Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-12-17
JfsIT TO THE sEwERs, OF: PARIs...

q Yesterday, tba ffh hg,o November, Yss the
dag: :appoiatedlbg thses chief If thesewess9e dspaTt
part8, to enter the subtarrznean yaglts
Of Paris, 60 interesting to the readers of
cradles The ticket of notification informed us
that we must be at the Place de 10 Madeleine, On
the side of the Boulevard. .Maesherbes, at one and
q quarter. o'clock precisely. Arriving, we found
about twenty-four persons assembled around .
temporary railing Of iron that enclosed the opening
to the sewers, two iron doors that lay fat on the
pavement just ike our covers over the gas and va
ter pipes in the streets of Philadelphia. 80, s,,r
: 'The doors opened, aunarrow spiral stairway
was disclosed, and ray of light from a hmp far
down the; dismal entrance, rather increased the
gloom than any attractions the place might have.
However, when the. chief, dressed ini government
uniform With the titla Of his eieein gilt Letters
placed oonspicnously. en.his rhatisaye tbs signal,
we started, single file, and in moment ware near.
" blinded by glare Of light from rowsof kerosene
lamps in the hands of men who were to conduct Us
through the sewers AT the foot of abouttWentyl
Eve steps, two large boats we're in waiting for us
and when my sight became manageable, i{hat was
at first dazzed BY the swinging lights reflected up
on the water, the boat rocking each one stepped
on the side tried to realize that was not enter
ing death-barge on the tStyx, or hearse gondola
on the Via Mera,,or funeral canal of. Venice, by
night Who would imagine q sewer, through
which the dish-water Of Paris was carried, could
be converted into canal twelve feet broad foot
path Oh either Gda Of solid stone where two per-
sons could pass each other; q yaplted root along
which water and gas pipes two feet in diameter,
were conducted, and telegraph iWpesTby dozens
were held -. .,ai.e. C., .-;= gtdzr-77rf 5I,.ri
.aeFrom the centre of the arch large lamps were
suspended every ten or twelve feet, Our party
having seated themselves in two boats, theirs were
twenty naeuainfh bonHsts and. wooden sabots
ready To seize the ropes, when; the command
Avumez, waaigiVeni - Presently a faint soupd Of
horn was heard, that grew alouder ras lit was
caught up and echoed from eVesys angle Of the
sewers. Our chief gave sshrin whistle, and the
men started on d trot Oh tH6sid@ 0f the walls
small white porcelain plates we're inserted bearing
IN black letters the dates and heights Of risngs of
the waters at different periods, some Of them CON
siderably above our heads, and; suggestive Of the
horrors escaped by Jean Vatican. at the Place de
Ia Bastile, at the time of the French revolution
The names of the, streets under which We passed
and the cornen of; the cross streets were marked,
30 we could tall exactly. sour direction Running
down the main sewer Of, theeRue Royale TO the
Place de Ia Conccrde; We found-what do you sup
poss? train of cars waiting for us IL! Six OF the
prettiest little cars ever saw. They consisted OF
six platforms, about eight feet square, with brass
ralings, seats cushioned with red leather, no top
to the cars and on each corner Of the cars brass
lamp, With grained glass globes, formed . bright
and beautiful finish to this fairy-like conveyance
1.-THE sewer was narrower here and the wheels
of the cars ran on brass rails laid onthe edges Of
the foot.paths. Each car had an iron handle back
and front, with brass cross-pieee like those Oh
our hose carriages at home. When the cars start
ed, four men pulling and, pushing, each down the
grade Of the Rivoi sewer, the leog vista Of the j.
iuminsted vault the regular clacktof the sabotson
the stone walk water splashing into the side en-
frances either on stone steps to break the force or
inverted arches to prevent splashing Of the main
canal, the speed Of our, hpman locomotives, the
expression Of delight and wonder on the faces Of
our party, strongly thrown out BY the four foot
lights on each; ;caral was 80 strange, and halt
pleasing half frightful that, Like the rest, waited
to see. What the end would be-, After trottiDg q
mile-andr half we were suddenly landed at largo
iron gate and so intense was the light there that
went back to my first theory, and concluded we
were at! the gate of Dante's Inferno. BUTT was
mo such place We had arrived at the Place du
Chatelst, and the light was the powerful sun ei
noon-day, on the white embanknment Of the Seine,
and opposite the two tall towers Of the Palas de
Justice, inviting us to come and see that We were
in world of reality, that there the beautiful Ma
rie Autoinetse suffered the Jtortares Of imprison-