THE DEAD OF MUNICH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 221, 26 October 1878, Page 5

THE DEAD OF MUNICH.

THE PUBLIC EXSJBITION OF TIjLE ftO^gs.

(G. 0. Fulton, in Baltimore American.)

The cemetery at Munich always has to the visitor oa account of peculiarity of tjje fowwlg sod the p*po&y.re of the b,9 Jiest^f th^] l 4*fF baforp burial. The law require? ibe tody of every one dying in Munich to be eoavef&i 10 fbe gerflpfery tbrJ* b° ur "» Btjd (tiere reiniJo, to b«ildingß* crec** 11 for tha P ur P 0? 1 f °r three daye. During iheJ** Hireedßyiia wire is attached to the hands Cf e «ch corps?, leadicg 10 a spriog bell, so thai as alarm wili be gi?en by Iboje whoie d jty |t is tp bp op guard in case of re*mciiaMoo ; We poijld ppt sgcertain whether there bad evep bee;^ a cage of r^^ijscitatiopj but it appears that a Iqog liqrte ago a case of burial alive le<i to the establishmeat of this custom, which hue been kept up ever since to avoil ilia recuirence of auch a catbs ropbe. We imtnediately proceeded to the first pi these halls, io which the bodies

of the poor were deposited, and there found 13 bodies, not laid out as if for burial, but reclining in floral bowers or resting upon beda of flowerß. Spectators were not admitted to the rooms, but they were surrounded by windows, through which a fall view and inspection of each could be bad. There wera 18 bodies in this room, Beven of which were infants, and 1 L of tho6e of grown persons, except one beautiful girl of about 12 years, arrayed in white muslin, resting on a bed of flowers, with a wreath of oraDge blossoms around her haad, reclining as if asleep, with her bare arms lying carelessly by her side. None of them, except the in/ants, were lying as we usually dispose of the dead, but in every case, whether old or young, there appeared to be aa effort to place them in a careless or balf-reclin ; ng attitude so as to have the appearance of being in a natural sleep. Ad old man in this room, not less than 60 years of age, the body dressed in a black cloth suit, was almost in a sitting posture. Around each body there were also a number of large bouquets, with cards attached to them, having been sent to the cemetery 07 friends of the deceased, just as they are sent to tbe house by friends in Baltimore. After the expiration of three days the body is placed in tbe coffia -by the undertaker, and the friends and relatives assemble at the cemetery, and the funeral t.kes place.. After viewing the bodies of the. poor and critically examining the floral decorations, as well oe the bodies of seven innocents, which were arrayed in plain white dresses, we passed on to tbe adjoining hall, where the bodies of the wealthy were lying is state. Each one was numbered, and a list on the outside wall gave the name and age of the deceased. Tha twelve bodies in this room were each lying in state under magnificent floral canopies, and looked as if they were reposing on banks of the rarest and richest exotics, carried up to wreaths and arches over iheir heads. They were also lying in positions to resemble life rather than death, even to an old lady whose age was given on the list as 84, but who did not look, in her reclining position, banked up and crowned with floraltribuhas, .to be moire than 60. Under another floral cauopy, were two little girls, about six years of age, perfect models of beauty and innocence, There appeared to be boxes under ibeio, probably filled with ice. Just as j we were leaving another infant was brought into the poor room by a girl, who carted it in a box. From the number of these boxes lying around we Buppose that they are furniabed by the undertaker. Bouquets were being handed in by some of the friends of the deceased, and quite a number of strangers were there, looking at the bodies and the decorations through the windows. Noue of them had the ghastly appearance of ; death, the effort apparently being to deprive death ol.it'sterrors.

The tombs and monuments in the cemetery were very grand and imposing, and around the high brick wall web an imitation of the Campo Santo at Pißa, the decorations of which are not very extensive.