The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-16
In THE SEWERS OF PARIS.
A Pleasant Ride, With Not the
Slightest Unpleasant Smell.

Place du Chatelet, 12.45, says Galig
ndni'S Messenger. Just in front of the
fountain, q trim little tent over raised
trap door, crowd of gazers, an en-
ployee clad all in white. This must be-
it. "Vos cartes ?" demands an official
in frock coat, with several gold bands
door We descend about forty steps.
How very strange! world of its own ;
electric lights, oil lamps, colored Ian
terms; 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 nickle-plated
fittings. Ahead, behind, to the
right, as far as the eye can reach, end
less 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
voudrez" Four men in white seize the
poles; they push and pull: we are off,
beneath the Boulevard SebastapOl. Sud-
denly a revolving movement gives US
rather shake on turn-table. Now
we follow the Rue de Riveli at q good
speed, more smoothly than in any
drawing-room car. Everything is so
clean that were it not for the miniature
canal Immediately 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 Of
ficials-is doing the honors in true
French style, explaining everything as
we wheel on The stream is
about meter and half deep
1t rises considerably and circulation is
ticed 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 wires and
pneumatic tubes for working Office
clocks and for sending messages. ,
l"Can you tell what is in them?" in
quires one of our fair travellers, with q
laugh. Can you tell whether my
dressmaker's message, informing me
that my light-pink dress is ready fol-
to nights ball, is on its way to my
house?" A smile is the only reply.
Look out for your heads?" COM
placently shouts some one from front
car. We duck in time to AVOID the
lantern, but receive slight shower
from a leak. What is the tota
length of these subterranean ar
teries! !" 1 venture to ask. CAT the
present time there are about $50
kilometres, three-fourths of which
were made during the past thirty years
Thank you, sir, l prefer cigarette
to a cigar" A noise like that OF
thunder is heard overhead; stone
cart is passing, Plates bearing the
numbers of corresponding buildings in
the street tell US our whereabouts. A
pretty little parasol points out a very
familiar number, "224." A few mo-
ments more, and our ride is over.
Now for cruise under the Rue
Royale. A feet of long fiat bottomed
boats are moored. We embark. 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 a
total absence of unpleasant emell.
Ten minutes and our cruise is also
over. Another staircase, another iron
trapdoor, an employee, clad all in white,
under tent, to bow Us out on to the
Boulevard Malesherbes, on the right
side of the Madeleine. We had passed
under regiment of cavalry Who
would suppose the cleanest citv in the
world to be SO clean and attractive
underneath? We can not but advise
our friends who are fond of novelty
aud would like change of air." with
out going too far and without spending
any more than q sheet OF letter paper
an envelope. 3sous stamp. we can no
! but advise them to while away an hour
in the sewers. Admission is to be OBJ
|, tanned in the same way as to the oats
combs. by merely writing to the prs
lecture.