Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-09
PARIS SEWERAGE.
A TRIP on AN UNDERGROUND R1vEE
How the Grea. City of Fashion is Kept
Claanly.
PARIs. Septemher u. 1850.


the system of sewerage which the Romans
established during their conquest of the
Gauls, possess at present the finest system
of sewerage in the world. Napoleon III.
had it embellished in higher degree, and
even established boats and cars in the
sewers for the accommodation of visitors
Everyone is Mortified at the idea of visiting
sewers, and they scarcely credit the state
ment that no disagreeable odor is detected,
and that sewer in Paris is not in reality
dark, foulsome hole. but a delightful
promenade or water and land Those who
have ever visited the sewers at Paris never
| fail to persuade their friends to 30 like
wise, and Ia no instance have | ever heard
OF anyone being discontented with his Jour.
ney The public are admitted once every
month, except during part of tine winter
when the waters OF the Seine rise to con-
siderable hight. The number of demands
Is generally two or three times greater
| than can be accommodated, 50 that out OF
three hundred persons there are more than
hundred and fifty disappointed. There
are two principal entrances-one at the
square called the Chatelet, which is near
the Seine and Just in front of very grand
and imposing fountain composed of numer
GUS huge lions who look fierce enough TO
! swallow You were they not constantly oc-
cupled IN eJeetlng great streams OF water
through their open mouths. The other
entrance is on one side of the Madeleine
! Church, just across the street from which
the flower market is held, Tuesdays and
Fridays; besides flowers, cats of the finer
! breed are sold there, and the fine Aueora
cat is TO be found there only, although they
| have become rare since the siege ANA.
! teurs of the feline family are quite nuIner-
GUS in Paris, and l may here add that these
cats are not by any means destined as COM
| panions to old maids, but are appreciated
by young and old, irrespective of sex. OF
course there is an entrance
TO THE SEWERS
/ On every street, but these two of which
speak are the only ones opened to visitors.
One could never imagine them to be such,
for on ordinary occasions it IS nothing but
a square solid piece of iron and of rather
small dimensions, which can be discerned
on the sidewalk, and you would pass over
1t all your life time without surprising that
it would lead to halls, corridors, streets
and rivers, like those described in fairy
tales. On the grand day of visitation these
| iron squares at the Madeleine and at the
Chatelet are both taken up and an iron
railway placed around the opening; a gar
diem stands at the entrance to prevent all
others than those possessed of cards to de-
| scend, for the noses have been counted
and there are accommodations for Just such
a number and no more, SO that should an
extra person make his appearance the man
| gers would be Ia predIcament as to the
manner of transporting him from one ex-
! tremity to the other. There is always
| great crowd collected to watch the fortu-
nate descend. The stairway is of iron
with railing mounted in silver. After
descending some twenty-five steps you find
| yourself In large spacious hall brilliantly
| lighted by numerous lamps attached to the
| wall. There are CATS on rails all mounted
IN silver and each furnished with different
| colored lanterns. There are 2 number of
employees in peculiar uniform who stand
| around waiting the moment OF departure
| then there is an odor of machinery and oil
that you cannot but believe you are in the
depot of some large city. There is no de-
lay when once that point is reached, and
all present are Immediately requested to
| mount the wagons, which are reached by
two or three steps on either side. Each
wagon contains some twelve persons and
the employees are occupied in assisting you
and arranging you likeso many footmen be-
longing to royal carriage. Everybody is
ready, the conductor whistles and immedi-
ately these footmen grasp the shafts
OF the wagons, six to each, three
on each side, and starting off ON
fast gallop, whirl you on to narrow
passage walled above and on both sides
to form an arch, with stream of water at
your feet and small stone pavement on
each side, just sufficiently wide for sure
footed blped. These men, with most
SURPRISING CONFIDENCE
And audacty, swing one foot before the
other on this narrow pavement, and speed
along as though the feet of Mercury were
carrying them. For some time your only
sensation is that of flying through the air,
of swiftly cutting the wind before you
then you catch your breath, look around
and above, and perceive the stone wall and
arch, and notice from time to time an open
ing in the wall, like narrow passages lead
ing off of corridor, and bearing an in
scription. After repeated efforts you
decIpher, by aid of the colored lights, the
words ST. Augustin, De la Paix, aud so on,
the names of the streets, so that you know
just under what streets you are journeying
and what buildings stand over your head.
After this you watch the water at your
feet, which seems to be gently gliding
away from you, and wonder if that ap-
parentlY impid stream, rejecting again
and again the bright red, green and blue
lights above, can possibly be the muddy,
yellow water of the cutters so avoided and
scorned. But no, 1t is not possible and
you involuntarily begin to hold in high
esteem
THAT SILENT RIVER,
Which, with a mysterious air, carries
through those dark chambers the scattered
bits and ends of mah's existence. You
then watch your two-footed horses. land
wonder how they can run so swiftly on so
small space, and if there is no danger of
their making false step and falling into
the mysterious stream. You next look
behind you and perceive the river blaze
of light, for the cars which follow after
are approaching, throwing their colored
lights upon the waters surface, and APP
pearing in the distance, with their cargo of
living creatures, like some celestial chariot |
moving through the air, and freighted |
with travellers from some strange planet. |
After half hour's ride or so your horses |
halt all of a sudden, and you find
yourself in another large chamber some |
what resembling the first, although there
are no stairs visible You are invited to
descend from your car and are aided by |
the employees with the same Difference and
otficiousness as displayed on your mount
ing. Your conveyance suddenly disappears,
and you are left withyour companions IN the !
midst of officers and Superintendents in
this mysterious looking hail, and you Won
der what is next going to happen to you.
The halt appears long for the impatient |
and curious, and the officers being asked |
why you are detained, answer, that the
party which entered by the opening at the |
Madeleine flor Won laft f1av Ipht nv the |