Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-31
DUST OF COLUMBUS.
Proposed to Restore All to
Original Casket.
EFFORTS OF J. B. TEACHER
Matter to Be Brought to Attention
of Santo Domingo.
DISPUTE OVER THE REMAINS
Removal to Havana, Thence to
Seville-Sensation Caused by
the Discovery of 1877.
DISPUTE OVER THE REMAINS
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

of recent correspondence between Mr.
Robert Bacon. the assistant secretary. and
Mr.. John Boyd Thacher OF Albany. y. Y.
and has directed him to communicate the
subject matter OF the same informally to
the Dominican minister of foreign rela-
tions for his information and for such ac-
tion as he may think necessary to take
III is a very unusual subject for diplomatic
correspondence, as it relates to the res-
toration to the Cathedral of Santo Do
minso OF certain portions of the remains
of Christopher Columbus which are said
10 have been removed from their recep-
tacie i'm that church.
When Santo Domingo passed out of the
control OF the Spanish government in
1Ta5 the Duke OF Neragua the descendant
of Columbus. and the retiring officials re-
quested permission to take with them the
remains of the discoverer OF America.
which was granted. and they were trans
ported with royal honors to Havana
where. for more than a century. they
were the greatest object of interest in the
cathedral of that city. One hundred and
three years later. when the Spaniards
vacua ted the island Of Cuba. they made
similar request of the government of
the United States and the alleged remains
were taken back to Spain. where they are
row lying under magnificent monument
III tHc 1ctIcUIdl VI StNillc
Burial of Columbus.
Columbus died in an cd house, No. >
Gale. Ancha de Magdalena. in Valladol;d
Spain. May 20, 1906. His remains were
first deposited in the Convent of San
Francisco in that city. and, in 1913, were
removed by members OF his own family to
the vaults of the Carthusian monastery of
Las Cuevas. near Seville. In 1887. upon
the application Of Dona Maria de Toledo
widow of his son. Diego Columbus. a royal
order was issued permitting their removal
To Santo Domingo, but for some reason it
was not carried out until 1911. when they
We're placed in the great cathedral.
Therethas always been a dispute be-
tween the people of Santo Domingo and
the Spaniards concerning the Authenticity
of the remains which We're carried TO
Havana after the treaty of Basic in 1885.
Several volumes have been written on the
subject, the most important of which is
q report of the Royal Academy of History
at Madrid. which made an investigation
ard decided in favor OF the claims of the
Cuban capital. The people OF Santo Do
mir 80. however. are convinced that the
coffin that was taken away contained the
him as admiral OF the Indies.
The Discovery in 1877.
On the 14th OF May. 1877. while the
Cathedral at Sarto Domingo was being
restored some workmen discovered on the
epis tie side CT tine ALTAR a metallic box.
The archbishop was at once notified. and
be directed that the box be removed in
ithe presence OF number of officials. 1t
was found TO bear an inscription in Span
-isll which reads;
The ADMIRAL Don Luis Colon. Duke of
Eeragua. Marquis OF Jamaica"
This discovery caused great excitement.
Ill
two more crypts were disclosed. One was
empty, from which the coffin transported
TO Havana was taken. The other con-
1ained metallic box similar TO that in
which the remains OF Luis Columbus We're
found. Within II were a quantity of dust.
a number of bopes, portion of skull.
a leaden ball and silver plate about two
inches long. 1t was supposed that these
We're the remains OF Christopher Collrm-
htss because OF certain Inscriptions on the
box.
The box was OF lead. about a quarter
% an inch thick. 1t was eighteen inches
Tong. uine inches wide and ten inches
deep. On the front and on one end was
engraved the letter &; on the other end
tie letter a which was supposed to sig
nifty .'Cristaval Colon. admiral. On the
top OF tie lid We're tie letters ID. de Ia \.
Per A." interpreted as "Descubridor de
la America Primer 'Almrante." discover
er of America. the iii. st admirai.)
y On the under side OF the lid was written
in German text "Ynetre Esdo Earop,
DIR. Cristoval Colon. Gllustrio..- and re-
nowRed man. Don Christopher Columbns.}
On one side of a silver plate. which APP
peared to have been screwed or bo!ted to
the inside of the box was inscribed. II
Cristoval Colon" which IS supposed TO
mean "Crna Christoval Colon ttne
coffin of CHRISTOPHER Columbus). On the
other side OF the plate were the words:
ia pie d. los rios del pmer .>lte d.
Cristovai Colon D. which are decipher-
ed 20 be Trina perteneciente de los res
los del primer Alnirante Don CTstoval
Colon. Descubridor' Or in. English.
TIN belonging 10 the remains Of the
first Admiral, Christopher Columbus,
piscovercr.
The fine dust iuto which the body had
eriI.nbled was carefully gathered up and
placed I'm little casket of gold and
crystal. such as is used by ladies to keep
their jewels in, and laid back in the
feaden chest. The latter was then sealed
satinwood with glass panels. which was
secured with three locks, to which the
minister of public works. the archbishop
and the governor OF the city have the
keys. The case was further protected by
broad bands OF white ribbon sealed with
way and stamped with the official seals
of the three officials named SO that il
may not be opened without the consent
and presence OF all of them. 1t was then
placed in vault 10 the left Of the altar
= Once each year. on the 10th OF Sep
TENDER. the precious casket is exposed to
public view IN the presence or the Off
erals OF the government and the public
when high mass is celebrated BY the
archbishop for the repose of the soul of
the great discoverer.
Distribution of the Dust.
While the dust was being transferred
from the leaden box 10 the iewelad casket
In 1877. Senior j. NJ. Castillo. who was as
sisting III the work, took out pinch OF
the dust. which he placed in a crystal
locket and afterward presented TO Mrs. T..
T. Sargent OF New York CITY, from whom
IL was obtained by Mr.. John BOYD Thacb-
er. The archbishop OF Santo Domingo
sen: a pinch Of the dust 10 the University
OF Pasia. Italy. where Columbus is al
Legged TO have been educated and Il IS
there preserved In Il crystal case Another
pinri OF the dust was sent to the mayor
OF Genoa. his birthplace. where il NAV ba
seen In the case which contains the Co
dex'' cf Columbus. one OF the most imnor
tant and xaiuabla collections of MANN
scripts in the world embra cling the will Of
the Giscoverer i'm his own handwriting
and the original of his contract with the
Spanish sovereigns. There is also a pinch
Of the dust in the Vatican. and two or
three in other pia ces. nine altogether of
which Mr.. Thatcher has three and he de-
s.res TO have them all collected and re-
stored tn the casket in Santo Domingo
as appears by the following letter recently
received by Secretary Root:
Dear Sir: Some years ago. after long
investigation. l became convinced that
the remains OF Christopher Columbus are
still present In the Cathedral church at
there during some repairs to the Cathe-
slral SeptemDer 10. 1877 and on that oc-