The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-18 00:00:00

PUBLIC WORKS IN PARIS.

The Place de Grefe and the Place du Chatelet pre-
rented, on Sunday afternoon, ti trectacle of extra-
ordinary lzu Ale and interest. It being the tefttlination
of the winter season, upwards of 45,000 workmen,
masters, and foremen, were assembled to make new
engagements for the summer works at. the forti-
fications, buildings, and other constructions now in
ptogregg, or about to be undertaken, in Paris and its
en vironS.

Orders have been given for resuming all the ma.
sonrpwork on the detached forts upon the first o:
next month.

The city of Paris has resumed the works at the new
church of St. Vincent de Paul, in the Place Lafayette,
Faubourg Poissonniere. Numerous men are em-
ployed in executing the capitals- of the pillars and
other ornamental sculpture of the choir. Labourers
are also digging for the foundation of the double
flight of steps leading from the Place Lafayette to the
portico. The building is filled with scaffolding for
facilitating the painting of the friezes, the tribunes,
the demi-cupola of the choir, and other internal
decorations. The following are said to be the in-
tended adornments of the exterior of the building and
its approaches :—ln the Place Lafayette, in a line with
.the Rue Hauteville, is to be erected a large fountain,
and there are to be two others on each side, near the
steps. The friezes of the towers and the pediment
are to be painted on lava; the pediment and all the ex-
ternal statues are to be of white marble from the Pyre-
nees. The columns inside the church are to be
stuccoed. There are to be paintings from sacred
history all round the nave, on a wide frieze, between
the lower and upper range of columns, on the aisles of
the nave, in the galleries, and on the demi-cupola of
the choir, and on the vault of the nave, for which last
the designs have already been sketched, for the pur-
pose Of judging the effect.
• We have already mentioned that the Municipal
Council of Paris had lately decided upon the canali-
sation of the small arm of the Seine, on the south of
the Ile de la Cite, from the Pont de l'Archeveche to
below the Pont-Neuf; the total cost of this operation
is estimated at 4,000,000 f. From this, and the other
works previously determined upon, it results that the
Pont-au-Double, the Petit-Point, and the Pont
Saint-Michel will be replaced by three semi-circular
arches of 34 metres, 40 centimetres' span (about 112
feet). A towing-path of from 6to 8 metres (20 to 25
feet) in width, and 4 metres (13 feet) above the
highest mark on the scales, will be formed from the
Pont de l'Archeveche to below the Pont-Neuf; a dam
in masonry 50 metres (about 165 feet) long will be
raised with a sluice (barrage) between the Pont des
Arts and the Pont-Neuf. There will be another
moveable dam, which. will disappear when the river
rises to the height of five metres (16 feet, 4 inches).
Parallel to this dam, and at the foot of the Quai Conti,
will be conStructed a sluice similar to that, of nearly
12 metres (about 40 feet) in width, and parallel to the
dam, behind the terre plein of the Pont-Neuf, there
will be raised water-works with turbines, which will
set in movement sufficient pumps to raise the water in
the great arm, and then .force it through pipes into
reservoirs for distribution in the different quarters of
Paris. These turbines will, when the river is high,
distribute 80 cubic metres (about 105 cubic yards) of
water per second, and when the river is low 50 cubic
metres (about 66 yards) of water per second, without
giving additional rapidity to the current of the water
in the smaller arm. In the first case the engine will
be of a force equal to 600 horse-power, and in the
second case to 1,200 horse-power. In consequence
of this establishment the water-works -on the Pont
Notre Dame, will be taken away, and replaced
by a moveable dam. The bed of the smaller
arm- will be deepened one metre (three feet three
inches) below its present level, so that there may be
always a draught of at least two metres or six feet
and a half. In fine, paved ways for the service of the
towing paths, and watering-places for horses, will be
formed on the Quai des Orfevres and the Quai des
Augustins. These immense works will be com-
menced in the course of the present year. The gene-
ral plan of improvement comprises also the following
important works, the execution of which, however, is
deferred till a future period, viz."--a towing path
from the Pont des Arts to the Pont de Grenelle,
estimated at 1,300,000 f. Piles and wood work at
the Pont d'Austerlitz, with the Pont de Bercy, esti-
mated together at 2,700,000 f. The completion of
the Quai Saint Nicholas, 300,000 f. The formation
of a lower wharf along the Quai des Tuileries, and
the reconstruction of the parapet of the upper wharf,
800,000 f. Total, 5,100,000 f.