The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-14

~ place of his dust under the
small house at No. Rue des
Ecluses- Saint Martin, In the northeastern
part OF Paris. just behind the Eastern
railway station? When the house was
built was the greatest care taken not to
disturb the graveT
These questions have been answered at
firmatively In cable dispatches that have
received much publicity. 1t Is planned
to bring the bones of the great naval
fghter back from France. to be buried In
Arlington. It has been said that con-
xress can now act" 1t was, therefore, to
describe In more detail on exactly what
foundations the hope thus raised in every
patriotic breast reposes. says correspon-
dent of the New York Press, that paid
q searching visit to the house at No. Rue
dee Ecluses-S Saint Martin, photographed Its
subterranean passages and talked with
the Oldest inhabitant Of 1t ana it's neigh
borhood.
nv frst care however, was to visit the
consul general Of the United States. In
addition to lucid expose of the whole
problem, found In the consul generals
discreet skepticism check on my own
Understanding enthusiasm. In truth, II
others have been occupied for months, J.
X. Gowdy from his office in the Avenue
de POpera, has prosecuted his researches
In the matter for full year and more.
The type OF the old-fashioned. thoughtful
American. better informed in tbe history
Of his country, perhaps. than many
more youthful product of our universities,
he met the question with immediate good
will and interest
Consul G0wdy's Futile Search.
Calling for his letter book. he said, with
the sigh of one who hopes against hope,
loving progress well but loving cold truth
more: "Read this letter. which at its date
summed up all had discovered with re-
spect to the last resting place Of the bones
OF John Paul Jones'" Smooth-faced, with
thoughtful lines. hair touched with gray,
erect and portly in his close-buttoned
frock coat, kindly though formal, very
much the traditional American. Mr.. Gowdy
made a strong impression. Here Is
man who weighs his statements" said
to myself. and read this letter of his to
Charles B. Lands with respect;
Paris, Jan. Q. 1899
my Dear Lands: I am in receipt Of
your letter of November rs, asking me to
give you some information about the
grave OF the hero Of the American navy.
John Paul Jones. After three weeks OF
diligent research 1 regret to say that so
far my efforts have been In vain. You
saw that the remains of John Paul
Jones sleep in an unmarked grave
in Paris. Every effort have brought to
bear on the subject makes me more GER
tain that he not only sleeps in an UNI
marked but in an unknown grave.
have found every imaginable sort or IN
formation, such as a picture, signatures,
original newspapers giving all details ex-
cepting the burial place., name OF the
commissary of police for the cemetery,
name of the Protestant minister, details
of the parliamentary vote, but, unfortu-
nately, neither the name of the chapel nor
the cemetery Is given. The researches
have made in the Paris cemeteries, espe-
ciayly In the east of Paris, the most an
Client having been created in 1904, have re-
suited In no trace of the burial place OF
John Paul Jones. officer of the United
States navy, who died at Paris July Is,
1872 Paris cemeteries existing prior to
1904 were vacated at that time, and the
human remains found in them were. with
the exception of those claimed by families,
deposited in the Chapel of Bones, in the
Catacombs. There are In the Catacombs
bones representing 100000 people. After
all the research have made very much
fear that the remains of John Paul Jones
lie in the Catacombs, but have learned
nothing positive to this effect. learn from
his biography that his remains were placed
in leaden coffin, for the convenience of
their removal In case the United States
should ever claim them for burial. But
unfortunately our government never did
\ So"
Traits of the Great Commander.
am sorry not to be able to quote in
together the more striking Claims of John
Paul Jones to the grateful membranes
of his fellow countrymen One of these,
however, ought to be mentioned when the
money question arises In connection with
the search for his body.
HE paid off the crews Of the Alfred and
the Providence from his own resources,
and left to the United States, in the Rang
er, 1900 in advance, which seems never
to have been repaid to him. Yet Paul
Jones died comparatively poor In Paris
so poor that the American minister (Mor-
ris) speaks of the funeral appointments
as extremely modest"
Pushing the investigation.
All this is far from the discovery OF the
grave Of John Paul Jones under the small
house at No. Rue des Ecluses-Saint-Mar-
tin, In Northeastern Paris, just back of
the Eastern railway station.
How did they find it?" / asked.
Have they found it?' was the answer
ing inquiry of the consul general.
read some of the cahled reports to him.
s'The grave of the American hero and the
present resting place of his bones, Or dust,
is under the small house No. l Rue des
Ecluses-S aint-Martin, etc. When the house
was built the greatest care was taken not
to disturb the grave"
Then again:
'The stumbling block to all previous re-
search has been the confusion regarding
the date of Paul Jones' death. This your
correspondent has cleared up. John Paul
Jones died on July 49, 1892, and the body
was placed in receiving vault, in old
Paris, believed to have been attached to
the Hotel des Invalides at that time, where
It reposed until September IL, of the same
year. when II was removed with great GER
emony and borne in state to the Cemetery
for Foreign Protestants in the then north
eastern suburb of Paris. 1t may be stated
with absolute positiveness that Jones' body
never was inferred in Picpus or Mont Par
nasse cemeteries. The act of placing the
remains temporarily in vault near or at
the Hotel des Invalides undoubtedly ex-
plains the transformation that has existed
on this subject. The grave is distinctly
marked. Paul Jones was buried with
sword and the accouterments Of his rank
as an admiral. Several of the swords given
10 him are in the United States but this