Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-20
THE OLD TOMB
On State Ground in Augusta
Once More Opened.
Lead Casket With Gov. lincoIn's
Remains Is Found Intact.
Others Have CrumbIed Away and Lie Mixcd
With Their Tenants Ashes.

the recent opening of the old tomb on
the State grounds near the river, i'm
front of the State House, is from the
Lewiston Saturday Journal. written by
Col. +. c. Dill of this city:
This week, for the first time in many
a long year. the old tomb at the east
end of the State House grounds was
opened. In the trio that turned the key
and opened the portal was the Journal
correspondent, and the sight which
met the gaze of the party was unusual
not to say startling. The rays of sun
light, entering for almost the first time
in generation. were slow to pierce
the dampish. darksome gloom OF the
granite walled scpulchre. But as the
eye became accustomed to the semi
darkness the details began to show up
as they will in a negative under the
process Of development. What first
caught the eye was line of white in
the further right hand corner 1t had
a creepy look. and in a short space of
tise resolved itself into the bony frame
of man. lying as though articulatcd
The eye. following down the frame, no.
ticed first Of all that the head was
gone. and that one leg from the pelvis
For a moment those who were peer
ing into the tomb were surprised Il the
almost exhibition appearance of the
skeleton. But the reason was not far
to seek. in the boxes that covered
them. The bottom board Of the caskct
appeared to have been made of better
wood than the sides and top. for all
the wood work had crumbled away
save this. And on this lay the skeleton.
The wood had tumblcd away. piece BY
piece, uncovering the skeleton and
leaving its whitish yellow bones the
most striking thing which daylight re-
lvealed.
Down among the rubbish of the old
boards cleaned the skull of the de-
, Parted statesman. 1t had rolled away
from the rest. leaving the lower jaw
as remembrance of the days of unity
The skull, the first man to enter picked
IN and revercntly placed in its proper
place at the head Of the old casket
bottom. In the same way the missing
bones of the pelvis and lower extrem-
ity were put back where they belonged.
The other bones We're left as nature
had dccrocd. ard so gradual had been
the process of disintcgration of the
place as though il had been placed
there by some professor of anatomy.
Each vertebra fitted to the next as
smoothly as though the bones We're
articulated and the ribs had happened
to assume a most natural position.
Further investigation showed that
the skeleton which came 50 sharply
into view was but one of ghostly
| ~ ri tor bn hal
and tumbled from their resting place
on the big iron pins set into the gran
lite walls. In what remained of the box
90 Of the two nearest the door could be
seen the yellow bones lying in the
worm dust of the crumbling collins. In
he farther left hand corner rested a
big box which was better preserved
than the rest. and this on closer in
lspection was found to cover heavy
walnut coffin which in turn was the
cover of lead casket within.
That lead casket settled one thing
which has been matter of controver-
sy for years. 1t is believed to prove
conclusively that Governor Enoch Lin
coins remains are still in the old tomb.
Somehow or other the story has gained
currency in these latter years that the
i Lincoln caskct was taken to Boston
and the Governors bones finally laid
to rest beneath the sod of his mother
State. Men with whitened hair and
! clear memories of the past have told
me that the Governors body was GER
| tainly taken up and shipped away
They have even detailed scenes which
occurred at the time. But no record
can be found of such a transfer and
r the finding of the leaden caskct would
seem to settle all doubt.
, But there is not a name plate or an
, inscription to verify this question.
somewhat extended search of til,
, Crumbled refuse on the floor failed tC
discover anything to distinguish one
body from another. 1t is quite likely
that the bodies were placed in the or
der of their death. which would ac-
; count for the Lincoln remains being in
the farther corner. On the marble hOoI
: lay the crumblcd pieces of time rottcd
wood that had made up the baskets
. and on the shaft above the tomb are
the following Inscriptions:
Enoch Lincoln. Governor,
Oct. s, 1929. aged 40.
Charles Whitehouse. Clerk of the House
. March 1, 1899, aged 3S.
Joshua CuShman. Representative,
Jan. q, 1894. aged 20.
William Delesdernier. Senator,
, Jan. IS. 1912.
That makes up the quartet whose re
IlEains are now behind the great stone
: door. 1t is said that during the Civil
War the tomb was made temporary
use of in keeping the bodies of soldier.
dying during the winter, but these
, bodies were all removed at the time
and the four now entcmbed are be
+ lieved to be the original tenants of th'
l tomb, which was erected in 1872
Some things have happened to dis
iturb the repOse of the inmates. Ii
times of great rainfall the waters have
l 4 almost flooded the tomb. Once. man!
years ago, two or three fellows WOUND
r UP spree by breaking the lock on tn,
door and going in to make the silen
: sleepcrs join in the debauch. One boz
happened to be partly open and tn
} drunken trio tore the wood away an,
scattered the bones all over the floor
They were later gathered up and nov
lie in a helter-skelter heap in the OLE
2 box. The trio who did the ghoulish ac
were sent to Jail and the door was ras
( tened with a new and more substan