Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-10-16
The CatacOmbs.

The Paris catacombs, once visited by all the
strangers who came sightseeing to the French
capitol, and afterwards closed to the public as
unsafe, are, as most people are doubtless aware,
old quarries, extending under a portion of the
Faubourg st Germain-the streets of Laharpe,
Saint Jacques, Vaugirard, and others, and also
under the Pantheon, the Observatory, the Odeon
threatre, and other large buildings. The roof
or crust of these vast vaults is, as may be imag-
ned from the weight it supports, of great thick
ness and soldty, bnt in certain places it is oonl-
parat!vely tl.in. 1t was about 1875 that the
catacombs first received human remains. A
quantity of bones were removed thither from
the charnel honse of the Innocents During the
revolution of 1889 they served as burial places
to numerous victims, and from 1892 to 1871
large quantities of bones were deposited in them,
taken from churches that were pulled down and
from cemeteries that were closed. Three stair
cases lead into the catacombs. Great precau-
tions have, of course, been taken to prevent any
falling in OF the ground, and the place is watch
ed and kept in repair. Two days ago a NJ.
Katery, one of the guardians, wishing to have
a lock changed in one of the galleries, went
down with q locksnith, his apprentice, and an
architect. Carrying lighted candle, he con-
dncted these three persons to distance of more
than quarter of an hours walk from the en-
trance. Incredible as it appears, the candle was
unprotected by lantern, and none of the party
had matches. They had scarcely reached the
spot where they were to work when puff Of
air extinguished the light. In the dark there
was little hope of retracing their steps, for the
turns and windiDgs were numerous. 1t was
more like they would get deeper into the laby-
rinth. Nevertheless, Katery, judging that from
the point where they were it was impossibs
anybody could hear them, bade his companions
follow him, and sought his way out. But after
cropping for several hours in profound darkness it
was hopeless case, so be called halt, and the
four men strained their lungs in shouting for
help. Hour after hour passed, and no succour
came, or sound replied. At last, towards o.
clock in the morning, when they had been for
IL hours in this immense subterranean grave
yard, when they were exhausted by fatigue and
hunger, and tormented by the fear of being for
gotten, they suddenly heard voice inquiring
what they were doing there. Some matches
were thrown down to them, and the caIdle was
lighted. They found they were just below the
|street of Duguay Trouin. 1t appeared that a
compositor, going to his home in that street at
the still hour OF A. M, heard faint cries, which
seemed to come from beneath his feet. In the
noisy daytime they would have been inaudibs.
Unable to account for the phenomenon, he hur-
ried Oft to the nearest police station, whence
some sergens de uille accompanied him to the
| spot. These men knew that the catacombs
passed under that street, and it was through a
draughthole nearly opposite to the compositor's
house that they were able to communicate with
the prisoners.