The Portland daily press., 1869-06-15
From Pari. 10 swiazerIand.
VEvEY, SWITZERLAND, May 20, 1869.
THE SEWERS OF PARIS. n

A0hlOOLAs
From Paris 10 Switzerland.
VEvEY, SWITZERLAND, May 20, 1859.
THE SEWERS OF PARIS.
My last found me at Paris where I remain
ed two weeks. In my previous visit there
last November, had seen many of its at
fractions, and tour of five months in other
parts of Europe, did not give me desire for
the wearisome sight seeing of cities. There
were, however, some places that did not Wis
it then, that / wished to see. The sewers of
Paris are very interesting to examine. They
are constructed so large and of such magni-
tude that they are superior to anything of the
kind in the world. There are six main gall
leres with fifteen secondary ones opening in
to them, the latter connecting with smaller
ones which traverse the whole city, all of
them being under ground. Three of these main
galleries are on the right, and three on the
left of the Seine, connected with each other
by a syphon under the river. After waiting
a week for permit, 1 obtained the desired
envelope. presented myselfat the entrance
near the Madeline, and in company with
many other American visitors we descended
through an opening in the sidewalk down
Stone steps into one of the main sewers. We
found it to be a tunnel of stone masonry
twenty feet in diameter, of an oval form, well
lighted by lamps, and quite clean. A canal
ten feet wide runs in the centre, through
which the sewer flowed. On the sides were
foot ways five feet wide, and above were huge
iron water and smaller gas pipes supported
on iron brackets projecting from the sides of
the tunnel. A number of Corges holding
twenty-five persons each took the company
aboard and propelled by men we were pad
died a long distance on this dirty canal We
could hear the rumblng of carriages over
head, and an occasional CLEAN of daylight
would come through street opening. The
names of the d ifferent streets under which
we passed were lettered on the sides. We
passed in this way, Rue Royal, Place de la
Concorde, Rue Rivale and others. After
awhile we came to connecting sewer not so
large, and here the whole party were trans
ferred to cars, with cane seats, brass trim
mings and lamps. Their wheels run on rails
on the edges of the canal, through which the
dirty current flowed. The cars were pushed
along at rapid rate by men who walked on
the narrow foot way at the side. We went
this way through many curves and turns till
we came to gallery under the Boulevard
Sevastapol, and our sortie was on the quai at
the Seine. Ot
THE ELECTIONS. ai4 70
The elections for members of the Legisla-
tive Assembly took place Sunday and Mon
day last and much trouble was anticipated.
The opposition party to the government in
in Paris is very strong and controls the elec-
tion of members from the city. AT the po-
litical meetings held previously revolutionary
sentiments were uttered with great deal Of
boldness. Large crowds assembled at the
Place Bastile, and sung the Marsellaise which
terrified the Parisians, and many thought an
emeute was to take place. An encounter be-
tween the police and the populace in which
some of the former were wounded caused a
charge of the troops upon the crowd, and
one hundred of the ring leaders were arrest
ed. The strict measures of the government
and the conciliatory speeches OF the leaders
of the opposition had the effect to restore or
der, and as by law no political meetings are
allowed to be held for six days previous to an
election, the excitement subsided and ever
thing was quiet on the days when the elec
ton took place. The suffrage is universal
with some regulations. The registry of each
arrandisment is closed five days previous to
the election. Each person recorded is fur
nished with card giving his name, occupa-
ton, residence &C., signed by an official. On
presenting that at the polling place it is veri-
fed by the registry, the corner containing
the signature is torn off and he is allowed to
deposit his ballot in an iron bound box with an
opening in the top large enough to receive it,
These boxes are on table around which are
the election officials. They cannot be open
ed, and at the close of the election are carri-
ed to the Hotel De Vile, and there kept under
a guard of Gendarmes, till the proper officers
open them and count the votes. A majority
is requirded to elect and the result of the vote
is that the opposition have carried all the
districts in Paris by an increased majority
All the large cities Of France have done the
same while in the country in which the
Catholic priests have the most influence, the
government have majority Of the Legisla,
tive Assembly. Democracy and Radicalisu
are gradually gaining strength even in
France. aa r
STREET SCENES.
The weather in Paris during May has beer
quite cold and wet, somewhat interfering
with the out door life and gayety which /
generally seen at this time in its fu nness--
Sunday is the great fete day. All places o.
amusement out doors are crowded. The
gardens of the Tuileries, the Champ Elysees,
and all the places where the grass is green
and the trees are protecting canopy, are NIL
ed with all classes. Children amusing Them
selves with games, Punch and Judy exhibi-
tions, and concerts in the open air, attract
the pleasure seekers. In the Bois, the FASH
ionable park and drive, the number of car
riages is immense. The equipage which at
tracts the most attention is the turnout O
the Chinese Ambassador, Hon. A. Bur
lingame. A splendid carriage, coachman and
footman in red livery-it is, next to royalty
the most snowy establishment that appears
there. The Chinese embassy are making
slow progress in their visit and commun,ca-
tion with the outside barbarian world. Iney
have been in Paris since last december.
NOTES By THE WAY.
LEFT Paris by an express train and came
to Genoa, s75 miles, in IA hours. ! had been
over 4 portion of the route to Dion before
and this time came in the night. None ol
the trains have sleeping cars with any ac-
commodation for night travel. From Macon
to Genoa, where arrived at II A. NJ, the
road was through scenery mountainous and
beautifully grand. At Culas the road that
passes over Mont Gems intersects, and from
there the road goes up the valley OF the
Rhone, through the Jura range Of mountains