The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-05-11

PARis. Aprh2S, 1881.

/ Napoleon Bonaparte built the
Hendome Column with the twelve
hundred cannon taken from the Aus
trans and Prussians, and covered
Its whole exterior with symbolical
characters illustrative of the history
of his campaigns. His own figure
crowns its summit, and seems to be
taking q survey Of the city and its
surroundings. lie stands in The
Place Vendome, and looks like a
colossal stove pipe set on end that
the first high wind may blow over.
1t Is more firm than 1t looks to be,
as the Communists found out, when,
in 1871 72, they tried in vain to over
turn 1t. They, however, dug the
earth away from one side oft aud
thus overthrow 1t, and 1t was broken
in pieces. But it has been recently
repaired, and now stands In all its
original beuuty and majesty.
! In passing we had often felt de-
tsire TO scale its beightssfor the sake
Of the extensive view 1t affords, and
yesterday we carried that desire in
to execution. The top is reach
ed by means Of a spiral stair.
case SO narrow that one in ascending
must keep a firm hold of the steps
above to keep from falling. 1t is
also so dark that one has to carry
lantern to light the way. The as
cent, even with light, is somewhat
perilous, and one Of our party de-
clared she felt the column rocking,
80 she was afraid to proceed. The
ascent, however, Is nothing TO the
descent, and to make it worse,
cowardly sneak who had preceded
US stole our lantern, and left us to
make the descent in utter darkness.
About half way down we met par
ty coming up, headed by portly
Frenchman, who swore he would
not 60 back. As we were equally
determined not to go back, you may
imagine a pretty tight squeeze. /
hattened myself against the wall and
bid them come on. Their leader
puffed and swore, and thought we
both were wedged so tight that we
should have to be quarrled out, but
luckily we managed to pass after
stl ess OF temper and tear of gar
ments and skin and few bruises
The rest OF our party retreated in
advance, but made all the French
men work their way past me in the
same way.
From the top of the column we sur
veyed the whole city and great part of
its surrounding towns and villages. Yet
with range so extensive we could only
catch glimpse If green fields away be-
yond the river Seine.
On the opposite side.is the town Of st.
Denis, five miles away, yet the streets
are without break. From the town of
j st. Denis arises the roof of its grand
Cathedral In which are buried the Kings
and queens Of France for the past fifteen
hundred years. To this old Basilica we
make our way TO find 1t in q town of
about sixteen thousand inhabitants.
II Is one OF the most interesting
. Churches we have seen, built In the
year A. ID. 250-or rather we should
say founded in that year. 1t has been
partly torn down and rebuilt at different
periods but q portion Of the original
structure is still standing. The addi-
tions by Charlemange, Napoleon Bona
parte, Louis Philippe and others have
made IL one of the most beautiful, grand
and interesting buildings. on the conti-
nent. Its carved portals, its massive
arches, its clustered pillars supporting a
ceiling nearly one hundred feet from the
door aud Its magnificent stained win
dows give It q character of richness and
grandeur scarcely equalled by any 9TH
er church. We happened during the
celebration Of mass, and the impressive
services and the music of the great Or
gan filling the vast space full of rich mu-
sic, held us spell-bound for an hour or
more.
After the services we followed a
guide to see Its treasures and its royal
tombs.
The mystery and romance that hangs
around the founding Of this church
have grown to be In the minds of MANY
part Of les true history. The story Is
told that st. Denis, alter his execution
at Mountmartre (the Mount of the Mar
! tyr) walked TO this place with his head
under his arm, aud here expired with
the request that here he might be bur
led. A chapel was built over his tomb.
which, through successive ages, has
grown into the present magnificent Ba-
silica.
| Chilperic, the youngest 500 of Dago-
bert, was the first buried here of the
royal families. The tomb, and that of
his wife, as well as the tomb of Dapo-
bert himself 10 here. The body of the
church contains many grand tombs
and beautiful statues of the buried,
many of them said to be fine likenesses
Of the royal dead. Henry ii and
Catharine de Medicis, Marie Antoi-
nette and many others who have made
the history Of France are buried here.
In one Of the Crypts, lighted by a
sepulchral lamp that is kept burning
night and day through centuries, we
saw the moss covered coffins of twelve
kings and queens placed on iron tres
ties, some of the collins broken in and
falling to pieces under the hands of
Time and Decay.
Under strong lock and key are kept
the golden crowns of the dead sover-
eigns. We saw them, some dozen or
score Of them, set away amid rich,
golden CROSSES and crosiers studded
with diamonds of inestimable value,
and the beautiful vases and urns of
Sevres ware and fine oak carving,
black with age, that once graced the
palaces.
Not always have the ashes of the
dead kings and queens been allowed
| to rest In peace. More than once COT