Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-06-02


had demolished or carried of this me
mentO, the act might perhaps have
! been in some degree eXtenuated by th'
| law of retaliation, though it still woulC
! have been deservedly blamed as an un
warrantable excess; but that French
men with their own hands shOulC
! drag down what commemorated tht
glory of their fathers seems truly i'll
| comprehensive. The Place Vendome
originally called the Place des Con
quotes, and afterwards the Place Loui:
lie Grande, is an irregular octagOD
the larger sides of which measure 45(
feet, and the small 420. Previous K
the erection of the column, or cOionne
its place in the centre was occupied 10y
q colossal equestrian statue, in bronze
of Louis XIV, which was, however
partially destroyed in 1892, and finally
completely removed in 1906. The pc.
destal and shaft of the great column
were of stone, but completely covered
over with bas-reliefs, cast from the
metal of 200 pieces of Austrian ana
Russian cannon, which represented
the victories of the then iEvincible
army.
On the pedestal were represented, in
bas-relief, the various uniforms, armOr,
and weapons of the conquered armies,
while the bas-reliefs of the circular
shaft followed a spiral direction to the
top, or capital, and represented in
chronological order, all the principal
actions, from the departure of the
troops from Boulogne to the battle OF
Austerlitz. The designs for these
casts were made by Bergeret, and exc
cuted by thirty-one artists. one Of
whom was Madame Carpenter; and
an idea of their magnitude may be
formed by those who never saw them,
and now never will, when it is known
that the mass of metal employed In
their casting weighed about $50, 900
lbs, thet the figures represented upon
the bas-relief, were 1000 in number,
and three feet high, on the average,
while the total length of the spiral
scroll. from the pedestal to the capital,
was not less than $50 feet. The pcdes-
tai was q feet high and about 20 broad;
il was square in shape, rested on q
broad base Or plinth of polished gran
ite, and was surrounded by an iron
railing. On its four corners it bore
four magnificent bronze eagles weigh
ing 500 lbs each, that supported in their
claws and bills, garlands of oak leaves
in bronze, which had a most charming
effect. A massive bronze door in the
side of the pedestal admitted of en-
trance into the interior of the column,
where a winding stair of 176 steps led
to the capital, which was also surroun-
ded by an iron ballustrade, and bore
the following inscription:
Monument eIepe a Ia g7ori' de- Ia grande Grmse,
par Napoleon Ie Grand commence le crr. GOut lSG6,
term inc Le v dout 1910, In direction de D. y
Denoa, M. J. b. Lepere, ct ei Goudlin, Grehi-
tectsS.
This gives the history, in. brief, of the
column; the architects GOudoin and
Lepere erected it, under the direction
and supervision of the famous Demon;
and well did they acquit themselves of
their task, to Judge from the obstinacy
with which it so long refused to be
rocked from its base or bulge even an
inch to the modern appliances of the
Communist engineers. Its total cost
was lust the some amount tnat was
few davs ago offered to the Commune
TO save it from destruction, (1,5Oo.OCO
francs.) but then, it must be remem-
berpd that this did not include the
value of the metal that was employed
i'm the castings of its bas-reliets and
other ornaments; and how dearly that
was bought is beyond computation
Perhaps the price for it was never real
Iy paid in full until row!
On the lofty capital, which was sur
noonnted by a handsome acroterium,
stood originally statue of Napoleon,
rs Fmperor: but this was removed III
1914. and given over to the melting
furnace to form part of the equestrian
stotue of Henry ", which now
odorns the Pont Neuf. During the
Restoration a simple flagstaff, with,
the fur-de-Lis. occupied the topmost
piunacle and this was again, in lts
turn, removed to make place for ant
other statue of Napoleon, modelled by'
Seurre and cast by the celebrated
Craxatier, which was solemnly inaugu1
rated, i'm the presence OF Louis PhlllIp-
ne and his Court, on July Is, 1856
This statue, which ever since occupied
the place of honor, was eleven feet
high, and represented the petit CoTpO-
rail i'm his world renowned habit, with
overcoat. cooked hat, and all. But
even this had to make room for an I'M
mense classical statue of the late En-
reror. Louis Napoleon, which was
probably the real eyesore which led to
The destruction of the whole column.
A magnificent view of Paris and its
environs was the reward that awaited
the tourist who had patience and curl
ositv enough to climb the one hundred
and sevcuty-six dark and crooked
stairs. with lantern in hand. And
among the things to be seen and all
mired in the Capital of France, the
Veudnme Column took one of the
foremost places. 1t has fallen victim
10 the foolish malice and barbarism Of
"A maddened populace, and with it fell
the noblest r'Onumcnt of French glo-
ry, genius, and skill-qualities that
seem at present well-nigh departed
from the ancient land of the Gauls.