The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-17
HAVANA. EXCURSION.
Continued from Fourth Page.

Continued from Fourth Pages
nishings are elaborate and costly.
The church was built ia 1746 and re-
built in 1892, and the Interior has been
remodeled and attractively decor ated
within recent years. There are rich
marble affairs, handsome CD apels, many
fine paintings, and several treasured
antiques. The main altar in the church
proper is Illuminated with over 1000
tiny, multi-colored incandescent lights,
and as a special courtesy to the Louis
ianians the current was turned on and
the press people were given the op-
portunity 70 gaze in Wrapt admiration
on spectacle which for richness and
brilliancy surpassed anything most
Of them had ever before seen. The
MERGED, like all of the other Catholic
churches in Havana, has no peWs and
the seating accommod ations are re-
stricted to a few plain benches without
backs, it being the custom for the con-
gregation to stand and kneel alter
nately on the bare, marble floor.
TEATRO NACIoNAL.
The National Theatre. Teatro Mac.
ional, facing Central Park, seats On
audience OF 5000 persons and is the
third largest in the world. 1t is in
the Italian style, with five horseshoe
tiers Of boxes, rising one above the
other around the pit, and separated
by gilded lattice work of light and
graceful design. A Naeional audience
is most lavish in its expression of ap-
prevail, 2 favorite mode being the
presentation of money and Jewels cum
ningly concealed in flowers, or borne
by a snow-white dove trained to fly
directly to the stage, carrying the
gifts attached to 1t with white ribbons.
The theatre was built in 1887 at a
cost of $500, 900, and is now owned by
an American syndicate. Havana is
devoted TO drama and opera, and
many of the worlds most famous art
lists have been seen on the stage of the
Nacional and the other theatres in
the city.
COLON CEMETERY.
The Cristcbal Colon Cemetery, one
of the notable public institutions of
is stu ated upon an eminence
west of the city, commanding an out.
look over the sea. At the entrance is
monumental arch Of granite bearing
a sculptured panel representing the
raising of Lazarus from the dead and
surmounted by a group of heroic fig
nres, representing Columbus bringing
the light o. religion to the new world.
The cemetery has many handsom
monuments and richly chiseled mar
bles, and tombs decorated with por-
celain flowers line the avenues. just
within the entrance, on the left of the
central avenue, is the tomb of Major
General Calixto Garcia Yneguez, the
Cuban leader who died in W ashington
in 1899. Nearby isthe Students Monu-
ment. erected by popula subscription in
memory Of the eight students Of the
University of Havana who in the year
1871 were mercitessly sacrificed to the
vindictiveness of the Spanish Volun-
teers, and beyond, at the right Of the
main avenue, is The famous Firemen 3
Monument, erected by the citizens of
Havana in commemorative OF the |
bravery Of thirty members OF the vol |
unteer fire department who persisted |
in fire which occurred in a ware /
house in Mercaderes street ON May II, |
1890. Tie fatality was due to an ex-
plosion OF a large quantity OF gun |
powder which had been stored in the |
building in violation Of the law, and |
5he presence of which was unsupported |
by the men who rushed into the build |
ing to their doom. The monument is
Of Carrara marble and is IS feet in /
height. Estimates as to its cost range
rom 5000 to 1925, 900. Beyond this
beautiful memorial is the chapel in
which masses are celebrated for the
,epose OF the soul of the dead and to
he right of the chapel is the plot
where in 1898 the victims of the Maine
we're buried, pending their removal to
heir last resting place 10 Arlington
Cemetery at Washington. The pre-
ailing mode Of burial ID Colon Gene
cry is in a stone-cased grave covered
with marble slab, or in vaults above
he ground. In addition to the per-
nanent graves, there are others which
are merely rented for term of years.
Such temporary grave for one per-
son for five years costs $40; a grave
or three persons for the same period
Ut time costs So each. At the expira-
ion OF the term for which the grave is
'ented the bones are removed and
brown into the Osario, or. bone pit.
This is walled receptacle IS feetI
quare and so feet deep at the south
vest corner of the cemetery, and into
t are thrown indiserimin ately in one
Common heap skeletons, fragments OF
offins and discarded tombstones.
I'm IT havana Tho boarCo 10 ., rxo1~o... +