The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-07-19
From our Regular Correspcndont.l
PARIS LETTER.

THE CArACoMBs AND THE FErE. THE
BONES OF THREE MILLION OF PERSONS
EXPOSED TO VIEW. THEIR TASTE
FUL ARRANGEMENT. THE
GREAT ILLUMINATIoN.
TEMPLES OF FIRE THE voIA-
TILE ABANDON OF A HAPPY MAD
DEMOCRATIC MOB.
Since | last wrote | have seen the cata.
combs of Paris, where the bones of three
millions of skeletons are arranged, and
have also seen the great illumination in hon
or of peace and industry, which it is estima-
ted was witnessed by no less than two and
a half millions of persons. | hardly know
which most to admire The catacombs or the
fete. AS the old rhetorician said in his
parable of Virgil and Homer, the first was
more correct, the later, more impressive.
The Catacombs are the accumulation of the
last hundred years from the ancient ceme-
teres of Paris, and they consist of literal
thouoduuo vi COIus Vi human DOneS, ar
ranged on each side of subteranean gal
leries, extending for miles in various direc-
tions under the city. Our party Of about
200, representing many tongues, and both
sexes each with candle descended shaft of
1902 steps below the surface of the earth, and
then walked without stopping for forty
minutes before we reached the point of as
cent. We had however explored but a small
portion of this populous city of the dead,
for there are as many as sixty different places
of entrance to the catacombs, and we passed
numerous galleries leading off from the one
through which we were conducted In the
arrangement of the bones Il must say bones
for did not see an entire individual skele-
ton among them / am again compelled to
admire the 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 larger of skulls,
then another series of limb bones, diversified
with skulls on top. To relieve the monotony
of these long ghastly galleries, the skulls
are at intervals for few rods arranged in
graceful curves, which present to the specta-
tor as pleasing an appearance as, consider
ing the material used, could be expected.
Then again the facade is diversified by ar
tistic presentations of death heads and cross
bones, used by druggists to label poisons,
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 hav-
ing been crushed by sabre strike. There has
been no effort made to keep the bones of
different invividusls separate. Only of late
years have the bones disintered from differ
ent cemetaries been arranged in distinct gall
laries, and Prince and Peasant, monarchist
and revolutionist, religionist and infdel
friend and enemy, male and female been
made to exchange and mix limbs in most
groesque and moral esque manner. Haste
thee to my lady's chamber and tell her
though she paint on inch thick to this favor
must she come at last" l observed that
many of the skulls were toothless, aud from
the way in which an American dentist, (he
said he was dentist) pulled at the teeth as
we passed, l thought had hint of how
they became toothless. What ridiculous
mania for relics some people have.
Everything favored the great illumination
in honor of peace and industry, that has for
days been the talk of Paris. The weather
was clear and pleasantly cool. The bou-
levards were lined on each side with gas
pipes with jets of light about four inches
apart. The trees in the parks and along the
streets were hung with chinese lanterns. The
public buildings and churches were outlined
in the darkness by jets of gas on their lines
OF architecture, and the dome des Invalides
and the church of St. Augustin, especially,
looked like temples of fire. The main ave-
nue. of the garden of the Tuileries was gor-
geous with lattice work oflight, in various
designs, which shining through glass of diff.
terent colors, presented scene of indes-
cribable beauty. But by far the most inter-
estlng part of the spectacle was the hum
DIRE Is of thousands of French thinking,
acting, and speaking men, women, and chill
dren, of all classes, mad with excitement
and happiness, surreDdering themselves to
the merriment of the occasion with volatile |
abandon that some would call childish |
and Others ridiculous. The incidents and |
episodes of that night will not be forgotten |
by those who witnessed them, and they will |
furnish key to French character, and to
The tragedy of French history such as can
not be found in volumes of brilliant disser.
alton. Hundreds of professions composed
If boys, girls, middle aged and we'll dressed
men and women, servants male and female,
With white caps and aprons, singing the
larsaillaise or love song, were marching
It quick step in the direction of the Bois
lie Bologne. The procession was not con-
inuous but scores of crowds of from fifty
o two hundred people each appeared to raj.
y to the standards of self constituted lead
RS. One crowd was led by boy with a
White apron and bare arms. To see him
Walking backward in front of a mob of |
senteel looking men and women, waving a |
title stick, after the manner of a leader of |
he orchestra, while they were chanting a
owe song was exceedingly ridiculous An
'ther motley division was led by an elegant
y dressed girl, Still another battalion bad |
allied to the leadership of man who had |
A basket on his head with his child in it.
g. AS.
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