The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
A HEATHER CEMETERY.
1t Is One of the Interesting Sights OF
BROOKLYN.


From the New York Advertiser.
Two large and singular freight ship
ments were made this week from New
York to Hong Kong. The bones Of some
score Of Chinese were disinterred from
their burial place in Brooklyn and shipped
to China. where they will be reburied
along with those of their ancestors. over
200 Chinese sleep their last sleep in the
Brooklyn cemeteries with their feet to-
ward the Polar star. The Chinese bury
ing ground is situated on the outskirts
Of Brooklyn, forming a section OF Cy-
press Hills cemetery. A little plot, OBJ
long in shape, occupying some 500 square
feet of ground, is inclosed by a railing
Of iron bars, supported by short pillars
Of white marble. Purchased three years
ago by the New York Chinese merchants,
il is the only burial ground Of its kind
in this section of the country. 1t is used
not as a permanent abiding place for the
bodies of dead Celestials, but as a tenn
pOrary place of interment. 1t is the Gus
tom of Chinese to eXhume the bodies
Of their dead five years after the date
Of burial. The bones are then scraped
and placed in a casket of bronze and
silver. Silk and other costly fabrics are
wrapped around the remains, and then
the casket is sealed. 1t Is shipped and
laid away beneath the soil of China. A
Monaghan would spend his days in mis-
cry if he thought his remains would not
be buried in the land of his nativity.
The purchase of the plot was regarded
among the New York Chinese as a mat
ter for national congratulation. Laun-
drymen and other Acknowledged individ-
uals FASTENED to contribute money to a
fund for it's adornment and maintenance.
The little iron railing with its marble
pillars was purchased, a sacrifcial altar
was erected and there was an anxious ex-
pectancy among it's strange people as TO
who would be the first to be carried
through its gates. The cemetery is now
one of the most attractive spots in the
vicinity. The visitor is impressed at
once by its neatness. The iron ratings
are neatly painted, the marble posts
scrupulously clean. The gate Is guarded
on either side by a marble tablet which
is eight feet high. on the fiat sides of
these tablets Chinese characters have
been chiseled. They are an inscription
telling the names of the purchasers of
the plot, the date of the purchase and
the purpose to which 1t has been de-
voted and a number of wise sayings from
the writing of Confucius. A pathway
leads straight from the gate to two
large tablets, which face it as they stand
They are also covered with quotations
from the great Chinese philosopher.
Back of them is the sacrihcial altar.
1t is built of brick, is square and is five
feet from the ground. 1t is covered with
scraps of red paper and ashes.
The graves of the Chinese cemetery
are long, narrow mounds. They lie side
by side in rows of fifteen or twenty. Each
grave is marked by a small marble head
stone. In Chinese characters the name.
the age, the rank and place of birth
of the deceased are inscribed on the
headstone. One stone is craven with En-
glish letters in addition to the Chinese.
1t is near the gate, and the English parS
of the Inscription reads: Mr.. Lee Bling"
Every headstone has it's number. The
graves were numbered so that in years
still to come, when they shall be opened
and the bodies taken up, an Ignorant I'M
dertaker may not search in the grave of
All Wan for the body to Wan Lung.
There are now more than 200 graves in the
cemetery Three bodies were buried there
last week The funeral services of the
race are unique. The long procession of
coaches, headed by the hearse, winds in
through the gate. In the first few car
riages ride the relatives of the deceased.
Every now and then a hand is thrust out
of the window of a carriage and handful
of paper cut into small pieces thrown TO
the wind.
The Chinese firmly believe that the devil
follows a dead body to the grave. He is
forced, however, to stop by the wayside
and pick up everything that is thrown
from the carriage. Therefore, the Chi
nese throws his paper scraps abroad. If
the wind carries the little pieces far and
wide the man who throws them is happy.
If they fall in a heap in the road he is
miserable. The hearse is driven to the
altar. The Chinese alight from their car
riages and gather around. The Oldest Of
the dead mans relatives takes q bundle
of paper from the hearse and LAYS it on
the brick altar. Several firecrackers with
out fuses are laid on the top OF
the pile, to which are added
three or four joss sticks. Then a flame
is started and the paper begins to burn.
The mourners stand around in their loose
blouses, smoking cigarettes. They watch
the fire consume the paper with solemn
faces. Only when firecracker explodes
with a loud noise a grin passes over
their faces. The explosion of these fire
crackers is listened to with the greatest
anxiety. If the report is loud it is re-
garded as a good omen. Just as the
flame is dying out an ofd man steps for
word with a bundle of prayers written
on stiff rice paper in his hand. One by
one he lays these on the embers. If they
shrivel up and then crumble into ashes
that mOmentary grim naSheS from face
to face. If they burst into fame the
old man shakes his head obviously and
mumbles a prayer for the departed spir-
it. The ceremony having taken up
nearly an hour, the casket is taken from
the hearse.
The Chinese lavish money on their
collins. They are of valuable wood, with
silver trimmings. The coffin is put in a
pine box, and bread and meat are placed
beside it, so that the deceased may not
have to go fasting on his way to the
next world. Then the casket is lowered
into the grave and the clay is thrown
in upon it. More food is left on the
newly formed mound, and the mourners
depart. Before they leave they place lit
tie red paper flags at the foot of the
grave. These will brighten the devil
away. The Chinese guard their little
plot very jealousy. They regard every
Caucasian who enters into it with suspi-
cion, and treat him as an intruder. There
are always Chinese in the cemetery in
the daytime. They like 10 visit the
graves of their friends, and often spend
a whole afternoon rambling about among
the little gravestones.
Became Blind Twice.