The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-25

river through q great siphon, and discharged
diameter and four miles in length. It dis
charges its rivers of filth into the Seine below
the walls, at village called Asnieres, where
rapid stream and passes off to the sea without
being noxious to the country. Paris receives |,
its supply Of water from several sources, and |
sop n mes for all purposes general average OF
of the water is brought from branch OF the |
Seine called the Ourcq; one-third is taken
from the Seine itself, about 80 miles above the
city; and the remainder is procured from the
river Marine, and the creek called Dhuys.
Several artesian wells, those of Parry,
Archo and Grenes supply the lakes of the
receives for the water furnished, about 81 ,l00,-
900 from the citizens. But the water is of
very inferior quality, as it is very hard, con-
tanning much chlorate of lime and chlorate Of
soda. Any acid thrown into it will etfervesce
bubbles arising as in champagne. 1t is
really not fit to drink. Aud nobody does
drink it if they can help it. 1t may be proper
to add here that comparatively little of the
drinking water found in France will beg in TO
compare with the water furnished to the peo-
fulness 1t may safely be asserted that most
of the water is bad-hardly ga fe to drink and
is this not, after all the actual cause that i'm
pels the whole population to seek substitutes
in coffee and winef Long experience has
taught the people that the water of their coun-
try is not conducive to health, and has made
| pleasant and beneficial, long custom has de-
| cided to be coffee and light wine.
| 1t the water of France of equal purity
with that of Lake Michigan it is questionable
| whether there would be q pint of wine con-
! snmed where there is now q gallon, for the
French are an excellent, economical, saving
people; and were it not fer the deieterious
character of the water, they would not occnpy
so much of their land with grapes, but would
raise more grain and cattle.
The chief building material of Paris is q soft,
| collar nd wh hacnmaA m n.
derately hard on exposure to the atmosphere.
| 1t is very easy to cut-indeed, too tender-and
has to be dressed down after it is built in the
| wall. While new, it is o very pleasant stone
! to the eye; but, in few years, it begins to
discolor, and eventually turns dirty, sombre
brown, anything but cheerful or pleasing to
view. There is no variety of building.stone in
Paris, this straw colored sandstone is all the
material they have 1t gives the city same
ness of color which is exceedingly monotonous
The grandest public edifces are constructed of
this stone, a. we'll as the conmonest buildings;
even the monuments of the cemeteries are
chiefly composed of this yellow sandstone.
arohitectnaliy. The continual fogs and vast
consumption of bitumuous coal have be-
smeared all London with SCOT, and infict on it
q black and unclean look. But, aside from
this besmearing of creosste, the buildings are
inferior to those of Paris in point of architec-
ture. The prevailing styles differ, however.
The London taste rather inclines to Gothic,
tastes and ways; and they boast of it. They
oall Paris the modern Athens, and London the
literature Several of the recently-erected
public buildings in London are modelled after
tho style of Partisan buildings, and the mate
rial is the same, being imported from the
basin of the Seine. In fact, the English are i'm
porting this straw-colored sandstone in large
quantities, not only into London, but many
other cities of Great Britain.
There is an almost total absenc &C of confagra-
tions in Paris Fires seldom break out, and
rarely or never spread beyond the walls
Of the building where they originate 1s e:
, in Paris, nor is there ever likely to be;
except such as are purposely kindled
and by ntndv and tss
cause of this perfect immunity from fire, and
find it simple enough. 1t consists of strict
, rules for the construction of houses. and per,
i of fires. Paris is substantially fire-proof with
! out the of iron girders and beams, iron
, lathing, or brick or tile floors, by the adoption
/ of simple principle of construction, which lie
that there shall be air-spaces left between
D the floors, or between the plaster of walls anG
!, the studding or wall ITSELF and that the roo
q There is not such an incendiary thing as 6
/ wooden or tar-and gravel roof in Paris, and fol
aught know, in all France. The spaces be
, tween the floors must be filled with cement OF
! plaster of Paris, which is here cheap anc
l abundant and the wooden floors must resi-
, close down on this cement, so that in case of i
d hre, there Is no alr-space unueE tne Aoois. liz
spaces between the studdiug in partition
{ walls are also carefully filed up with coment
a and against it the plaster is placed, so tina
2 there Is no chance for fire to get between them
? to rush up from one story to another, or to fly
, along between floors When a fire breaks out
it spreads so slowly in houses thus constructed
that it is always quelched before doing muct
t damage, or extending to other buildings
4 The other precaution is intended to proven
a carelessness and endiarism, SO common il
= American cities. If fire, no matter how i
may happen, does any damage to any Other
a person. lie has full recourse at law, for all biz
. damages and costs, against the person in whose
premises the fire broke out. This simple rule
q of equity and right makes everybody watchtu
. and careful of fire. The gross care!essnes!
h everywhere witnessed in American cities il
a never seen in Paris or France. 1t don't pay
q here for q man to set fire to his stock of good'
a in order to get high insurance, nor for {
landlord who has an idle tenant on his hands
or bad tenants to fire his premises for the sak'
a of realizing on his policy of insurance; no
has any one an object in effecting large insur
/ ance. Indeed, the chief Insurance taken out il
, Paris is in the nature of an indemnity agains
a the damage one may have to pay his nei ghbor
f in case of fire spreading from his premises t.
i theirs. But the whole amount of insurance
o paid to the companies in Paris is less than i
paid by the people of Chicago, although Pari