The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-10-20

THE PARIS NI0RGuE.
Exhibition of the CHASTITY Dead {
the French city.

Exhibition of the Ghastly Dead OF
the French City.
Under the shadow OF the venerable Notre
Dame, at the extreme east of the important
aud histo ical island on the Seine known as
the Cite, stands the Morgue. A low, dun
colored building, there is something cold
and lugubrious in the very appearance of
the place. Tpe national flag seems 10 droop
languidly, heavy shutters close up the VIM
dows Of the two side wings, successive
layers of dust rest undisturbed on the walls
and fill up the corners. The police who
hang around the doors have an air of in
action about them, and the deep river be-
meath, which here divides at the islands
point, sweeps sullenly past, fielding up
now and then from its muddy bed the re-
mains Of some unknown unfortunate. This
gloomy theatre, the scene Of so many earth
ly denouements, is perhaps the most popu-
lar OF all the national institutions in Paris.
No fewer than 100, 600 persons dofiled past
lis diorama of the dead in one week re-
Gently 10 gaze at nothing more extraordi-
nary than the remains of an infant picked
up in the street. No new production at the
Theatre Francois had ever such run and
the first appearance of prima donna at
the Opera never attracted such n multitude
in one week. There was undoubtedly an
extra attraction in the little founding, but
the melancholy establishment always draws
crowds and has no summer cloture. Bright
eyed demoiselles come over from the shad-
ed garden opposite, and trip up the steps
to the show room with the greatest COM
posture. Children ON the way to school
nave peep in as If 1t were part of their.
iaily exercise. Workmen stroll in as they
lounge past in the morning to look, as they
say in their vernacular, If there is any
"gibisr." Frowsy old women and savage
looking old men linger about the doors as
if the place had fascination for them,
And SO the crowd comes aud goes continu
ously from morning till night. What
brings them here to this unattractiye spec
tacle, where the last scene of 80 many fear
full dramas, terrible tragedies and nameless
murders Is enacted and where the drown
ed, the asphyxiated, the poisoned and all
who lose their life by their own hand, by
accident, or by violence, are exhibited !?
Presumably they are animated with strong
desire to assist the police 70 unravel crimes
and unmask murderers. But ninety -nine per
cent of them are impelled hither rather by
a morbid curiosity and feverish craving
after the horrible. And what do they see
Nothing very comforting or pleasant Hide
Gus and CHASTITY spectacles Of tine dead ir
their last attitudes Of anguish or torture
haggard and mutilated corpses from thu
knifeo of the assassin congealed and stiffen-
ed substances from the river and fornless
and fragmentary remains are here shown
in all their grim and horrible repulsive-
ness 49,
Two thick panes Of glass separate tho
audience room from the exposed bodies.
In the same room are exhibited photographs
Of incognitos" for three or four years
back. A notification on the walls asks
those who identify any OF the deceased to
give information. When body is identif-
ed it is either removed by the friends or
buried at the public expense. The archi-
tect must have foreseen the popularity Of
the Morgue, for three great doors, or rather
arcades, lead to the exhibition room. The
building also includes sale d'attente for
the friends and relatives Of the speechless
guests received here and an autopsy room,
where demonstrations are given for the
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