The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-31
UNDERGROUND PARIS.
A Graphic Account Of It's Great
Sewer System.

10 "OA NY oOSA1As
The French capital is famous for its
system of drainage, and a visit to its
sewers is one of the rare sights of the
great city. Not one traveller in thou
sand makes this visit, partly for the rea-
son that the sights above ground are
numerous and interesting enough to
consume the time which most persons
have at their disposal, and partly be-
cause of the difficulties that environ the
subterranean journey. You must OBJ
tain permission from the proper author
tiles, and from ten to thirty days will
elapse after your request is sent before
the answer is received. If you ask for
tickets for party of eight you may re-
ceive them for two or three, rarely
more. How the reducing process will
be carried out in case of an application
for one ticket only | am unable to say.
Ordinarily the sewers are open to Wis
itors about twice month during sum-
mer and not at all in winter, and as
only limited number of visitors can
be accommodated, the applicant must
be prepared to receive polite but firm
declination of his request.
But supposing the request to be
granted, the visitor will be instructed to
present his ticket on designated morn
ING, near the Church of the Madeleine,
at the head of the Rue Royal, the spot
from which the start is usually made, or
he may be sent to the Place du Chatelet.
On the occasion of my first and only
visit to the sewers of Paris l asked for
nine tickets and received three; two
American friends accepted my invita-
ton to make the journey, and but one
of them backed OUT just as we were
descending the steps in the hole which
had been opened in the pavement at the
side of the magnificent church l have
mentioned, so the proposed original
nine was reduced to two; evidently
other groups had been similarly cut
down, as there was room enough and
to spare for the fifty or more that COM
posed the actual party on that day. The
stairway wass narrow, but perfectly
clean; there We're several ladies in the
party, and some of them expressed fears
of injury to their dresses, but it was very
soon apparent that nothing of the kind
was likely to happen. From beginning
to end of the journey the route proved
to be as well kept as the best ordered
sidewalk on the Boulevards or the
Champs Elysees; there was not the faint
est odor of disgreeable nature,
and there was nowhere leak
in the roof to sprinkle the trav-
eler from above. The sewers are care
fully flushed with clean water just before
one of these show visits, though the au-
thorities are unwilling to admit that this
is the case. The high officials insist that
the sewers are always in the condition
in which we found them, but the work
men employed about the underground
canals sometimes let out the facts, as they
are not so jealous of the honor OF the
name and fame of the model city. 1t is
difficult to understand the absurd claim
of the officials, as no man in his sober
senses would expect a sewer to have the
purity of a mountain brook or the water
of midocean. Every visitor is agreeably
disappointed at the admirable cleanliness
of the place and the absence of fou
odors, but it is not easy to convince hin
that it is always thus.
Near the foot of the long stairs we en-
tered a screw or float upon canal, ant
were pushed and poled beneath avaultet
arch, which was resonant with the sount
of the wheels rolling overhead. We were
directly beneath the Rue Royal, and, i
we had been in doubt as to our locality
there were several sign-boards, like thos'
above ground, to tell where we were. Thu
rumbling was like distant thunder, ant
after few minutes it was not difficult tt
distinguish light vehicles from heav.
ones. My companion remarked face
tiously that he thought he could tell ;
covered cab from an open one, or thu
omnibus of one company from tina
of another. The rumbling was inces
SAINT. and continued all the way from
the Place de la Madeleine to the Plac
de la Concorde, where the scows-fo
there were two or three of them-cam
to u halt. There was sidewalk six OF
eight feet wide along the canal. We
landed at the corner of the Rue d'
Rivcli, as indicated by the signboards
and were directed into narrowe
archway leading along this last-name'
street. All the way from our point o
departure the route of the scow wa
lighted with gas-iets suspended from
the top of the arch or projecting iron
the walls, and the lights continued dow
toward the banks of the Seine until los
in the distance. The arch we entere'
from our landing place was considerable.
narrower, less high than the one we ha'
Lett. and the canal under the Rue d