The advocate., 1897-10-13
CATAO0MBs OF MEXICO AND ANCIENT
PLACES.

nhO1Os
GuanajuatO is a city of Mexico built in
hollow where three gOrges dip and
meet. II rs noted for the Pantheon and
It's fine buildings built with variegated
stone, which seem to have all the col
Ors OF the rainbow.
The Pantheon covers over ten acres Of
ground, which are inclOsed by walls per-
haps ten feet high, and where bodies are
laid In chambers as in the vaults of other
cemeteries. Below Is an immense sub.
cemetery, where the bones are carried at
the expiration Of the chamber leases, or
when nothing remains Of the dead but
whhtened bones. A winding stairway de-
scends into this great charnel house,
which Is nearly 800 feet long, 20 feet wide
and more than 20 feet high. The bones
and skulls Of over 10000 Mexicans are
piled up at either end of this "stOre
house." indiscrimlnately without refer
ence to ownership.
The Pantheon was at one time said by
archaeologlsts to contain the tOmbs Of
Kings, but without doubt the notion Of
burial caverns was taken from the his
torical facts surrounding the catacombs
beneath the basilicas in Rome, the city
Of traditions and noble men.
There In the district lying close to the
Appian Way the basilica Of st. Sebas-
tian was erected. Under its massive
walls extensive burial vaults were exca-
waited, which became famous as place
Of pilgrimage. According to history, the
frat Christian catacombs were built
early In the second century. There the
bodies Of st. Peter and ST. Paul rested
for a year and seven months previous
to the removal to the basiliCas which
bore their names.
With the latter part OF the fourth cen
tury new epoch in the history OF cata-
combs arOse--that Of religious reverence.
They were regarded with special devo>
tlon and became the resort Of large bands
OF pilgrims, for whose guidance Cata,
lOgues OF the chief burial places and
holy men buried there were drawn up,
Day by day the living prayed among
the dead, and superstition had 1t that
those who came there and prayed for for
giveness would be safe from the tOrments
OF damnation. This superstition was In
vogue for countless years.
Within o century afterward the cata-
combs sank into decay. They were de-
Vastated partially through the barbarian
invaders, as we'll as from the neglect 0i
those who should have been their guar
dians. The relics were mostly removed
the ptgrimages naturally ceased, and by
degrees the very existence Of these won.
derful subterranean cemeteries was for
gotten.
Poverty had also taken the place ol
wealth and affluence, and the traditions
Of the Christian tomb-builders beneath
the waters Of the sea sank into utter in
significance. The custom OF subteTan
can interment died out, and vaults above
the earth were used. The old supersti'
titlons OF those in former years was sC
completely tabooed that the extreme
measure was taken and the dead were
sald to rest in open vaults where they
might be seen at amy time The bodies
buried In the gloom and darkness were
forgotten.
Six centuries had elapsed when the
accidental discovery Of a sepulchra
chamber by some laborers revealed &c
the amazed inhabitants of Rome another
CIV concealed beneath their own. BOsia
d Roman archaeologist, deY0tsd bis liz