The Portland daily press., 1870-02-05
DAILY PRESS.
CORTLAND
Saturday Morning, February 8, 1870.
SCENES AT THE NoIR FUNERAL, BY ONE
OF THE CROWD.
PORTLAND

SCENES Al TIE NOlh rONLh't - NN'
OF THE CROWD.
PARIS, Jan. IA, 1870.
Noticing during the whole morning OF the
12tn instant crewds of people tiocking up the
Champs Eysees, aud remembering that the
funeral OF Victor Noir was to take place that
day, made up my mind to make the most OF
the opportunity, become one of the crowd,
and witness, for once in my life, popular
demonstration" in Paris, drawing courage, if
the crowd should be fired on, from the we'll
authenticated fact that mans weight in
lead is generally fired off before he IS hit.
Falling in with the stream OF human beings
near ROnd Point, | was borne with it through
the remainder Of the Champs Elysees-about
three-quarters of mile-under the Arc de
Triomphe, along the Avenue de Neuilly-all
these in one continuous line-tO the Rue du
Marche, where the crowd turned off to the
left. We were now almost at the environs of
Paris. The crowd here was dense, as though
hydraul cally packed, having become larger
and larger as it neared this street. 1t was
made up almost entirely of "blouses"-as the
Worklngmen here are called-with the faint
est dash of other classes, stray student here
and there being the most noticeable. Fore
ing my way, or, rather, insinuatirg myself
wherever an opening was to be seen, made
slow and tedious advance for about block
and a half farther through the Rue du
Marche.
Here progress became out of the question ;
and, having already lodged around several
lines or barricades formed by the "blouses"
crossing hands in a double line and declaring
that none should pass them, L was content TO
remain till further opportunity present ITSELF
From here we could just see the hearse
Now some one in the crowd declared that
one or two tacres in the street occupied too
much room, and, not daring to disobey the
popular mandate, off they had to go-much to
the regret of those perched nicely upon their
tops-through a passage made by the crowd,
which separated into two parts and then
closed up, the meanwhile all being good ma
tured, laughing, joking and regarding the
whole affair rather in the light of a holiday
rather than as the last solemn service to be
rendered him they called the child of the peo-
pie.
Suddenly appeared a man.caling "a pass
age for the cortege~ One was quickly form
ed through the whole length of the street.
though it was very narrow, aud an instant
before one would have though. it impossible
Tor the crowd to be more closely sardined.
"a bas chapeaur p was the cry Immediately,
and every head was uncovered like a fash
They had to remain so, moreover, as some
few, who, after waiting bareheaded a short
time, found, when they ventured with due
regard to health and comfort, to recover them
selves. All waited anxiously for some time,
during which word was passed along that the
hearse, which had meanwhile disappeared,
would return 10 pass through the street.
However, it did not come, and heads gradu-
ally were covered and tie passage closed
again. Shortly after at the direction of the
same person as before, it was again opened
and ID bas chdpeau1w was again the cry.
This time the crowd were not so patient, and
soon closed ranks again ON finding themselves
disappointed.
Now the crowd commenced to move on in
a sursing mass, shortly debouching into the
Rue Perrouet. The pressure at the corner
was terrible; it seemed wonderful that none
were crushed or trampled to death. As the
centre of the block was neared, there were
heard cries OF "chut,""le fdmille!" a bas chap
eauI~ and then all advanced in silence to-
ward No Is, where, stationed at the ground
floor window, were six females robed in black
one of them, the mother OF Noir, woman OF
fifty or sixty, at sight of whom the air ran Q
with "Vive le Noir! vive le Noir!" which she
and they duly acknowledged. Further on,
round the corner, and through the Place DIN
herman, to the Abenue de Neuilly again, the
crowd pushed. Here the scene was almost
beyond the pen-carts and carriages OF all
descriptions were packed in among men
women and children; their tops, no matter
to whom they belonged, covered with, anC
every available projection clung to by blouses
who for the day, reigned supreme. All this
time not gendarme nor soldier was to bt
seen, except when coming up, at the gates
which separate the Avenue de la Grand Ar
NEE and Avenue de Neuilly, where a couple
OF hundred sergents de Uiltes were stationed
evidently drawn in from their posts.
