Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-27
IN THE SEWERS or PARIS.

Palace du Chatelet, Quarter to 1.
Just in front of the fountain, trim
little tent over a raised trap-door,
crowd of gazers. an employee clad all
in white. This smust be it. 'sVos
cartes?n demanded an official in
white coat, with several gold bands
on his cap, emerging from the trapv
door. We descend about forty steps.
How very strange! world of its own:
electric lights, oil lamps, colored lam
terms; a host OF employees clad all in
white, a host of officials in frock-coats,
with gold bands on their caps; a line
of open cars with brightly polished
nickel-plated fittings. Ahead, behind,
to the right, as far as the eye can
reach, endless tunnels. The officials
are bowling one to another and to the
ladies as they assist the latter on to the
car. Our car is the last but one.
"Quand vous voudrezr' Four men in
white seize the poles; they push and
pull; we are off beneath the Boulevard
Sebastopol. Suddenly a revolving
movement gives us rather a shake on
a turn-table. Now we follow the
Rue de Rivoi at good speed, moro
smoothly than in any drawing-room
car. Everything is so clean, that were
it not for the miniature canal imme-
diately beneath the car, we should
fancy ourselves anywhere but in
sewer. The atmosphere is soft and
fresh not the slightest unpleasant
smell. Our conductor-one of the
of1icials-is doing the honors in true
French style, explaining everything as
" WI oh
meter and a half deep just now, but
when freshets occur it rises consider
ably, and circulation is often inter-
rupted. You may have noticed on
your invitation cards that visits are
liable to be postponed. Those big
pipes along the ceiling are fresh water
conduits. Here we have telegraphic
wires, and here telephone and pneu-
matte tubes for working Office clocks
and for sending messages" "Can
you tell me what is in themp" inquiries
one of our fair travellers, with a laugh.
''Can you tell me whether my dress
makers message, informing me that
my light pink dress is ready for to-
nights ball, is on its way to my housepn
A smile is the only reply.
''Look out for your heads!n COM
placently shouted some one from q
front car. Weduck in time to avoid
the lantern, but receive slight shower
from leak. What is the total length
Of these subterranean arteriesp" L
venture to ask. cat the present time
there are about $50 kilometers. three
fourths of which were made during the
past thirty years. Thank you, sir, I
prefer cigarette to a cigar" A noise
like that of thunder is heard overhead;
a stone cart is passing. Plates bear
ing the numbers of corresponding
buildings in the street tell us our
whereabouts. A pretty little parasoI
points out a very familiar number.
"224." A few moments more and our
ride is over Now for cruise under
the Rue Royale. A fleet of long, flat
bark. The horn is blown, and the
men in white tow us-very slowly,
that our pleasure may be prolonged.
Even here, though we are on the
water itself, there is total absence of
unpleasant smell. Ten minutes. and
our cruise is all over. Another stair
case, another iron trap-door, an enl-
ploye clad all in white, under 3, tent,
to bow us out to the Boulevard Male
sherbes, on the right side of the Made
leine. We had passed under a regi-
ment of cavalry. Who would suppose
the cleanest city in the world to be so
clean and attractive underneath? We
cannot but advise our friends, who are
fond of novelty and would like a
change Of air" without going too far
and without spending any more than a
sheet Of letter-paper, an envelope, a
three-sous stamp-we cannot but adj
wise them to while away an hour in
the sewers. Admission is to be obtain
ed in the same way as for the cata-
combs, by merely writing to the Pre-
lecture. Galiga3sj's Messenger.