Between These Walls
Most burials consist of little more than a casket in the ground… perhaps with a minimal burial vault to protect the casket from the surrounding earth. But some have memorialized their loved ones (or themselves) by building an edifice into which their body will be placed upon their death.
Bellefontaine Cemetery contains dozens of these memorials… from a simple four walls with a door… to elaborate structures that put to shame even the most elaborate architecture inhabited by the living. This multicache will take you to six of these memorials within the cemetery, beginning at the posted coordinates. You will be gathering information at each stop along the way to lead you to the final location of the cache.
Stage 1: Page Tumulus
This stage is at the posted coordinates.
A tumulus is a burial mound where the earth is piled on top as a hill once any other construction for the burial is complete. At the posted coordinates you will find yourself at the door to the tumulus for Daniel Page and family. Page was the second mayor of St. Louis, beginning in 1829. If you go around to the other side of the mound… you will see that there is a second tumulus that backs up to the Page one.
A = the number of Xs in one column (down) the "window" of one of the doors
Stage 2: Colonnade Mausoleum
Subtract .035 from the posted north minutes and add .025 to the west minutes to obtain the location of your next stop.
A mausoleum is a free-standing burial building and is a more common find than the tumulus in Bellefontaine. The lady whose name adorns this edifice was the niece of General George Rodgers Clark and the explorer William Clark… as well as the half-sister of John O'Fallon, of St. Louis area fame. The colonnade structure you see here is but the entrance to the mausoleum… which is approximately 16 stair steps below your feet and houses the remains of approximately 40 of her family. Although the stone covering the entrance has metal wheels that roll on a rail… it initially took literal horse power to open… but now the horsepower of heavy machinery is used when it needs to be opened.
B = the number of columns in the colonnade
Stage 3: Snake Oil Mausoleum
From the Stage 2 north minutes subtract .109 and subtract .003 from the west minutes to obtain the location of this stage.
Although the gentleman whose remains are laid to rest in this edifice studied medicine… he made a lot of his money, not by practicing medicine… but by selling liniments and oils and other "medications" of questionable value. A 100 year old bottle of his liver pills can be found in the foyer to the Willow House at the entrance to the cemetery… along with an empty bottle of his volcanic liniment.
C = the number of vertical bars in the center section of each door (the section that isn't crisscrossed)
Stage 4: Short-Timer Mausoleum
From the Stage 3 north minutes subtract .019 and add .126 to the west minutes to obtain the location of this stage.
"King for a day" is almost an appropriate title for the man who is interred at this location. Although he was elected governor of Missouri… he served in that role for less than two months before he abandoned the office to serve as a senator. The urn atop the obelisk in front of you looks deceptively small… and weighs a sturdy 750 pounds. Its sturdiness was tested when a large branch from a nearby tree broken and knocked it off. It fell and was buried 18 inches into the earth… but sustained no damage. And even though there is a significant memorial marker in front of you at the posted coordinates that might lead you to conclude this was a standard burial… there is actually an underground mausoleum whose entrance is around where you stand. Were the dirt to be removed and the doors opened… you would find yourself faced with a 14-foot drop straight down to the floor of this edifice.
D = the number represented by the last character (letter) of the Roman numeral on the seal of the plaque here
Stage 5: Where's the Mausoleum?
From the Stage 4 north minutes subtract .011 and subtract .024 from the west minutes to obtain the location of this stage.
This mausoleum probably takes the prize as one of the most understated gravesites in Bellefontaine. At the posted coordinates is a flat, rectangular stone marker in the ground. If you're having trouble finding it… it is around 27 feet from the Morrison obelisk, 12 feet from the nearby large tree, 45 feet from the parker headstone and 70 feet from the road. Beneath this stone lies a mausoleum that houses the remains of 12 individuals, one of which was a Missouri congressman in the mid-1800s.
E = the number of names on the stone at ground zero
Stage 6: Cascade Mausoleum
From the Stage 5 north minutes subtract .293 and subtract .006 from the west minutes to obtain the location of this stage.
At the time of cache publication… this was the most recently built mausoleum in the cemetery. And although the owners of the edifice have requested anonymity… they welcome people to explore and interact with this beautiful structure in a respectful manner. St. Louis' Wall & Associates designed this mausoleum that is full of imagery and symbolism. Climb the stairs and look through any of the three gates representing the Trinity to see beautiful stained glass artwork. Continue up the stairs to either of the platforms overlooking large expanses of the cemetery gardens and ponds. If you are fortunate enough to be here on the right day of the year at the right time… you could experience the sun projecting a cross through the opening at the top of the stairs onto the stone cross on the floor of the first landing.
F = the number of letters in the second word on the righthand stained glass when looking through the gates
FINAL Cache Location
Now you can sit down and calculate the final coordinates for the cache before you set out on your trek to find it. The cache can be found at
N 38° 41.TUV W 090° 13.XYZ
T = A - 8
U = B
V = C + 2
X = D - 2
Y = E * 8
Z = F - 4
Checksum: T + U + V + X + Y + Z = 27
Congratulations to paulgracie for being First to Find on this multi!
Special thanks to the Bellefontaine Cemetery Event and Volunteer Coordinator who granted permission to place this cache and provided lots of interesting information about these and other sites in the cemetery. And special thanks to L Frank for coordinating the communication between cachers and the cemetery.
Please follow all cemetery etiquette guidelines and know the cemetery hours are from 8AM to 4PM daily.
This cache owner is a proud member of
SLAGA:
