Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-07-25


have also seen the great illumina.
ton in honor Of peace and indus
try, which it is estimated was
witnessed by no less than two and
IA half millions Of persons. |
hardly know which most to ad
mire the catacombs or the tete.
AS the old historian said III his
parallel of Virgil and Homer, tie
first was more correct, the latter
more impressive. The catacombs
are the accumulation Of the last
hundred years from the ancient
cemeteries of Paris, and they con
sist OF literal thousands of cords
of human bOnes. arranged on each
side of subterranean galleries, ex-
tending for miles in various direc
tions under the city. Our party
of about 200, Representing many
tongues and both sexes, each
with n candle, descended a shalt
of l02 steps below the surface
of the earth, and then walked
without stopping for forty minutes
ibefore we reached the point Of as
cent. We had, however, explored
but a small portion OF this popu
lous city Of the dead, for there
are as many as sixty different
places Of entrance to the cata
combs, and we passed numerous
galleries leading off from the one
through which we were conduct.
ed. In the arrangement OF these
bones-l must say bones for | did
not see an entire individual skele
ton among them-l am again com
PEELED TO admire French talent for
ornamentation. In the first place
their regularity is perfect. On the
floor and back to the wall about a
yard in depth are arranged leg
and arm bones, on top of these a
layer of skulls, then another Sc
ries of limb bones, diversified with
skulls on top. To relieve the mo
notony of these long CHASTITY gal
leries, the skulls are ct intervals
of a few rods arranged in grace
ful curves, which present to the
spectators as pleasing an appear
ance as, considering the material
used, could be expected. Then
again the facade is diversified with
artistic presentations of death
heads and cross bones, used by
druggists TO label poison, but made
Of the genuine material. We OBJ
served in passing that many of
the skulls had bullet holes, some
more than one in the forehead ;
others had the appearance Of hay
ing been crushed by sabre stroke.
There has been no effort made to
keep the bones OF different indi-
viduals separate. Only Of late
years lave the bones disinterred
from different cemeteries been ar
ranged in distinct galleries. and
prince and peasant. monarchist
and revolutionist, religion and in
fdel. friend and enemy, male and
female, been made TO exchange
and mix limbs in most grotesque
and moralesque manner. HAS e
thee TO my lady's chamber and
tell her though she paint an inch
thick. to this favor she must come
At last | observed that many
of the sku'lswere toothless From
the way in which an American
faid he was q dentist
at the teeth MS we passed,
| thought | had n hint Of how
they b. came toothless. What a
ridiculous mania for relics some
people have.
Every thing favored the great
illumination in honur of peace and
industry. that has for days been
the talk Of Paris. The weather
was clear and pleasantly cool.
The boulevards were lined on each
side with gas pipes with jets of
light about four inches apart. The
trees in the park and along the
streets were hung with Chine, e
lanterns. The public buildings
and churches were outlined in the
darkness. by jets Of gas on their
lines Of architecture, aud the dome
des Invalides and the church St.
Augustine. especially, looked like
temples Of fire. The main ave.
nue. of the garden of the Tuilleries
was gorgeous with a lattice work
Of light, in various designs, which
shining through glass of different
colors, presented scene of indie
scribable beauty. But by far the
most interesting part of the spec
tacle was the hundreds of thou
sands of French thinking, acting.
and speaking men, women, and
of all classes, mad with
excitement and happiness, surren.
dering themselves 20 the merri-
ment of the occasion with VIOLA.
tile abandon that some call child
lsh and others ridiculous. The
incidents and episodes of that
night will not be forgotten by
those who witnessed them. and
fbax, mill furp;.h "a hoe ~ E,ooal,