Among the many concerns over hurricane Katrina's wrath, are the cemeteries of New Orleans. Why the cemeteries? The tombs in most New Orleans cemeteries are above-ground, bringing up worries that they could float away duing severe flooding.
The above-ground tombs of New Orleans, the origin of the nickname "City of the Dead" have an interesting history. Early settlers in the area struggled with different methods to bury the dead who never seemed to want to stay below the ground. The city's high water table means that holes more than a few feet deep fill with water - causing an airtight casket to literally float and eventually push its way back out of the ground. Various methods were tried to remedy the problem, such as placing rocks on top of the graves and boring holes in the coffins. None were very successful, however. One good rain would pop the caskets right out of the ground, and even the waterlogged coffins that stayed put led to unsanitary conditions. Under mayor Esetban Miro, New Orleans eventually adopted the Spanish-style wall vaults, and now 90% of the city's burials are above ground.
New Orleans has some interesting burial customs too. Due to lack of space, the tombs in New Orleans cemeteries are used again and again. The hot climate causes extemely high temperatures inside the tombs, causing the bodies to decompose rapidly in a process that has been compared to a slow cremation. Within about a year, only bones are left. In some cases, after the first year has passed, the cremains of the departed are swept into a communal pit in the floor of the tomb, leaving it ready for its next occupant. It is a common practice to bury all the members of a family in the same tomb, with names and dates added to a plaque or headstone. The rich are buried in ornate tombs with intricate carvings and ironwork, but most families have simple, economical vaults (many of the older ones are made of local whitewashed brick) that are stacked one on top of the other, forming walls. There are even "rental" units built into the walls of some of the cemeteries, for corpses who do not yet have a space available in the family tomb.
The cemeteries of New Orleans are beautiful and haunting, full of whitewashed brick, marble, statues and wrought iron. I hope that Katrina spares them.
The above-ground tombs of New Orleans, the origin of the nickname "City of the Dead" have an interesting history. Early settlers in the area struggled with different methods to bury the dead who never seemed to want to stay below the ground. The city's high water table means that holes more than a few feet deep fill with water - causing an airtight casket to literally float and eventually push its way back out of the ground. Various methods were tried to remedy the problem, such as placing rocks on top of the graves and boring holes in the coffins. None were very successful, however. One good rain would pop the caskets right out of the ground, and even the waterlogged coffins that stayed put led to unsanitary conditions. Under mayor Esetban Miro, New Orleans eventually adopted the Spanish-style wall vaults, and now 90% of the city's burials are above ground.
New Orleans has some interesting burial customs too. Due to lack of space, the tombs in New Orleans cemeteries are used again and again. The hot climate causes extemely high temperatures inside the tombs, causing the bodies to decompose rapidly in a process that has been compared to a slow cremation. Within about a year, only bones are left. In some cases, after the first year has passed, the cremains of the departed are swept into a communal pit in the floor of the tomb, leaving it ready for its next occupant. It is a common practice to bury all the members of a family in the same tomb, with names and dates added to a plaque or headstone. The rich are buried in ornate tombs with intricate carvings and ironwork, but most families have simple, economical vaults (many of the older ones are made of local whitewashed brick) that are stacked one on top of the other, forming walls. There are even "rental" units built into the walls of some of the cemeteries, for corpses who do not yet have a space available in the family tomb.
The cemeteries of New Orleans are beautiful and haunting, full of whitewashed brick, marble, statues and wrought iron. I hope that Katrina spares them.
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