The evening times., 1898-09-27

sept c-aafns of Co
lerG ) rrepar4-
. l.-.. s-.4a3er, to 5gan. in the
T-2 eco seeretary Govin
.e sne the dean
of ,he Ca,heasal and other dignitaries.
.- Nlle dc yosit4d IA a zinc case.
1 9i= placed in ths sacristy of the
--t-era>i a..a PERMANENT guard was
siabiis''ed u watch thea,- Pubic reli-
fiaus services viii be held shortly
The general public WAS ordered out of
the Cathedral al O'Clock, and no one
was allowed inside after that hour. The
entrance to the Cathedral was guarded
by d force of orden pubiico, which kept
back the crowds assembled in front of
the edifce.
The remains had lain in their late rest
Ing place since January 10, 1896, when
taey were brought from Santo Domingo
on the occasion of that island being ceded
To France by Spain.
Since the date mentioned the remains
had lain in an open niche in the wall of
tie p-esbytery of the Cathedral. a yard
and a half above the ground, between a
pillar supporting the main arch and the
choir.
In 1892 there was placed in front of the
niche sab of doubtful artistic taste,
representing in relief d bust of the great
admiral, and bearing this inscription:
"Restos Y imagen del grande Colon mil
siglos durah Suardados en- la urna en-
Ia hTln Al
Remains and image of the great CO.
lumbus lie thousand centuries preserv-
ed in this urn and the memory of our
nation.
After the four hundredth anniversary of
the discovery of the New World by CO.
lumbus the Spanish Cortes included in
the Cuban budget large sums for the pur-
pose of erecting fitting monument sym
bolizing the travels of the discoyerer, to
be placed in the most conspicuous place
in Havana and the construction of a
mausoleum TO hold his ashes This maus-
oieum, the work of the Spanish sculptor,
Melida, was brought TO Havana and plac-
ed upon a base erected in the center aisle
of the cathedral. close to the main door
The monument. the work on which was
intruSted to the sculptor Susillo has not
come and probably never will come to
Havana. II was to have been paid for by
of the celebration of the four hundredth
anniversary Of the discovery of America
and ii is probable that both the monu-
ment and the mausoleum will be placed
in fitting place in Spain, where they
will be looked upon as one of the treas
ures of the Spanish nation.
Columbus remains about TO go on an
other long voyage, have done far more
travelling than the remains of any other
known man.
The great discover died in Valladolid,
Spain, and his body was first inferred in
the Carthusian monastery in Seville. 1t
was his desire that San Domingo be his
last resting place, and the remains were
accordingly transferred 40 that island
some time about l540.
Spain, however. lost San Domingo just
as she is losing Cuba now, and just as
she is taking Columbus remains from
Cuba today so she took them away from
San Domingo about 100 years ago
Havana was the objective point then
and thus another journey of consequence
was accomplished by the distinguished
relics. They are now being taken to Spain
because they can rest on no part of the
world that Columbus discovered and be
on Spanish soil. there now being not an
inch Of Spanish territory in all the Wes-
tern Hemisphere. The next resting place
Of Columbus is. therefore, likely TO be
his last
Are the bones that The spaniards are
taking from Havana the bones of Colum-
bus2
There are two stories concerning Co.
lumbus' bones; two answers to the above
question.
One is that the coffin that was removed
from San Domingo in 1896 was that
which contained not Columbus re-
mains but the remains Of his son Diego
Some repairs were being made in the
cathedral in San Domingo's capital in 1877
when a discovery leading to the above
conclusion was made. A coffin was then
found with this inscription on it: illus
trious and Renowned Man, Don Chris
topher Columbus" This is the story that
Dominicans tell in support of their claim
that the great discoverer's bones are in
the country, not in Cuba.
The other story is that when the bones
We're removed to Havana the priests of
San Domingo kept back a portion of them
and hid them in the place where the dis
covery was made. in 1877
Havana, however has never permitted
herself TO doubt even for one moment
that the bones kept in such style in her
cathedral were the bones of any other
than the great Columbus himself Hav-
ana laid so much store by them that ev-
erYbody accepted her dictum in the mat
ter, and nobody went to the Cuban capt.
tai without going to the cathedral to see
the place where the relics lay The tomb
of Columbus thus became a spot to
which everybody went to as a shrine
Spaniards considered the relics one of
the possessions of Spain that attested her
ancient greatness, and justified present
claims. They were therefore much dis
turbed when, the protocol depriving
Spain of her sovereignty over Cuba hav-
ing been signed. the question was raised
as TO whether the United States should
permit Spain to remove the notable bones
from Cuban soil. Such striking remind
er of her past greatness Spain argued,
ought to be retained by her and every
effort was bent to this end.
The demand for the bones was made on
the ground that they are church proper
ty, being in the cathedral at Havana. and
as the terms of the protocol give Spain
the right TO remove church property
from Cuba and Porto Rico the argument
was held TO be unanswerable Moreover.
Spain said she was permitted to remove
them from San Domingo, when she relfn-
quished her sovereignty there one hun