters and
reckless fortune hunters. Columbus never saw
his capital again, but died in 1906 in SPAIN
leaving request to be buried in Santo Do
mlngo. He was first buried in the monastery
OF San Francisco, In Spain. then removed to
the Carthusian Monastery. but it was not until
1886 that his wishes were fulfilled and his body,
or rather remains. for there were only few
crumbling bones were placed in a leaden case
and removed to a vault at the left Of the chancel
in the cathedral at Santo Domingo, together
with the remains of his son Diego, who died at
Montalblan, in Spain. in 1926.
Inc son Diego came out to rule the island in
l5O9 with retlnue of followers and built q
a grand palace at the city gate near the land
ing, and on the hill above he built a monastery
for the San Franciscan monks. the order that
had ever protected and defended his father.
The palace was filled with CAV courtiers and
the city grew in wealth and importance and
was nearly as large as the sleepy old town that
basks in the tropical sun today
RELICS OF THE PAST.
The old wall still stands about the city and
the fortress is still garrisoned and used
as a prison. As one lands at the dock
steamer and few schooners are loading with
sugar, which is hauled to the dock in great
cresking carts, to which the oxen are hitched.
not from yoke as In our own country. but by
thongs passed around the base of their horns.
Through an arched gateway in the old city wall
the road leads up to the city. At the right
stands the time-blsckened ruins of Diego
Colon's palace with its arched windows and
crumbing pillars, while on its walls some of
the original fresco painting shows dimly
through the dust of four centuries. and pieces
OF the tiling that were once trod by the