The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-08-18
THE BAsTlLE.
How, When and for What Purpose
It Was Built--lts DestructiOD--A
Remarkable Escape.

oiuS w ""o 6tCot uosCiCts hO uou
crossed the Atlantic In calm and stormy
weather, had seen the great pillows roll
ing mountain high, and had looked over
The vast expanse of water when it was
clear, smooth aud blue as lake. He
had visited Q number of noted castles in
Great Britain. Westminster Hall and
the Tower OF London, had ridden up
and down the Champs EIysee in Paris,
and visited the Tuilleries and Louvre
10 fact, he bad seen many wonderful
things farsand vide.
Now here is q cenundrum for your. so
luton. he had seen all OF these things,
and yet had never been more than huH-
dred miles from his home in Troy, New
York Impossible. you say. No; tits
as l say; and he had escaped q great
deal OF the weary labor which is usually
involved in sight seeing. Now for the
solution, as 1 can not wait for yours.
His father had fine library. ana, dis
covering r ,y's fondness for travel, tried
to satisfy his longipgs in that direction
as best he could, by giving him books
and portfolios Of eugravings. Then
Roy had attended Prof. Stoddard's and
Crom wells lectures, and spent night az
ter night in the very midst ofGEurope
At school to-day he had heard pro.
fessor talking to the senior class, and be
used this expression: "As horrible as
the Bastile."
"Bastile, Bsstilt!' How the word
kept ringing IN Rows ear all day. long
"Wh hat was the Bsstile ?" His father
never explained to him wha. be could
find out for himself. But now he was
in qaaudary. He did not know where
10 begin his search. "Was it in Japan
or Italy? What was itY" Strange to
say it mover occurred to him to look in
that wonder r-book, the dictionary, which
would have given the key to unlock the
mystery. His mother was absent from
home; 80 he bad to content himself with
waiting till his father returned 10 the
evening. To be sure, there was his sis.
ter; but then we'll, girls never did
know anything, except what you didn'l
wish them to Let me whisper aeide
to the girls that his sister only week
before had to write composition about
the Bastile In school. Her teacher had
read the class short account OF It and
then obliged them to write in fifteen
minutes all they could remembr Glars
had received the highest mark).
Now / will tell you what Roy learned
about the Bastile when his father pu,
him on the right road, which road led
neither to Japan nor Italy.
The word Bastile or Bastel was used
in France to designate any forti6cstior
intended to withstand a military force
But when the Bastile is spoken Of nov
but one place is meant-the great gloomy
prison OF Paris.
The building of the Bastile was begur
in the latter part Of the fourteenth cen
tury, during the reign Of Charles v. ant
was not completed ill manv years after
wards. 1t stood on an island of th,
Seine, and consisted of four tall. rount
towers connected by thick walls viii
four other similar towers so as to foru
a rectangular building. In the cente
was an open court, and there stood 81
immense clock which could be seen from
the towers windows. The building va.
surrounded by deep ditch which had
walls OF solid masonry and we're tillet
with water when the Seine over6owed
Charles v. did not intend the Bastils
for a prison, but only asa piece Of for
ufcaiion It was not long however, be,
fore it was put to that use, and from tb'
beginning Of the reign Of Louis Xf. i
was used altogether for that purpose.
The prisoners were always those who
were supposed to be enemies OF the Gov
ernment, so that at different times many
illustrious and royal persons were con
fined there.
II was always an object OF great ha
tired to the Parisians, though not used a.
a general prison, and did them li;tl,
harm. But none we're admitted within
it's gates and everything was carried OF
in such mysterious manner that they
pictured its horrors much worse thar
they really we're So when the revolu
ton of 1889 came one OF the first place,
attacked was the Bsstile. Thousands o
people rushed along the streets CRYING
"To the Bastile." "Down with the Bas
tile." After storming its walls Tor al
most a day, those In charge we're obliged
to surrender. The people rushed in
and the Baslile was soon no more.
There are many curious and thrilling
tales connected with the Bsstile. car
tell you but one. A man was confined
there by the name OF La Tude. Some
one in power, plying him in his loneli
ness, obtained for him the privilege OF Z
companion by the name OF Allegro. To
getber they planned way of escape. I
was to climb to the top OF the chimney
and descend to the ditch bv means of {
rope This chimney was full OF grstings
and bars which must he loosened 10 or
der TO make their ascent possible. From
the top of the chimney to the ditch wa
two hundred feet. They found thai
there was space OF four feet betweet
their cell and the one below. After tear
Ing up a tile from the floor, they conceal
ed in there their tools and material ..
fast as 1t was ready. Their priucipa
tools were made from the iron clamps oi
their table aud an old tic candlestick
For six months they spent all their
lime in rsveling ou, all their spare clio
thing and making it into rope. The
bars in the chimney were cemented, and
the only way they could be loosened was
by squirting water from their mouths
into the holes as they bored. After
reacting the ditch q ladder would be
needed. This they made from their fire
wood.
At last, alter eighteen months OF hard
labor, everything was ready. La Tuds
ascended the chimney with both arms
and legs dripping blood. When he
reached the top be let down ball OF
tw:ne, and by this drew upa porlmau.
team containing such things as we're
needed for their descent. Then Allegro
followed. On the top OF the tower they
lied their rope to cannon, and by this
La Tude, followed by bis companion,
M l. A.