Semi-weekly herald., 1910-01-10


La Rabida at the Chicago exposition
These stones are now the property of
the Field museum, and one of them
was presented to the late Bishop Sat
terlee for the altar of the Cathedral
OF Washington, now under construc-
lion.
The second Christian church In
America was erected at town called
Conception de la Vega, which was
built near the gold mines in the noun
talns of Santo Domingo when Isabella
was abandoned King Ferdinand's
bell was removed there and hung in
the steeple for two centuries or more.
When that town in its turn went to
ruin II was permitted to remain in
the rubbish. 1t is known as "1'he
Bell of the Fig Tree" because il was
brought to sight fifty or sixty years
ago amony the ruins of the church
at Conception de la Vega by the
growth of the roots Of a fig tree in
aculous manner.
The third church in the new world
wns built at Santo Domingo City and
dedicated to ST. Nicholas by Cover
nor Ovando In 1909, as an atonement
for his sins and his cruelty to the In
dians. He was guilty of several afro
cious massacres and murdered the
beautiful Indian queen. Anacaona. The
Church Of ST. Nicholas was an i'm
posing structure of stone with heavy
walls and beautifully grained cell.
ing 1t stood near the citadel and the
palace and the monastery of San
Francisco. the Oldest institution OF
that kind In America, which stands
upon a hill behind The Casa de Colon
opposite the City of Santo Domingo
The monastery Is now partially In a
rulnous condition, and the inhabitable
insane. The walls have fallen in
places, and are roofIess, but great
arches still remain, draped in vines
The gallant Ojedn, the most pictur-
esque figure of the Spanish conquest
s buried beneath the threshold of the
main entrance. and Don Bartholomew W
Columbus, the brother of Christopher.
was buried under the altar of the
chapel.
The Church of st. Nicholas was not
used for divine worship for n century
before 1t fell. During the last fifty
years Of its existence the "Cuna de
America" (cradle of America, as 1t
was called. was occupied as a black
smiths shop and for the repair OF
wagons and carts. A graceful grained
canopy that hung over the altar was
Illuminated daily by the glare of the
flames of the forke. Out of the dome
sprang the gnarled branches of a
cejbo tree. which could be seen q
long distance, and added to the pic
turesqueness of the building 1t was
surrounded by tangled mass of veg
citation and draped with graceful
vines. The tree sprang from seeds
which some one 91opped ina neg
lected corner of the walls and during
The hundred years or more after the
church was abandoned it was allowed
10 grow until 1t found Its way through
a hole in the dome.
st. Nicholas was torn down last
spring by order of the government
because the walls had become danger
Gus: but the money which was ex-
pended in their removal would have
repaired and strengthened them Sc
that the church would have lasted
for another century at least. A Wig.
orous protest was made by the "Junta
Columbina," historical society OF
Santo Domingo, of which Don Eme.
liano Tejara, the eminent historian
is president, but the government was
deaf TO remonstrances.
The palace occupied by Diego Co
lumbus when he was viceroy must be
attended TO very soon or it will fall
down. hTe walls are already in a
dangerous condition.; 1t is roofiess
and the windows and doors are board
ed up. Several of the rooms upon
the lower floor in which the proud
hidalgos used to assemble are now
occupied as stables for goats and don
keys.
The building, as ! have said was
erected for the residence of the first
viceroy of the Indies, sent out by Fer
dinand and Isabella in 1909 to rule
the new world in their name, and Il
was furnished upon scale commen
surate with the importance of tht
office. hTe first occupant was Dor
Diego. the eldest son of Christopher
Columbus. who. after he had married
the daughter of the Duke of Toledo
a cousin of King Ferdinand. was rec
ognized as entitled to the honors ant
emoluments guaranteed to Columbu.
by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1892, be
fore he started on his voyages of dis
covery. In May. 1909, three year,
after the death of his father, Dieg,
sailed for Santo Domingo with hi
noble spouse. his two uncles, Dieg,