The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-02

paintings and statusry. Farther West,
the great gilded dome of the Hotel des
Invalides attracts our attention: This
cathedral-looking structure was built in
1850, but was prepared as tomb for the
first of the Bonapartes by Louis Philippe
in 1840, the remains being brought from
St. Helena and deposited here in Decem.
Der of that yeaN The tomb is an open,
circular crypt, 36 feet in diameter, directly
beneath the dome. The sarcophagus is
of red Finland granite, is ID feet high, l3
feet in length and weighs 81 tons. All
around are battle flags and statues of vic
tory and in the floor is laurel wreath
wrought in costly mosaic. Above the
door of the cryptis the following inscrip-
tiop, taken from the will of Napoleon !:
81 desire that my ashes may repose upon
the banks of the Seine, in the midst of
the French people, whom I have ever
loved" Within the same building are
also buried Duroc and Bertrand, and
Joseph and Jerome Bonaparte. Standing
by the side of this solemn crypt, with the
gorgeous light frorae the stained glass
windows shedding All almost supernatural
glory over the scene, and gazing down
upon the massive sarcophagus which con-
tains all the mortal remains of this
mighty conqueror, his wondrous history
comes back to us, and while the folly Of
human ambition is made more evident,
our admiration for the genius and ability
of-this remarkable man increases. We
see him, subaltern from Corsica, rising
by his own ability, until, crowned by his
own hand, be is seated on the throne of
France. We see him in Egypt, electri.
flying his army with these words: "Sol-
diers from the summit of. the pyramids
forty centuries are looking down upon
you" We see him at the bridge of Lodi,
leading at the head of his troops the des.
perate charge. ALI over Europe his
eagles we're borne and the echoes of his
cannon were heard until, crushed by
the strength of continens this inter
loper, this man Of the people, fell. His
rise and fall, and the subsequent history
| of France contains lessons for the ma.
tions.
A short distance from the Hotel des
Invalides, which, by the way, was founded
by Louis XIV, as home for old soldiers
and contains accommodations for about
{, 900 pensioners, is the Military School,
facing on the Northwest the Champs de
Mars, broad open field now used as
parade ground, but where the Exposition
of 1878 was held. Just across the Seine
is the Palace of the Trocadero, the only
permanent building erected for the exhi.
bition. It is in the form of semi-circle,
facing the river, and is occupied by vari-
GUS art museums, chronological collec.
tions, etc. Nearly North of the Trocadero
is the Arc de Triomphe, at the Northwest
end of the Champs Elysees. This mas.
sive arch, 160 feet high, the finest of it's
kind in the world, was dedicated by
Napoleon 1st to the glory of the French
army; but was completed in 1886 by
Louis Philippe. Its location is one of
the mos! commanding in Paris, and from
its summit fine view is obtained. From
its base radiate twelve great avenues or
boulevards, broad and roomy, with rows
of trees on either side. A half mile to
the West, beyond the Notifications, is the
famous Bois de Boulogne, q forest of $500
acres, which has several times been cut
down, the last time in 1871; but the
kind hand of Nature is rapidly restoring
the wood to its former beauty.
The Avenue des Champs Elysees is a
little more than mile in length from the
great arch to the Place de Ia Concorde,
and with its surroundings is unequalled
as pleasure resort. On either side are
promenades, shaded walks, flower gar.
dens, fountains, merry.go.rounds for the
children, cafes chantants or open air con-
certs, aud every imaginable form of
amusement, which, with the crowd of
gay equipages, riders and pedestrians
make it on summer afternoons and even
;iDgs the pleasure resort of the world, and
gives to the tourist an opportunity of
studying to good advantage the peculiar
features of Partisan outdoor life.
Of the churches of Paris the Cathedral
of Notre Dame, located on an island in
the river, is entitled to the first mention.
It was founded in 1l63 on the site of
temple to Jupiter and is little over 400
feet in length with nave ITO feet high.
The exterior is especially pleasing, the
three stories of the facade, with richly
sculptured portals below, the statues OF
the French kings above, surmounted by
gallery of pointed arches and the twin
towers rising over all, producing very
fine effect; but the interior hardly sus
tains expectation. The stained glass win
dows are of great richness, however, and
the great rose T;ndow, AZ feet in diane.
ter, is one of the finest in the world. The
massive columns of the nave present the
peculiar feature of Gothic alternating
with the circular. In 1892 the church
was converted into a Temple of Reason.
Near Notre Dame, and also on the island,
is the Palais de Justice, and in one of the
courts is Sainte Chapelle, small Gothic
building of wondrous beauty regarded as
the finest specimen Of the Gothic in
France.
Beyond the Seine, and near the Lux
embourg palace, is the Pantheon, or
church of st. Genevieve, the protectress
of the city. 1t occupies commanding
position and is one of the finest architect.
ural structures in Paris. Its groups of
statuary are especially fine. Nearly East
of the Pantheon, on the South bank of
the Seine, is the Jardin des Plantes, con.
tanning fine collection of flowers and
plants as we'll as menagerie and valu.
able museums of anatomy, zoology, bota'
ny, geology, etc.
North of the Seine, and near the Place
de la Concorde, is the church of the
Madeleine, classical structure, modelled
after the Parthenon at Athens. It's col.
onnades and porticoes are very striking
in appearance. Near by is the Place
Vendome, with the Vendome Column,
erected by Napoleon the lst, in honor
of victories over the Austrians and Rus
slams. More than 1000 captured cannon
were used in its construction to furnish
the bronze plates with which the core of
masonry is covered. In general appear.
ance, it is not unlike Trajan's column at
Rome. 1t was thrown down by the Com.
.munists in 1871, but has since been re.