The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-06-11
The Column vsndoms.


The accounts by cable of the destruction
Of the column of the Grand Army in the
Place VendOme are meagre, but pic
turesque and suggestive. The act seems
to have been resolved upon under the in
spiratiOn, or at least to have been sane
toned by the presence of ROchefOrt, who
had conducted himself during the siege of
Paris with 80 much discretion that it is sad
to see him relapsing into bis normal state
of frothy and feverish unreason. Great
efforts appear to have been made by q few
persons to save the city from the disgrace
Ut SO dull piece of rancOrOus folly. 1t is
even reported that a million and q half of
francs had been offered by sundry citizens
to the Commune as ransom for the column.
The work of demolishing the monument
was confded to a gentleman who must
have undertaken it with a heavy heart.
This was Mr.. Paul Abadie, a distinguished
architect of Paris, born in that city in 1912.
The column he was commissioned to abase
had been feared but a couple of years be-
fore his birth, and for the last decade he
has been attached to the imperial commits
sion for the restoration of the national
monuments of France, q commission which,
under the direct inspiration of Napoleon
ILL, has done marvels throughout the
empire in the service Of history and of the
arts.
The first attempt at bringing down the
stately pile was O failure, in consequence of
an accident which curiOusly recalls the fam
GUS story of the elevation of the great obelisk
of Sixtus V. in the Place of ST.. Peters at
Rome. 1t will be remembered that when
Fontaua began the solemn task of upheav-
ing the huge Egyptian pillar in the air,
proclamation was made that no ono should
speak during the operation on pain of
DEATH" AS the silent and almost breath
less multitude watched the huge mass slowly
rising they were appalled, by the sight of a
f,s ri of nEn iain oil tIn linz
of one of the great pulley-ropes. Fontana
himself, the Pope, the cardinals, gazed in
CONSERVATION at the symptom of danger,
AID the whole experiment seemed on the
brink of final disaster when sailor of
Bordighera, in Ciguria, who was standing
among the crowd, forgetful of the procla-
nation, shouted out in a stentorian voice,
" Wet the ropes!" The obelisk was saved,
and the descendants of this sensible jack
tar still live in peace and comfort in his
| native town on the proceeds of the mon
opOly granted to him and his heirs forever
Of the palm market at Rome.
The ropes reeved about the Vendome
column do not seem to have caught fire,
| but to have broken, and a delay of two
hours ensued, during which the gentle and
generous populace came near to deciding
| that M. Abadie ought to be hanged as an
| agent of the Versailles tyrant. Meanwhile,
as the kilograms assure US, great crowd
| of ladies Shronging the windOws of the
huge and solemn hotels which surround
the Place Vendome, watched and waited
| impatlently for the spectacle of their coun-
try's shame. At last the expected moment
came. The grand column fell with crash
| at $50 o'clock, lengthwise, in three vast
blocks, into the Rue de 10 Paix, in which
there had been prepared to receive it a
deep bed of manure some twenty feet deep.
The statue of the Emperor falling quite
separately was set upon, smitten and other
wise abused by the National Guards. Bits
of bronze and stone flying here and there
were fought for and carried away as relics
or as trophies by the crowd and the sun
set upon popular festival no. to be sur
passed, we presume, in interest and excite
ment by the people of Paris until they shall
be gathered together again, as they may at
any time be, to witness the restoration and
re-erection of the column they have just
seen cast World.