El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-12
Ashes jealousy Guarded
SantO Domingo, Confident 1t Has the
Bones of Columbus, Protects
Them Well; May Not Go
Through the Canal
-Fv 4 redPrfe J. HngEzfp
BY frederic }. Haskip
- rAsHINGTON. D. q. sept. z

the SantO Domingo cathedral,
said to contain the ashes Of Columbus.
is now kept in plain view in a raised
tomD. A portion OF the dust was gath
cred into a small gold and crystal cas-
ket and repOses on top Of the leaden
visit the cathedral The gate 10 the
tomb is locked with three keys; one
held by the municipality, one held by
the church, and one held by the SantO
DOMINICAN government
There have been occasions when the
casket was opened for view. One of
these occasions was when secretary
Knox on his mission to the countries
Of the Caribb bean, visited Santo DOmin-
90. He was shown the evidence, and
came to the conclusion that all that is
mortal of the discOverer of the new
world lies in the city that was built
by him"
Leaden Ball n Mystery.
The leaden ball which was found in
been one with which Columbus was
wounded. At one time ne speaks in
MS writings of a storm in which his
old wound was opened again There
seems to be some difference of opinion
as TO whether there was a gun OF that
caliber eXtant during his life time, but,
as the presence Of this leaden ball is
not taken as any part Of the proof Of
the authenticity of the remains in San
to Domingo, this discussion is cORsid-
led to have no real bearing upon the
question of where lie the bones of
Columbus
Wrong Bones Removed.
The conclusion of those who have
Investigated the matter carefully is
that there was an error on the part Of
those who made the elimination in be-
half Of the Spanish government for
removal TO Havana Tradition and
history both agree that the bones Of
the discOverer were inferred on the
side OF the altar where the caSket in
SantO Domingo and the caSket in Sc
vile were found. Those on the other
side of the altar were those of the
prOfllSate grandson, Luis Columbus It
was known that the body Of Diego Co
lumous was inferred in the cathedral,
but the exact location was not a mat
ter of historical record
At the time of the first opening OF
the SantO Domingo casket it was rep
resented by Don Carlos NOuel, a law
yer, that Don Tomas DObadilla had
told him that at the time of the trans
the repUted bones of Columbus, q canon
OF the cathedral had succeeded in sub
shutting the caSket containing the re-
mains OF Diego Columbus for those of
Christopher, and that the mistake was
due to this It is hardly believed, how
ever, that such q substitution would
have been possible, since the bishop Of
the church had suggested the removal,
and the work that would have had to
be done in opening the vault and seal
Ing II again would have been impOS-
sible in the time it was alleged to have
been done.
The authorities of santo Domingo
are confident that any inYestig cation
will bear out their claims, and they
have always been ready to submit their
proofs to any impartial board of in
quiry- Their willingness to have the
casket in their cathedral with its sa-
cred contents carried through the Pan
anna canal when the world celebrates
the official opening of the great inter-
oceanic highway, may lead to a serious
consideration of the proposition by the
United States.
Would Be Its Last.
If the Santo Domingo casket is car
ried through the canal, it viii prob
ably constitute the last of many jour
neyS 1t has made At least three times
it was moved in Europe, after which |
Il made the journey from Seville to /
SantO Domingo. There were three re- I
moVals IN SantO Domingo, so that the
ceremonies incident to the opening OF 4
the Panama canal would constitute the /
eighth removal that has been made.
The proposition that the bones in the /
Santo Domingo cathedral be carried 4
through the canal has but lew, If any,
parellels in the history of great cele- /
orations. The ashes of great men fire.
Iuently have been moved to a more /
using them in any celebration seems to
nave been advanced for the first time
n the case Of Christopher Columbus
the proposition has been
though the authorities of SantO Do
ningo have prOfessed a willingness to
see it done, it is probable that the pub |
ic sentiment of the world in general, |
Ind of the United States in particular,
Will hold that if the ashes in the little !
Caribbean island are really those Of
he discOverer, they are too sacred to 1
)e disturbed, even in the celebration
Il so glorious an event as the compile
ion of the great waterway that has
demanded so much of the brain and !
'rawn and money Of the American peO-
lie.
other Cases of Disputed homes.
There have been but few serious con-
rOVersies over the authenticity of the |
emains OF great men OF these, one
# the most notable was that raised l
'ver those of the American revoIu-
iOnary hero, John Paul Jones. The
!hted states Ior many years desired
ltungly to honor this great naval
aptaln by seeing to il that his ashes I
we're inferred in the soil of the coun-
~ whose Independence he aided in /
UGH a marked degree The matter fl
ally was brought to a head by in
IructlOns TO the then American am
asSador TO France, Gen Horace POr-
er, TO make a strong effort to identify 7
IS remains beyond question. This he
10 anu the records in the cases are
o complete as TO leave no doubt in I
ne mlndS OF the American authorities I
hat the body brought from France
M inferred at the Naval academy al /
-as in truth that of Amerfca,s srest I {
avail hero.
The remains Of Gen. George Wash
lston We're not permitted to lie in
lelr original resting place. a brick
ault on the slope of Mt Vernon to-
ard the Potomac Neither do they O
st IN the vault under the dome OF
ne capitol that was prepared for them [
congress This vault is still shown {
, visitors and many of them have the I
Use impression that the Father of His I
OuhJry actually was buried in 1t ;
men congress PASSED the bill or I
erlnS the construction of the vault I [
! the capitol and requesting Mrs I I
-asnlnSton's consent to the removal ]
the body from Mt Vernon, she q
rOte that her Individual desire was S
,at bis - ~ - -I,---,-- -.-st -, | =