Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-06
THE MoRGUF.
TIE SINISTER HALL OF THE IN
KNOWN DEAD IN PARIS.
Some Details about ,he m0rgQe It's
Various Tragic apartments.
AID Its Uass.
PARIs. October u. I8S0.


charged her above ali to see two things il
Paris-the Bots de Boulogue and tht
Morgue. In my opinion they are the las
places one should visit, for although tbs
Bots de Boulogne is beautiful in graceful
verdure and fairylike in its artistic arrange
ment, which consists in thwarting nature
as little as possible, with Hyde Park be
fore ones eyes, it is easy to imagine the
combination oil trees, lakes aud waterfalls
whereas artistic monuments are books
wherein past ages have inscribed than
thoughts, their feelings and aspirations, and
possess a characteristic Of their own. As
to the Morgue, what special interest it can
have for stranger | cannot understand,
aud particularly for Young woman
Death is not agreeable TO look at any time,
and when We do, it is generally upon the
familiar features Of riend or one dear to
US, but the face of a stranger cannot but
be Indifferent 10 us In life and almost re-
pulsiv5 when deprived of motion and intell
gence-that which may attract US through
81 uipathy. Those persons who cultivate a
morbid taste for sensations may possibly
find some pleasure In looking at the strange
faces OF dead men and women, or even
those who are btase and have exhausted
more natural and moderate enjOyments
but young woman has many other things
to behold, which may produce as acute
sensations as the sight of corpse. The
Morgue, however, if not inscribed in the
regular guide book as one of the divertise-
ments, /. generally included in the list of
monuments to be visited by the English
sight-seeer. Many and many time while
passing the Mor5ue have seen great car
riage-loads of our English cousins descend
and enter the door leading to that sinister
hall.
All persons who have ever Travelled
in Europe, even though they may never
have been under necessity of appealing to
the protection and guidance OF Thomas
Cook of noted fame, must surely know of
this important parsonage. He is an en-
terprising Euglishman who has undertaken
TO PILOT ALL TRAvRLKRs
From one end of Europe to the other, and at
reduced prices, which ia within his power,
owing to the great number of travellers
who apply to him and his consequent ad-
vantageous arrangement with railroad and
transportation companies. He possesses
hotels Ill all the cities of Europe, and even
in the surroundings OF Paris, Whenever, on
trip to some monument, there is required
refreshment for the party on the way,
Cooks hotel is found IN some convenient
spot, where the roast beef and tea can al
ways be had. 10 some parts of Europe
his tickets are very convenient and OF great
advantage, particularly for ladies or any
one travelling alone. His visitors TO Paris
are carried around from one monument to
another III high, open carriages, OF i'm
mense size, drawn by four horses gaiiy
decorated and driven by an individual
whose flaming red coat, great brass but
tons and general fantastic appearance
might cause him to be taken for monkey,
were it not for his size. These carriages
can sometimes be seen as many as four,
five and six following each other through
the streets. At first the people stared and
gazed at them, and the ganins ran hooting
after them but Parisiens soon become
used to novel sights, and the procession of
fantastic carriages no longer excite curios
ity. Ii by chance provincial should as
tonishiagly inquire az TO what it means for
on first sight you feel certain that
a circus has come to town), the
Parisien will invariably answer; ooh,
those are the Cooks" They are
sometimes singular creatures, those,
Thomas Cook imports, and in the heter-
ogenous mass of human beings who FL the
wagons to promenade the streets of Paris,
it seems as though England had snatched
up at random inhabitants of each country
and landed them at the French capital.
The Cooks never fail to go to the
Morgue; wives with their husbands,
daughters with their mothers, and sweet.
hearts with their lovers, all crowd in the
door arm in arm, as though on the road to
witness one of the most pleasing spectacles.
Never but once was l ever tempted TO visit
that silent,
MYSTERIOUS HOUSE,
And never shall forget my sensations on
that occasion. On first coming to Paris
many friends insisted on my going to the
Morgue as curious spectacle, particu-
iarly at that time. when the NJ orgue had
not been established in other cities.
could not make up my mind to 60 and
look on the dead face OF strangers, and
could not help imagining the sight horrify-
ing aud repulsive; but one morning, on
reading in the newspaper that a beautiful
young woman, dressed in q black silk
dress and white laces, with flowers in her
hair. had been found in the Seine, / con-
Guided that the sight of so fair creature
could not inspire the same dissgreeable SEN
sations. l made all haste to reach the
Morgue at an early hour, but even before
the door | hesitated and had half desire
to retrace my steps. My heart beat rap.
idly as mounted the stairs, and / expert.
enced in advance al the sensations of a
sight such as | imagined the reality would
produce. / suddenly found myself in a
long hall, one side of which was composed
of glass so clear that you felt you were act.
uaily in the large adjoining room. ] gave
hasty glance before me. when / was at.
traeted by several lounges in zino, all
alike, with the headboard considerably
raised. | scanned each enc, and with a
great sigh of relief found all were empty
These low sort Of tables were sinister in
aspect and inspired terror as though mon.
sters awaiting the moment to extend their
arms and clasp their victims TO their cold
embrace. Around the walls, hung on
nails, were clothing of different kinds
blouses, some blue and some gray. while
Others had long lost their original color.
There were, besides, here and there, s
woman's ehemise and woman's sack, also a
cap or so, srch as worn by BONES, servants
and old women a little blue, faded dress
hung on one nail, with tiny pair of shoes
above-the history of somebody's dar.
ling having been snatched away Nc
ventilation appeared possible in that room,
and the air seemed charged with the agony
of sudden death. That room was thea
ter in which tragedy only was enacted.
was not alone where stood, and looking
at my companions found them to be the
commeres of tbs neighborhood, gossiping
women who came to seek a subject for
their everlasting prattling. heard them
say that the corpse had been withdrawn
because it had been recognized by the rel.
atives; they also said that it was not