The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-08
A NIGHT UNDER PARIS.
Bessie Darling Cropping in the Cata.
combs.
[New York Telegram Interview. I

1
Miss Bessie Darling, tho actress, who
has Just returned from her European
tour, gives the following dramatic ac-
count of the misfortune that attended her
visit to the Catacombs of Paris:
"There were thirty-one of us in the par
ty. Regardless of the guides injunc-
tions that we should keep together on the
penalty of getting lost, ] wandered, un-
observed by any of my companions or the
guide, into transverse gallery, and after
leisurely Geciphering the several inscrip-
tions that attracted my eye, turned to
make an exit and rejoin the party. But
] turned in the wrong direction, and did
not discover my mistake until had gone
some distance. Positive, at first, that
my course was correct, | hurried on with
out giving an alarm. AS soon, however,
as | realized that was indeed lost you
may be sure that my voice was eXerted as
only woman in distress knows how to
exert her voice. | retraced my steps in
as much of run as the flame of my can
die permitted, pausing at every opening |
passed to call and listen.
"The echoes of my calls were simply
fendish in the way they came back to
me. They were far from human in tone
more like derisive howls uttered from
the cold, grinning skulls that were star
ing at me on every side with their hide
Gus, suken eyes. As these echoes only
added to my tribulation | refrained from
calling any more. My voice was gone,
at any rate. The ghoulish atmosphere
seemed to defy any effort above hoarse
whisper. Thus | wandered from one gal
lery into another, into caverns and out
of them and back into other galleries
again, and all the while going further and
further into the most dangerous
section of the Catacombs, wherein Wis
itors are never conducted. | wandered
this way for nearly two hours. The
silence was so oppressive that even the
squealing Of rats would have been well
come, but the Catacombs are singularly
free from this vernin. So long as my
candle held out | kept heart and did not
despair. When its flame began to flicker
and grow weak | lessened my pace and
carried the candle closer to the ground to
enable M to avoid the skulls and ribs |
was constantly stumbling over.
"The ground was 50 pasty it held my
feet so firmly at times that imagined
some unearthly crawling creature was at
tacking me. | emerged at last from a
narrow gallery into what | thought was
an enormous chamber, but its darkness
was SO black that came to a standstill
at the threshold, as it were. | could not
distinguish either floor Or ceiling nor see
vestige of already familiar skull or
bones. The atmosphere was colder and
purer than what l had yet experienced
in the place.
81 don't know what prompted me to do
; it, but picked up skull and threw it
forward into the gloom in front of me.
70 my infinite terror | did not hear the
thud of the skull upon any ground until
after few seconds, and then | heard it
( away beneath me, accompanied by a
6 mufled rattle as though the skull had
fallen on and disturbed pile of others at
o the bottom of great unseen pit. And
: pit it was-over $50 feet deep, | was after
a told. Two or three steps more and
n might have gone headlong down. turned
to go and die somewhere else; but as
& turned the light of my candle expired
n and here nature gave way. | tainted
within three feet of the edge of thatawful
abyss. The chiliness of the air revived
me after a while. ] opened my eyes
Was | blind? for | saw nothing. threw
p out my arms, and ltonly the Shiny mud
8 in which was lying. turned my head
e and my cheek rested against
!. a clammy skull. Oh! my God
s how 1 prayed for death. Once more
: became unconscious, and l lay fol
+ eighteen hours insensible. 1t was fortu
+ nate that | fell where | did. Had l fal
! len in any of the galleries restricted tc
n visitors, | might have lain undiscovered
q thirty days, for as you are aware, the
y Catacombs are on public view only once
9 month. As it was | fell at a spot fre
v quented by the workmen daily EN- mployed
in the place. The pit near me they useo
as dumping hole for refuse bone litter
Had / tumbled into that pit my body
would have been covered up with tons Of
s ghastly dumpings before the search fol
o me would have extended to the awfu
!. hollow"
!, "What were the circumstances of YOU
t rescue?' the reporter asked.
e 81 again recovered consciousness,
y Miss Darling narrated, "just in season
h to attract the attention OF retreating
d workman. Too exhausted to call,
c could only groan, and, brave fellow, he
: at once advanced in the direction of the
a sound. My face, clothes and arms were
d 50 besmeared with mud that he coult
l. not locate me until groaned again.
n must have been frightful object, will
e my hair all matted with the Shiny earth
Is and my eyes wide open upon him appeal
II ingIy. But he was courageous fellow
e to return my fixed gaze and merely nut
A. .ter to himself, Suicide and dead
G. As he stopped over me manage
4 to touch his foot, whereupon h
is started up, lit a spare candle, placed it o
m the ground beside me, and then has
N tened away. oh, has he abandoned m
t. without killing me?' l cried to myself.
: oo.c;, Whon pnvt T rauivoI