The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-02
E1oAEATIoNs UNDER PARIS.
The Catacombs as they were Eighty.
six Years Ago.

1 :
houses on the surface We suppose that the Prus
SLAMS have no means OF finding access to these by
subterranean passages leading to them nom with
ont the walls, or they might blew up the town In
| stead of bombarling 1t. or late these quarries
| have been made catacombs. Before they were
such they were sometimes visited by curious
! travellers. In volume printed at London In
1871, entitled "Twenty Bssays,n We lind the fol
lowing letter describing them: -.
| A SHORT ACCOUNT OF AN EXCURSION THROUGH THE
| sUBTERRANRoUS CAVERN AT PARIS, BY MIR. THOS.
WHITE, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL SOCIETY
/ OF EDINBURGH,' aC., &C., IN LETTER TO HIS
FATHER.
| From Memoirs Of the Literary and Philosophical
| Society OF Manchester.
| PARIS, July 20, 1854.
yesterday visited most extraordinary sub.
| terraneouS cavern, commonly called tile Quar-
/ ries But before give you the history OF my ex.
pedition it WILL perhaps, be necessary to seY q
few words concerning the observatoire royal, the
place OF descent In this very remarkable cavern.
| This edifce is situated in the Faubourg st.
jacques In the highest part Of the city. 1t takes
| its name from It's use, and was built by Louis
XIV, in 1867, after the design OF Claude Perrault.
member Of the Acaaey OF Sciences a5a I rss
dence or mathematicians appointed by the King
| TO make observations and Improve astronomy.
| The mode Of building 1t Is ingenious and admlra.
wood nor Iron are employed in Its construction.
All the stones have been we'll chosen, and placed
with uniformity and equality which contribute
much to the beauty and solldity OF the whole edi-
feet In height, and at the top there Is q beautiful
platform, paved with flint stones, which COM
mands an excellent view OF Paris and Its env-
rons. In the different loors OF thiB building there
are number Of trapdoors placed perpendlcnlarly
over each other, and when these are opened the
the stars may be very clearly distinguished from
tue bottom OF the cave at MONDAY.
At this place was introduced to one OF the In
spectors (persons appointed by the King to supcr-
intend the workmenl by my friend Mr.. Smeath-
man, who had used great application and interest
for permission to Inspect the quarry, and had been
fortunate enough to obtain It. For as this cavern
extended uuder great part OF the City OF Paris,
and leaves 1t IN some places almost entirely With
out support the inspectors arc very particular as
to showing IL, and endeavor to keep tt.as secret
as possible lest IL should ges gensraly gene any
alarm to the Inhabitants above. For what ID very
remarkable Notwithstanding the extent OF this
q larry, and the apparent danger, many parts OF
the city ore In from lt, lew, even OF tnose VINO
quainted with 1t, and on my mentioning the eX.
pedItion was going to undertake TO several or
my Parislans friends, they rl1lculcd me upon H.
and told me it was impossible there could be any
About O'Clock In the morning we assembled to
the number of forty, and with each wax calldlc
in his hand, precisely at 10 O'Clock descenaea - ny
steps to the depth OF three hunered AID sixty feet
perpendicular. We had likewise number OF
guides VITA torches, which we found very ,useluli
but even with these assistants we were several
times under the necessity OF haltlpg TO examine
the plans the inspectors keep oil these qusrrlea,
that we might direct our course III the right road.
was disappointed In not being able 70 OBTAIN
one Of these plans, which would have given tne
clearest idea OF this most extraordinary place.
At tho entrance the path is narrow for consld-
erabe way bnJ soon we entered large anu spa
cous streets, all marked with names, the same rs
In the city; different advertisements and bllis
were found, as We proceeded, pasted on tne walls Waus'
40 that It had every appearance OF q large Town,
swallowed up in the earth.
The general height OF the roof Is about nine or
ten feet; but In some parts not less tnan ttlrty.
and even forty. In many places taere ls liquor
continually dropping from 1t, which congeals i'm.
mcdiately and forms species OF transparens
stone, but not SO, fne and clear as rock oryssai.
ourselves In no small danger from the roof,
which we found but lndlnerently propped In some
places with wood much decayed. Under me
houses, aud many or the. streets, however It.
seemed to be tolerably secured by immense stones
SGT In mortar; in other parts where there arc only
fields or gardens above, 1t was Totally 1nsupport'
ed for considerable space, the roof being per-
fecty level or plain piece OF rock.
hfier traversiIg about two miles we again de-
sccndcd about twenty steps, and here found some
Workrnen, In very cold and damp place, prop
ping up most dangerous part, Which they were
fearful would give way every moment we were a's
make our visit at this place as short rs possible.
The path here is not moro Than three rect III
width. aud tile roof 30 low that we were obliged
to stoop considerably. -
pent Of their Journey and were much afraid OF
the damp aud cold air We frequently experienced
But alas there was no retreattng.
On walking some little distance Illrther VIC en-
tered into Kind OF saloon, cut out Of the rock,
and said TO be exactly under the Egllse de ~.
Jacoues, This was illuminated with great taste.
accustomed uu agreeable surprise, and made US oil
ample amends for the danger anu dimc9ty we
representation In miniature OF some OF the prln-
cpal forts in the Indies, with the fortl1cations.
drawbridges &c. Cannons were planted, with
couple Of SOLDIERS 70 easn teaay 70 ~ ntg tSe
son, particularly before the governors house;
anu q regiment OF armed mon was drawn up In
another place with their general in the front Tho
place affords, was ingeniousy contrlved, and tho
light that was thrown upon 1t gave 1t o very
ON the other side OF this hall was long table
some Of the best Burgundy ever drank. Now
everything was hilarlty and mlrth; our fears
were entirely dlspcled, and the dagger we dread.
ed the moment before was now no longer Thought
OF. In short, we were OIL IN COED splrlts again,
and proceeded on our Journey about two miles
further, when our guides judged 1t prudent for US
to ascend, as we had then got to the steps which
lend uu to the town. We here found ourselves
safe at the Val dc Grace, near to the English Bell
edictIne convent, Without the least accident hay-
n0 happened to eny one OF the party. We I'M
a0fned we had walked about two French leagues,
and were absent from the surface OF the earth
between four and live hours.
After we had thanked the inspectors and guides
for their very great clvlity, politeness and atten
ton, we took our leave to visit the English Bene-
dictine convent, In whose courtyard. and within
few Yards OF their house, the roof Of the snbter-
raneous passage had give way and fallen In the
depth Of one hundred and ninety-three feet.
though there was some little danger attending
our rash expedition, las some people were pleased
to term it, yet 1t was most exceedingly agreed
Bile and so perfectly nogpele scene that we were
Oil highly delighted, and thought ourselves amply
repaid for our trouble.
regretted much that did not take thermom-
eter and barometer down with mo- that might
have had an opportunity Of making some remarks
on the temperature and weight or the air. Ger
tanly, however, 1t was colder at this time than on
! the surface OF the earth. But Mr.. Sneathman In
formed me that when he descended the last win
ter In the long and hard frost, he found the air
much more temperate than above ground, but far
moro warm. Neither, however. had he ther-
nometer with him. / lamented, too, that had
not time to take moro remarks on the petrifac.
| tIons, &c. -igs.a,l ~
ed he found very sensible difficulty OF breathing
superincumbent rock was low and the company
| crowded This no doubt was much Increased by
| the number OF persons and Of wax lights, but he
| does not apprehend that the difficulty would
| have been 30 great in rooms OF equal dimensions
above ground. We remarked, too when we de.