The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03
THREE TIMES ENToMBED.
Washingten's Body Twice Removed
Since First Inferred.
fFrom the Chicago News. }

WITHIN the precincts OF Mount vernon,
the beautiful estate once occupied by
George Washington, and now preserved
by the nation in his memory, are three
spots where the first President has been
buried. The tomb which is now pointed
out to visitors as containing the remains
of Washington Is not that in which his
body was laid on the date of his burial,
December Is. 1893. Twice since then the
coffin has been moved, but never away
from Mount Vernon.
The old family vault in which the body
of Washington was first inferred was sit
u1ted about 900 yards to the south of the
mansion, in the side of deep dell. sur
rounded by great trees; and was simply
a narrow excavation in the bank of earth
arched over with brick and covered with
deep sod Washington, before his death,
contemplated the building of n new vault,
and had selected the spot where ne
wished it located, but the end came sud
denly, the new vault had not even been
begun, and the body was buried in the
old tomb.
Here it remained until an attempted
dissertation. a man broke into the vault,
but was discovered just as he was making
OF with the skull and some bones. he
these relies formed no part of the remains
of Washington.
A second sepulchre was made in the
south side of the steep nil, near small
wooded riivine. opsthe site especially Sc
lected by Washington. The excavation
was walled in with brick and arched over
the height OF eight rect ieSct
of the ground. The tomb itself was sur
rounded by a wall of brickwork twelve
feet high. and guarded in front by an
iron gateway, opening few feet IN front
of the vault door.
The body of Washington was moved
into mis- tomb in 1891 and remained there
unuisturbed until 1871, when John Strs,th-
ers. of Philadelphia, made and presented
to the relatives of Washington marble
sarcophagus for the better protection of
the corpse
When this sarcophagus was brought to
the Tomb it was found to be too large to
pass through the iron doorway of the
vault; and, on examination. the vault it
self was discovered to be so poorly pro-
tected against moisture that its dampneSs
would destroy in short time the texture
of the marble and deface the richness and
beauty OF the exterior Sculpturlng. III
was then determined to build suitable
receptacle for the sarcophagus on the
right of the entrance to the gate, outside
of the vault This was accordingly done.
on the morning of S friday, October I,
1881 all things being in readiness for the
removal of the remains of washington 10
their new resting place, lgntS were pro-
cured and the vault was entered. VII
liam Strickland. who assisted at the re
interment. gives the following account OF
what then took place:
Accompanied by Major Lewis ana his
son, we entered the vault door. The coffin
containing the remains of Washington
was in the extreme back part of the vault,
and to remove the case CONTAINING the
leaden receptacle it was found necessary
TO put aside the collins that were piled
up between il and the doorway. After
clearing the passdEeway the case, Whlch
was decayed, was stripped OFF and the
lead of the lid was discovered to have
sunk very considerably from head TO
foot; SO much so as to form a curved line
of four to five inches in Its whole length.
This settlement of the metal mad per-
haps caused the soldering of the joints
10 give way about the upper or wides.
part of the coffin. At the request OF Ma
iOr Lewis this fractured part was turned
over on the lower part of the Id expos
ing to view head and breast of large di-
mansions. which appeared by the dim
light of the candles TO have suffered but
little from the effects of time. The eye
sockets We're large and deep and the
breadth across the temples, together with
the forehead, appeared OF unusual size.
There was no appearance OF grave
cloths. the chest was broad, the color was
dark and had the appearance of dried
flesh and skin adhering o0se to the bones.
We saw no hair nor was there any often
sive odor from the body A hand was
The lead of the lid was restored to its
place The body. raised by six men, was
carried and laid in the marble coffin. ana,
the ppnderous cover being put on ana set
in cement it was sealed from our sight
i Ha Saturday the It" u1Y u
On the lid of this marble sarcophagus is
sculptured the American shield suspend
the superior bar of the shield and form
ing the crest is an eagle with outspread
wings Below this design and cut in the
marble is the name Washington"
The remains Of Mrs. Washington now
rest in a similar sarcophagus OF marble,
plainly sculptured. and situated on the
ieft of the gateway or entrance to the
tomb.