The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-21
THE BONES OF COLON.
nuu,INs OF COLUMBUS ARE STILL
HELD IN SAN DOMINGO.

Diero-RecOrd Made by Arch
,,sboD Cochin settles This cues
.on Reyond Chance of Further
Dispute.
From the Chicago Inter-Oeean.
Where are the remains of Christopher
co1nnbus? learned writer sought to
orova that they are still inferred in San
Doroinqo. but the Spaniards of Havana
z,m stoutly assert that the body of the
Great discoverer lies in that city.
columbus died May 30. 1906. at Vallado-
IA in SDain. A few days before his de-
,ortnre he expressed the wish to be bur-
led in Espanola, the island he loved most
before this wish could be fulfilled many
Years passed by. San Domingo, the CAPT
t,l If Fspanoa had no place to enshrine
,bo nrecious ashes. The Cathedral was
rot yet begun and was not finished until
1910
Meantime the remains of the great ad-
v,iraI were deposited at the Chartusian
monastery at sevilla. When Diego, the
con If columbus, died, in 1926, his remains
were also deposited there, to be transfer
red latter to San Domingo. Emperor
charles V had granted permission that
,be great chapel of the Cathedral at San
domingo be used as sepulture of the Co
lumbus family.
Al what time the removal of the ashes
Of the great admiral and his son took
Mace we don't know. AS the cathedral at
San Domingo was consecrated in 1541 It
NAV be that the transference occurred in
the same year. We know that in 1549 the
arst archbishop of San Domingo wrote:
"The tomb of Don Cristobal Colon, which
contains his bones, is much Yenerated in
This cathedral" In later documents We
hear that when Sir Francis Drake invad-
ell San Domingo the Archbishop Francisco
pio ordered the tombs in the cathedral to
he covered with earth 10 prevent their
nrofanation, especially that of the old
admiral which is on the gospel side of
nv church and chapel"
Again. in 1888, the Diocesan Synod
states: The bones of c. Colon are there
In a leaden case in the presbytery
according to the traditions of the old In
habitants of the island" This last SEN
tence. according to the traditions" indi-
Gates undoubtedly that the site of the
admirars resting place had no mark
whatever and was known only by tradl-
ton.
WheD, IN 1893, ana again Ill lot the TEL
ebrated French historian, Moreau de st.
Merry. endeavored to determine the exact
location of the grave, he expressed his
disappointment in these eloquent words:
"What a subject for the reflection of the
philosopher! Scarcely are 800 years past
since the discovery of the new world and
already we hardly know what are become
of the precious remains of the SagaciOus,
enterprising, and intrepid discoverer. We
see him expressing an anxious solicitude
that his ashes may repose in the capital
of the immense island which first estab-
lished the truth of his opinion with re-
spect to the existence of a Western hem
isphere; they are transported hither pos
terror 10 the construction of the principal
edifce. the cathedral, and yet-oh, supne
Indifference for all that is truly noble!-
not a mausoeum, not a monument not
even an inscription to tell where they
Hew
A few years after the French writer's
visit, in 1875, Spain was compelled by the
treaty of Basic to cede San Domingo to
France The Duke of Veragua, a descen-
dant of the Columbus family, now remem-
bered the ashes of the great admiral.
Arguing that it would be unworthy of
Spain that the bones Of its greatest adj
mral should rest under a foreign flag, he
requested the removal of the remains to
the cathedral at Havana. AS the treaty
of Basic gave to Spain the right to re-
move from San Domingo such property as
she might desire, on Dec 20, 1885, the Span
4 ish Lieut.. Gen. Aristazabal appeared on
the island with a group of distinguished
Spaniards in the cathedral to receive the
remains On the right or gospel side of
the altar where, according to traditions,
Christopher Columbus had been laid to
rest, small vault was found. The Off
cial document written at the same day
states:
"A vault was opened, which is in the
sanctuary on the gospel side, main wall
and platform of the high altar, one cubic
yard in size, and therein were found some
thin pieces of lead about third of yard
wide showing that there had been box
of said metal and pieces of bones as it
We're of shin bones or other parts of some
deceased person; these were collected in
o salver, into which was filled also the
dust, which from the fragments of some
small bones and its color was seen to be-
long TO that corpse. The whole was placed
IN gilt leaden case with an iron lock,
etc
After a high mass had been celebrated
with great ceremony the remains were
taken to Havana and deposited in niche
opened in the wall of the presbytery of
the cathedral. Later the niche was closed
with slab, however an entirely imaginary
portrait Of Columbus, and beneath the in
scription in Spanish:
on remains and image of the great
Columbus, for q thousand ages rest Sc
cured in this urn, and in the remembrance
OF our nation"
Eishly-one years passed by. Then the
convection that ashes of Columbus were
al rest in Havana suddenly was shaken.
In the year 1877 some repairs and changes
We're undertaken in the sanctuary of the
Oathedraf at San Domingo During the pro-
sIess of this work on the left or epistle
cue OF the sanctuary a small vault was
WScNoVered containing the remains of a
Naden case with an inscription indicating
,Uol me human bones inclosed by the cas-
he' We're those of Don Luis Colon, the
sIahoson of Christopher Columbus
lhiS discovery invited the authorities of
me church TO extend Investigations over
ont Whole ground of the sanctuary. On
sept y al the right or presbytery side
we vault was found which had been emp
V'u ny the Spaniards in 1885. The next day
.le space between that vault and the wall
%, the cathedral was sounded and result
,u IN the discovery of another somewhat