The Indiana State sentinel., 1875-09-16
TIE CHEERLEss oATACoMBs.
THE HABITATIoN OF THE PARl.
DEAD.

DRY B0NES-STRANGE AND GHASlL1 eChNE
BY CANDLE LIGHT.
The Paris correspondent of the Londoi
Globe gives the following graphic pen pic
ture Of life and death under the capital city
of France: Psrisians, perhaps, content with
the knowledge that their city contains SO
many curious sights calculated to attrac
strangers, know as little about Paris as Lor-
toners know about London. The catacomb
are q sealed book to them, and although
facilities are offered them for studyiD.
underground Paris, where the subterraneaD
routes are named after the open streets and
roads, none have cared to explore those
passages in which the defeated communists
took refuge, lost themselves. and weTt
starved. The first Monday in every month
is set aside for the visit TO the cats
combs; tickets may be obtained from th'
! prefect of the Seine, and the time occupied
| by the excursion is not thrown away. The
other day the members OF the geographical
congress were invited to explore subterran-
can Paris or as much of It as is generally
thrown open to the public, as too much tine
would be absorbed were the whole of thess
avenues and roadways to be visited, beside
which there is a certain danger of being lost,
or. as frequently happens, portion of the
r0ofug falling in and crushing the explor
ing party. Reasons such as these have
caused the visit TO be limited to the road
wsys which lie between the Barriere d'Enfer
and til galleries which contain the bones OF
those who were inferred in the different
Partisan burial grounds before the author;
tiles
HAD RESTRICTED THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
o certain cemeteries, and which had re-
mained in the cloisters and old churchyards
before the Paris improvements were CON-
menced. The time fixed for tbs visit was
p. NJ, but fully half an hour before that
time the intending visitors had assembled
at the Octroi of the Barriere d'Enter, fearine
lest they might miss the treat they had
bson looking forward to, Each psrson had
been requested to provide himself with
candle and box of matches, but the specu-
lativa urchin, who never misses chance o.
turning penny, had heard OF the projected
visiF, and the itinerant merchant de bougies
was at his post. Candles fitted to q wooden
handle, with broad cardboard
guard to prevent the grease from
son carrying it, were being hawked
about; boxes OF matches seemed at pre-
mium, and descriptions of the catacombs
were largely purchased by the foreigners
who were assembled waiting for one of ths
municipal engineers who was to conduct
them through the ]abyrinths of that curious
place, entersd at the ominously named Bar
riere d'Enfer. The members of the gee
graphical congress had mustered in force
and they were accompanied by. number oi
ladies'. While waiting, the conversations
reminded one of the confusion of tongues at
the Tower of Babel Russian, italian, Spar
ish and French and English were being
spoken, and the peculiar American accent
could be distinguished, as the manners and
CUSTOMS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
to the generality of the people almost ur-
known, were discussed. The fair sex seems
<,,g g.,r aT1 cH Of ho
had Mrs. Jellaby been there sbt
would have learned how far her mis-
sion might be further extended
plorer would hail with delight the era when
flannel vests will replace cocoanut and palm
oil, with which it is the nature OF some per
sons TO besmear themselves. AS L O'Clock
sounded the signal TO get ready was given:
match boxes were looked to, the candles
were firmly griPped, and some ladies, very
ssnsibly, put Oh water proof cloaks, draw
ing the moods over their bonnets So
as to guard against the moisture
which, after the late heavy rains we have
bsen having, filters through the roof OF
the catscombs. Candles were lighted, and
one by one, the 200 visitors assembled disal
peared down the winding staircase, with i
90 deep steps, which leads to the vaults be-
low. Round and round turning giddily
until at the end OF five minutes a welcome
voice announced that the head of the pro
cessi0n had arrived on the level ground, 5S
feet below the street above. The 200 flicker
ing candles gave a weird aspect as they illu-
minated, like so many wills-o'- the -wisp, the
dark Gladstone roof of the vaults through
which the party took its way. The water
was trIckling down the walls, or dripping
from the fungus-covered roof, to the eviden
discontinue of those who wore new hats
or light trousers, while here and there
THE CLEAN OF THE CANDLE
showed some patch of water, the endeavors
to avoid which were ludicrous. Some one
would see pool, make Jump to avoid it,
and land in another perhaps deeper, sending
up a shower ofwater which made the candles
spit and splutter, and made those who had
been sDriDkled inclined to use strong Ian
guage. But as none escaped some of these
mishaps, as the sprinkler often got sprinkleC
in return, good humor soon prevailed, and
everyone az last got careless, plodding along |
without needing the miniature ponds under
loot. On the wall, Inscriptions bearing the |
sTnes of the streets under which the party |
were passing, showed the progress being |
made, while to the right and left were gal |
leries into which no one was allowed 70 |
penetrate, as In some cases the roof h.
fallen in, and in others fears were enter |
tanned that the heavy rains might have rem |
dered the galleries unsafe. After walking
about twenty minutes the party halted; the |
ladies were invited to go to the front, the
men to bring up the rear. A few minutes /
more and door was reached, over which |
notice had been placed saying that |
no smoking was allowed, and that no
one was permitted to touch the bones, al |
though one would fancy hat the latter part
of the prohibition was suparfuous except in |
the case of enthusiastic phrenologists. The
procession reached the funeral hall, or vast |
ossuary, where the bones of the dead have
been arranged in horrible order, with some |
idea of ornament. Skulls yellow with time |
some looking like polished mahogany,
others like parchment or ivory, grinned in
a ghastly manner at the passer-by; thigh |
and arm bones seemed ready for the invita-
ton Ia valse TO join in Holbin's
"DANCE OF DEATH"
and many wondered If at the hour of mid
night some strange scenes might not be seen