The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-08-27
STRANGE CEMETERY.
When Lease Expires Bones Are
Thrown Outside Of Enclosure.
Ancient Ground in Cuba Where
Bodies Are Placed in NIches in
the Wall Sealed by E1ouis-
4te Marble Tablets.

the Wall Sealed by EIQuis-
ite Marble Tablets.
Behind the leper hospital in the San
Lazaro district CT the city Of Havana
there lies an old cemetery. Few OF
the many visitors to that city know
that there is such place; still fewer
ever pass beneath its vine-covered por-
tai. Thousands visit the Colon {, ne
terry, with its massive gateway aLc is
beautiful monuments; not oLe ID
thousand sees that city of tie dead
which was established by Bishcp Juan
De Espada in 1905. For IS yeas it has
stood unused for burial purpo> es.
In old Roman days, in the sine cf the
funeral pyre, it was customary to
gather the ashes of the incinerated
dead and place them in funeral urns.
These were sealed and deposited in
inches in the walls Of special buildings
or Enclosures, to which was applied the
name of colum baria, for the reason
that their appearance suggested
dovecote. The general idea Of the CO.
lumbaria has been preserved and.
though unusual, is far from unique.
The more modern system dispenses
with the burning and deposits the cof-
fined body in inches only differing from
those of the Roman days essentially
in their size. This is the system of
the Espada cemetery in Havana, says
the New York Post.
The opening of a strongly-locked and
heavily barred iron gateway gives pas
sage into high walled inc.osure of
some three or four acres in extent.
Neither monument nor standing tomb
stone breaks its fat and grassy area.
a grass-grown pathway leads straight
across the plat TO the mortuary chapel
upon it's northern side. All around are
the walls, four to five yards in height,
showing four tiers of round-topped
inches, some open and some closed and
sealed Midway the western wal
gateway opens upon second lnclo-
sure of similar area 10 the first. though
of different arrangement. A brick
paved walkway crosses it from east TO
west, bisecting a series of interior walls
which extend through its greater
length. If my memory serves me, there
are six Of these structures. alternately
open and arching the pathway. Here,
too, the surrounding walls and the in
terror structures show the four rows
of inches. a little counting and rough
calculation gave the total number in
both Enclosures at about $4,000.
The ground Immediately around the
chapel. in the outer yard. is largely oc-
cupied by the horizontal slabs which
mark the resting place OF those whose
rank. wealth or influence has secured
for them a special Here lies
the body of bishop, and there lies one
whose coroneted coat of arms. carved
in relief on the marble, indicates
strain Of royal blood. Many of the
stones are broken, all are weather
stained. bordered with untrimmed
grass and weeds. For the graves of
many who lie here there is no
one to care. Of Spanish birth, their
friends and kindred have returned to
their homes across the sea.
Many of the wall inches stand empty
by reason of an established custom,
prevalent in these countries, of rent
ing burial spaces for time only. At
the expiration of that time the bones
are removed to large uncovered re-
eeptacle along the southern wall,
where they constitute ghastly heap.
seen only from the top of the wall.
The vacated space may then be filed
by surviving tenants or by one whose
payment insures repose so long as the
place continues as burial ground. In
some Of these now vacant inches beds
of dried grass and discarded clothing
Indicate their use by the living. There
is no doubt that many Of them were oc-
oupied as sleeping places during the
days of the RECOMMENDATION under Wey.
Ter.
Marble tablets, often exquisitely
carved, seal the openings Of the inches,
taking the pace Of the now more gen.
orally used mausoleums. monuments
and headstones. Here and there some
wreath or other floral memento, at
tached to the tablet, shows-that even
for a quarter of century Of sleep in
this unused burial ground some dead
are lovingly and actively remembered.
Here and there an English name ap-
pears, but they are very few.
In one of the walls of the western
section niche is shown in which once
lay the body Of man who. in his life,
had grievously offended group OF
students in the University of Havana.
After his burial some Of these students
manifested their bitterness by the
foolish prank of desecrating the tab
let which sealed the tomb of their en-
emy. They were caught and sentenced
to death. 4 tablet on the face OF
building near La Punta, in Havana,
states that they were there executed
shot by the bullets of Spanish so.-
diery. To-day one of the special sights
of Havana is the beautiful students
monument in the Colon cemetery, and
the anniversary of their death is pub
lie holiday.
Mustard Pickle.
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