The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-24
THE CATACOMBS OF ST. MARYS
A Strange Burialplace in the Heart
 of London.

of London.
 How many people in London are
 aware of the catacombs of St. Marys' | Despite the hustle and roar incidental
 to the biggest railway station in Eng
 land-I.iverpool-s station is on the op-
 posite side of the road-the visitor to St.
 Mary's can by little stretch of the im-
 agination picture himself in one of
 those strange burial-places of the early
 Christians which may be found on
 either side of the Appian Way Here l lie the bodies of hundreds of the faith | full departed, the collins dramatically | sealed in fashion which would satisfy | the prejudices of even the most scrupu- | lous of sanitary inspectors. The place
 Is not open to public view but, thanks to the courtesy of Father Fleming, our representative was allowed to thread his way with the assistance of light ed taper, amid the crumbling remains of former parishioners of St. Marys No inscriptions are vieible, but each coffin is duly noted in the register of the church. Some illustrious personages are buried immediately beneath the high altar-Bishops Poynter, Bram- stone and Gradwell, for example. There is ample room for several more, but modern authorities are not partial to burials in the heart of the city. Close by the bishops, in a number of collins piled in regular tiers, are the remains of upward of thirty priests who served in the church well in their life and now find congenial resting place beneath the very altar where they celebrated the mysteries of their ancient faith. It was the dearest wish of Cardinal Wiseman to have his body inferred within the sanctuary of St. Mary's, but the law intervened, and white mar ble slab with a modest epitaph com posed by himself when in the full vigor of health now indicates the place where he would have gladly rested Strolling about this strange cemetery situated in one of the most densely populated quarters of London, it was a somewhat weird experience to hear street cries, and, peering above the cof- fins through ventilation holes, to see continuous lines of 'busses and cabs in the adjoining thooughfare
 Among the notabilities in the cata- combs we find Honest Jack Lawless," tt uOugnty IOllOWer or oCOnnOr, the Liberator, and many other personages who held a large share of public at tention in their day. Weber the cele- brated composer, who, strangely enough, was made a count "after his death,' was buried here, but some years later his remains were removed to Dresden. In the small strip of ground adjoining the church, as well as in the vaults no lesssthan $500 Catho- lies were buried prior to the year 1853. When the church is demolished it is probable that every body will have to removed, although where so huge a col l lection of dead humanity will ultimate | ly rest does not yet appear to be de- | cided. There Is an instance on record in | the city where similar removals were | at 910 per head. It is | obvious that so costly an outlay would | be impossible in the present case | Though dead, many of the persons bur- l jed at St. Mary's Moorfields, are not and the prospect of an ap preaching removal of remains will re- suit, it. is anticipated, in a deluge of correspondence from relatives.-LondonI