Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-11-22
F,1n thc.Ne1s-York Commercial y9,ioeriisc,']
a VISIT TO TIE UATACOMBS OF PARIS.

AVlSlT 70 TIE CATACOMBS OF PARIS.
Paris. .'Ia,cl 81, 1915.
Eaving given YOU some account uf The splendcr
ard ;,iety OF this city, must now request YOU 10
accompany rae To thesubterrancous part of it and
altio the scenery be less inviting, tie visit may be
attended, with equal benefit.
must inform you, that Paris has been principal
y butt of stOue, taken out OF the qulries, which
are underneath the city, and the excavations thus
made, as you will naturally suppose, arc immense
Great anxiety was formerly felt this account for
Year tst many parts OF the city might sink, in
guencc of not icing sufficiently supported. So great
was this uneasiness years Since, that the gov
eminent in 1870, appointed some of It's most res
pectaJie citizens to examine these excavations, and
report their situation. The result Of their examina
Jon, was, that several churches, palaces and many
Of the principal buildings and streets. in the soah
part oi PARIS, were considered in i'm mnent dan
ser of falling into the excavated gnipl beDeath
chem. 1t was therefore Immediately determined
TO appoint general administration foe the superin-
tendance of these qurries. with full authority to d.
dept such measures ~ they might deem prOpcr--
This subterraneous government has been regularly
continued ever since, with as much care the po-
hoe for tho regulation Of affairs above ground; and
under the superintendent of these inspectors Pa
ais has teen regularly propped up by immense col
nrnns OF stone, aud the dreadful eIi longer gives
s!nrm. TO shew that the public tears were rot
without cause, one hunss actually fell in, and was
nearly buried, just the above work " as connen-
ED.
In these gubteI1Nneous excavations the catacornbs
ere to be seen che, have Leend posted, by Will
grounded computation, since the year 1855, the
homes and boGies OF Two millions ana half Il the
human race.
These have been Rcerr,ulatng for centuries in The
different cemeteries, churc-yar.!s, &c. and ti.ss:
bury mg-raccs particularly that Of % LEg,ise dies
innorcns," hnsliy hccame So OFT nsiye and in0ri-
GUS to the health of;he inhabitants that III lss5, il
ordered by the government, list no more
q, al bodies should be buried within the city AT
the same time, orders were gwen TO take down
g L'Esise dcs innOcens," remove the bodies from
the buryng ground adjoining it, and covert the
place into pubic square. IL was ascertained from
public records end calculations usode thereon ths,
il the Immense charnel house Of the nnocents alone
here has been deposited during the last seven cen.
tuiies Inillioa hundred thousand 5oiies this
hNiag been, tra long period OF years, the o4ly
place Of defosit ior The dead bodies OF The whole o.
~ of Paiis.
Many oastac., presented themselves, and mum.
belicss diiictlles were thrown n the wav y,sriic-
uiaTl, by THOSE Who had friends buried there bnt
The plan was perSeYei%d i'll, aod the immense ard
awful work begun. The tr-t digging uu OF tie.
bo5es, sc. commenced Dec. 1st, i7S5, au,l was
i'suiarly continued i'll May, 1885, when, in con
sequence ai the warm weather, the work WAS st9p-
Prd ui q return of winter, should make it safe IN
continue 1t. This work was regularly persisted IN
during The following Tinleis5@ WAS completed III
january, 1873.
ALI those bodcs which had been recently inter.
red, or hsd not decayed were re-bu,ied out of the
city ia some ess,s ia others taken to the
catsconbs. according to the wishes of surviving
friends.
these bones and bodies were dug mp in the day
time, and conveyed in covered Wagons about dust
attended ty priests, who performed religious cere-
raoaics over ITEM They were then emptied into
tile ca'acomts through shaft or dry well az about
sixty e, in depth and afterwards arranged by the
laJOrers below, IL the order ia which they now are
ard Sitn the regularity and cxactnes5 Of the most
hnishsd masonry.
In addition 70 the bones and bodies taken from the
grave ysid OF lie Innocents, there have since been
taken up those OF sixteen other public burying-
gTounGs. ! bis second work was commenced H. tie
gear 1872, and cOnjinuedin 1898, when in eonse-
qncnce 81 tie revolution 10 France, The work ay-
Pears to haze been suspended for ten years la
1908, il Recommended, and was continued at inter
v4sG I'll 1918, when the last disturbing of the bones
appears 10 have taken place, by removing those found
IL tie graveyard Of tie Lijaspital de Ia Trnite
can give you hereafter, the particulars Of the
removal Of each OF t'Ie seventeen grave yards thus
slistuibcd--2t present must driert
Having furnished ourselves, Ike day prey;ous with
permit FROM the superinteu dant general Of The ca
taeOmbs, and also made our arrangement with iIe
guide my firnd aud nyscl attended at the time
appcin'cd, for th" sake of making cur gloomy Win
HE place We dcgcerdcd Is near the Barrier D.
Crcr," ard hayilZ cach o. a. provided liqbted ta
peg, carefully followed OR guide down a 81 cen.
win ing ai-casc ~ stone OF Seyefty-siy ST ms and
tirrtgn tne dM reni wnti - Of the quarrirs,-
yaese correspond exactly with the dicregt streets
81 tlint part ol Paris, near " le Rue ct barrier ~
Ener" 50 That 10 sly time our conductor couid toll
90 uudcr lat particular part o. the city we were
We proceeded u tlis manner, according toLisao-
eonu' about lsil milo, when we came to q black
so,d door, over which &c could read by the lipbt
q "a, taper, written 10 large capitals theAs awful
Noris ".5i1ets crH iiFcmtfre ds k4 gslrf."
Fa1rc! tiis is do, empire ofdcath
gloomy Us at ifgelf yygq nssfp o., t.crr....
~ "iH g"riols and s0iemn thoughts, without lie A.
loyc charec. Iou viii agree with me, however.
tfa ~ i'scfip CO.'S g. most appropdats. On omen,
ing toe dor, "'tl leads into " ie grand Osslsire
81 Z, i0o,se issoire," fonnd ourselyc, bet,geen
sal sand c,ipmas ompos'd entrelycf huraan b,nss
SUI SOULS. afs0i with tlc most rninutc precision
ID Regularity, 10 t.eDiio@ne manner: az The bot
go, 2 imer u onc particular description ofbonea,
9 '-hoacs for o-ance, ahoys these a layer az ,,,,'
uei s ipon 70 lone1, SIC. % Ga, height Of about
On i-@i; uisa = lysr o. .cu.l5, Afterwards, biycr