The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-13
NOT AFTER MAY |
SEARCH FOR GEN. GREENEs RE-
MAINS NEST BE BEFORE THEN.
VAULTS CAN'T BE OPENED.
NOT ADVISABLE TO LAY THEM
OPEN SAVE DURING WINTER.

Col. Gardiner of Rhode Island Has
been Advised by Local Members
of the Committee to Prosecute the
Search of the RuIing of the Health
Omcer.-CoI. Gardiner Will Come
to Savannah ms soon as Possible.
Shaft VIII Probably BE Reared by
Rhode Island Cincinnati Upon the
Spot Most CredIby Established as
That of or Near Gen. Greene's
Final Resting Place.
The vaults in the old Colonial cemetery
on Oglethorpe avenue that are to be
searched for the remains of Gen. Ma
thaniel Greene must be opened before May
l, if at all. This has been decided by the
health officer.
One of the gentlemen of the committee
appointed by the Rhode Island branch of
the Society of the Cincinnati, by which
the new movement for the discovery of
the remains of Gen. Greene was insti-
tuted, called upon DR.. Drummer to ascer-
tain the limit during which the vaults
may be opened. He was informed that it
would not be well to open them after
May l, and the gentleman wrote Col.
Asa Bird Gardiner of Rhode Island, chair
man of the committee, advising him of
this and urging him to come to Savannah
as speedily as possible.
Nothing has been heard from Col.
Gardiner since the letter that announced
the difficulty he has experienced with his
eyes, which had grown infamed. The
trouble had prevented his departure for
Savannah at the time he had intended
taking the trip to prosecute the search,
but he wrote that he thought it would not
be long before the oculist whom he con-
suited would be successful in restoring
his eyes to their normal condition.
From Mr.. Olney, secretary of the Gin
cnnati in Rhode Island, one of the Savan-
nah members of the committee to prose-
cute the search, has heard that a shaft
will be erected to the memory Of Gen.
Greene, even though the exact spot of the
burial of his remains cannot be discover
ed. 1t seems to be the idea of the Gin
cinnati in Rhode Island to mark the rest
ing place of their first president approx
mately, If not exactly.
1t has been learned from Mr.. Olney that
all the stories Of the burial place of Gen.
Greene, either the original place of inter-
ment or one to which the remains were
surreptitiously removed, will be carefully
Investigated, and that, in the event of
nothing being found to absolutely estab-
lish the spot in which the remains are
inferred, the story offering the best claims
to credepce will be accepted, and the To-
cation upheld by the story will be chosen
for the shaft that the Cincinnati in Rhode
Island design to erect.
1t is probable that Col. Gardiner and
one or more of the gentlemen who, will
serve on the committee with him will go
to Dungeness to investigate the report of
Gen Greene's remains being there in
tered This statement was made by one
of the committeeman yesterday. The gen.
! tleman, however, believes that nothing
will grow out of the trip further than the
establishment of the fact positively that
Gen. Greene's remains are not there
buried, or, rather, that no trace of them
can be found.
In the event the remains are found, the
gentleman said it is by no means improb
able that it would be decided to inter them
beneath or at the foot of the Greene mon
ument, in Johnson Square.