A rush now announced the advance of th,
procession. 1t was headed by short ia
man in black, seated on the shoulders Of "tht
people," evidently bent on tine hopeless tasl
OF making himself heard-a brother of the de
ceased, we afterwards learned, though the
"Vjres" sounded more like "AIago." Shortly
followed the hearse, of the usual open kind
back, with silver fringe, drawn by two black
horses, on the box the coachman in cooked
hat and mantle. 1t was preceded by several
"mourners," who in vain tried TO make pas
sage for it. In it was the coffin, covered by a
black pail, on which were noticeable an i'm
mense wreath of yellow immortelles and a
large bouquet Of the same in variegated coors.
Of al. this had but just a glimpse when
found myself carried off my feet and landed
safely out OF The dense portion Of the crowd
by rush mede in slanting direction. A
young Englishman near me was pitched vio-
lently against cart, and, l fear, seriously
hurt. Skirting the crush, made on ahead to
get another view of the corteee, to accom-
plish which l followed everybody's example,
and seeing vacant position ON the shalt of a
private carriage, sprang to it Just at the mo-
ment that the "blouses" commenced unhitch-
ing the horses from the hearse. The coach
man was depOsed sans ceremOnie, and in
moment the hearse was again in motion.
drawn hy hundred hands. At first its
course was so crooked and unsteady as to en-
danger the safety OF the coffin. 1t passed
this time within few feet of my station, af-
fording as before a full view.
Rochfort" was now the cry, but I fail
ed to get sight OF him. Dropping to terra
.trmd from the coupe of the distressed no
bleman-his rank shown by the quarterngs
and coronet-whose and whose lady's anx-
lous faces signihed plainly enough their desire
to be well out OF reach of the crowd, l again
made for the front and was this time reward
ed with only distant glimpse again of the
corner of the street where the cortege, if a
wild mob like this can be so designated, turn
ed out OF the avenue on its way to Munt Per-
nasse.1 Here the cries of "Vive Victor Noir'
were mingled with "Vive la Republiquew p
not singly but by the thousand.
Leaving the crowd at this point, passed
back through the Avenue de Neuilly with the
Bureau des Omnibus, where took num-
ber and waited my turn, no other mode oil
conveyance, except "Foot's horse" being
available, and being by this time well tired
out. Alter L had waited perhaps halt an
hosr, the procession commenced repassing, on
It's way back to Quartiere st. Antoine, where
the working people live, at the other end OF
the city. In the front part, hemmed in by his
admirers. was the carriage containing Roche
tort, to ViUeS" for whom the air rang. Not
far back of it, carried floating in the air as
Standard-in the absence of the red flag,
which in France means revolation-was
large bunch OF red toy balloons, such as used
by children. l took place on the top of the
bus, which started on, skirting the crowd. On
reaching the Arc de Triomph, saw the
dense mass of people extended in either di-
rection as far as the eye could reach, filing the
avenue-which is nearly 800 feet wide-from
side to side, thousands and thousands strong
fifty thousand would probably hit below the
mark-sinSing the Marsellaise and ripe for
any devlltry.
Here we of the bus lost sight of them, but
at The Rue dMontaeue, leaving the convey
ance, L turned again in the direction of the
Champs Elysees. They were still pouring by
and the growing darkness giving them addi-
tlohai bravery, were mingIing with their sing
ing cries OF "a bas rEmpereur" Their sport
here-at Rond Point-was soon spoit, how
ever, for the Avenue dAutin, here opening
on the Champs Ell, sees, was occupied by a
light cavalry and battery, and the order was
given TO the crowd to disperse or they would
be fired upon. Such a skedaddling and scud-
ding for shelter down side streets and under
the neishboring houses as ensued! The Av-
enue was emnfv and silent in q second. 9th