The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-29

10 AL INC NOftn RIVERS OF p0ntlcal history. IL
would make the fortune OF almost any street to
have at one end that Incompatible triumphal Arch
erected to preserve the memory Of the battles won
by the First Napoleon, and at the other the Place
de Ia Concorde the bloody site OF the guillotine OF
ninety-three. now peacesbly overlooked by the
colossal statues OF the great cities OF France-the
Terrace OF the Tuileries-the Navy Department and
the fine edince OF the Corps Legs!atif; but when,
in addition to these great features at either ex-
tremty the street s SO admirable in ITSELF so wide
and straight and clear that every foot Of 1t is visible
for the whole distance OF its length from either
end-llned for half It's length by line houses, and
for the other half by shadowy places OF merry
making for the little people OF Paris, and "places
OF nesting green" for the refreshment OF the
larger ones-lt can readily enough be understood
how the Partisan standard Of magnihcence uncon-
sciously measures things by the figure they would
cut In tnat street. No doubt genuine bourgeois
Of the town treasures always . mental impression
Of the avenue on which to try the shows he sees,
wherever he may co. as the dealer skilfuly dis
plays his black lace or . handy piece OF white or
light blue velvet And It Is, already, q great
deal In favor OF any display II 1t WILL in the slight
est degree, stand this test. More than
TWENTY THOUSAND JETS OF GAS
were lighted on the Place de Ia Concorde every
one enclosed IN globe OF white glass, giving an
exquisitely soft effect The arrangement was very
simple. Numerous standards, like unusually tall
IamppOsts were disposed on the Place on q gen.
eral plan, and all connected by festooned lines.
The standards were crowned with branches OF
burners, and were thus veritable trees OF flame,
and the festooned lines were slightly flexible metal
pipes. with burners at little intervals along their
whole length; and even on these flexible
and movable tubes there were white globes
hurnn fhn Whn
place was Q vast embroidery OF quantity
disposed lines OF hgnt-a blazing parterre,
above which the distant Arc de Triomphe lOomed
like temple OF the fire worshippers-and the TWO
were connected by lines OF flame running along
both sides Of the avenue, also made by tall standards
at little intervals, joined by festoons Of fame.
Near ten the Shah came TO the Trocadero. the
high place opposite the Champs de Mars, where
there was display Of fireworks. Soon after came
the
RETRAITE DE PLAMBEAUx,
the Characteristic display OF the OCCASION If indeed
there could be anything more so than the illuIni-
nation ITSELF This was q torchlight procession,
Or more strictly, torchght parade OF the troops,
in its effect not unlike those torchlight parades
that the volunteer hremen used to get up in New
York in the days or the nights that are no more.
First there were two three squadrons Of mounted
pted with grand din Of French military music
that is, clarions and drums-and every soldier
carrying either o nag or nambeau. The line
moved from the Champs de Mars, crossed the river
to the Trocadero-up which 1t passed by tortuous
route, continued to give the best effect to the
trail OF moving nre-thence by wide avenue to
the Arc de Triomphe and down the Avenue des
Champs Elysees to the Place de Ia Concorde.
Description could do but little justice to the effect
OF this Illuminated procession moving down the
gorgeously Illuminated avenue, amid the
vociferOus appreciation Of crowd OF
enormous proportion, and OF such
happy nature that 1t can cast aside with
the utmost facility in the presence of any pleas
ure, whatever sense of dignity it may be bur-
dened with on more formal occasions, but that on
this night, ravisned with the brilliancy OF the
show, quite spent Its vigor in uttering the most
charming ndjuvenile delight.
NOT ON THE PROGRAMME.
Nature, for once did put a damper on the spec
tacle even in this constant climate; for towards
eleven O'Clock there was smart shower Of rain
and quite storm of wind and dust As usual the
dust was contented with no resting place but the
human eye, and this interfered with the serenity
OF the popular temper while the wind played
most disagreeable pranks with the Illumination,
especially with those slightly flexible festoons of
IRE on the Place de Ia Conc0rde, where it shook
down the white globes and bombarded the place
and the peoples heads with well sustained fire
OF these uncomortably hot ana exploding missiles.
Worse still, it blew out the gas, and the umina-
ton at that point was at one moment half sup
pressed, and might have been completely SO, but
that poor old /lsyphus was compelled to give over
for little his customary occupation and come out
with long pole and little fire at the end to pass
fha oinda NJ ~
industry Of constantly relighting what was con-
stantly blown out
The above is the second illumination that has
been given in the short list Of the festivities here
but they were so different In character and extent
that it is still quite worth while to give even after
the above glimpse Of the
ILLUMINATION AT VERSAILLES.
Some hundred OF yards from the northern ex-
tremty ofhe Chateau OF Versailles in quiet corner
Of the gardens Is piece OF water called the Basin
OF Neptune From very considerable distance,
and from all sides the rich and beautiful green
sward slopes gradually and easily down to the
water and the crest OF the rise at this consider.
able distance from the water shutting the place
almost, If not completely, from sound and sight of
the outer world. is curtain of enormous old trees
whose giant stems and spreading arms and ample
foliage tell the story Of kings that have come and
gone, BOVcEHucuto tudt nave Deen Set up
and overthrown, and even dynastes that
have passed away since the nurseryman
wondered whether his sapplngs would thrive.
In the shadow Of these very trees sauntered
and laughed that frivolous and foolish German,
Marie Antonette upon the ncaons OF whose his
tory so much sympathy has been wasted, and by
the glmmer, such as still lights these shadows
with little moon, the willy La Motto stole to the
rendezvous to personate that same queen In the
famous interview with the badly cheated De Rohan,
o prince, cardinal, debauchee and fool.
II is hardly "std utdt0r heyoem cdlcas" here,
as 1t is truly enough IN Pere 10 Chase,
where some one has written the famous words
in pencil on the shabby wooden railing that pro-
tects the grave Of Marshal Ney for the Versailles
circles were never rich In heroes ard the few
heroes they had never liked the company, and
usually went away on the first opportunity. Yet
the ground is sacred In certain sense to one