American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-06-01
A Brooklyn Girl in the Cata-
combs.


Away we rolled in the rapid carriage,
and at the end of half an hour we alight-
ed at one of the principal entrances to
the Catacombs. A great crowd of peo-
pie assembled near here, waiting pa
tiently for the guide to open the door.
They were at last rewarded, for guide,
holding large bunch of keys, chose
one of them; in a moment more the door
opened on its rusty hinges, and each of
the persons, a lighted candle in hand,
disappeared behind it.
1t was soon my friends and my turn !;
| found myself on very narrow stone
staircase, whose steps wound about so
closely that we had some difficulty in
descending. After descending 81 steps
we reached the landing; we were 60
feet underground: We found ourselves
in stone passage about three feet wide
and six feet high, whose intense dark
ness our candles but family Illuminated.
Far away was the confused sound of
voices of the crowd from whom we had
become ssparated,s which sound pro-
duced solemn effect in the gloom and
the death-like stiffness which reigned
all about US.
For long time we followed the pas
sage which we found separated from
branch passages by strong iron chains
At times we could scarcely stand up
right for fear of touching the vaulted
walls, and could, with ease, have touch
ed the walls in passing between them,
At length We reached b door where
we found several of the guides who had
descended with us awaiting us. After
bordering over the Latin inscription
over the door, which inscription invites
one to respect the abode of the dead, we
entered a passage similar to those
through which we had passed, but hav-
ing for walls human bones! Frightful
skulls gazed on US from either. side,
causing one to close ones eyes. ito shut
out the stare of their almost menacing
hollow eyes - -
Despite the hideousness of the specta-
Gle an order, really noteworthy, exists
in the arrangement of these bones.
Throughout these immense windings
are rows of skulls separated alternately
by rows of bones.
A part of the crowd, eager to pene-
trate one of the branch passages, darted
off in this direction, but was soon re-
called by the guides, who expressed
lively fear, and who explained that
there was great danger i'm enterihg them,
as the Catacombs are ina state of de
cay; parts of them have already fallen
in ruins; other parts contain poisonous
gases.
Wondefingly; wer walked about the
arches of this vast subterranean cavern,
pausing now and then to read the vers
es of Scripture here and there on the
walls. Above our heads, from the. cell
ing, fell large drops of water and min
gled. tlieir1poisen with. the tiny streams
oozing out of the crevices of the walls
and flowing at our feet. Everywhere
to the right and to the left, We're pas
sages branching off in the gloom, and
from various corners skulls looked or
us as exposed to our view by our feeble
lights. ''' '''
The Catacon1tsI extend under nearly
the whole city of Paris and there are
seventy entrances to them in various
| parts of the city. "AranceS, as'tptcez
sill uous plat, ATTN que Oous ne soyes
pas perdues,'' came the voice of tn
guide, already far away, and soon afte
we found ourselves again at the ston
step, glad to leave this mysterious land