The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-09-14

|
by Napoleon in 1906, and not finished
) until 1890. Close down on our right
on the same side of the Seine as the
. tower, and its Esplanade comprised
within the exhibition grounds, glistens
the gilded dome of the Hotel des
Invalldes, under which repose the re-
mains of the Great Napoleon. Across
the river, the green roof of the Made
leine just mentioned. Away off to the
eastward towers heavenward the great
dome of the Pantheon, reared to the
memory OF the great men of France,
and faithful copy of the Pantheon at
Rome. Victor Hugo is inferred here.
This imposing building is in the form of
Greek cross surmounted by lofty
cupola. A little further northward
stands the magnificent Cathedral, Notre
Dame de Paris, in an island OF the
Seine, the South Tower of which con-
tains its sixteen ton bell cast in 1886 and
the largest in France. Old Notre Dame
around which Victor Hugo has cast the
glamour of his genius And so through
out the long list of grand public build
ings, which the panoramic picture pre-
sents. The palace of the Luxembourg
with its grand pictures. The Louvre
that rich repository of the Italian. Elem
ish, French and Spanish Art, the Mu-
see de Cluny with its ten thousand OBJ
Jects ofart carvings and sculpture, the Mu
scum of Natural History,l In the Garden of
Plants, the grand monument tot Gambetta,
the Place de la Republique, with its
colossal statue of the Republic erected
in 1883. The Place Vendome in which
stands the Vendome column one of the
most characteristic monuments of Paris,
erected in 1906 out of 1900 pieces of
artillery taken by Napoleon from the
Austrians. and was pulled down by the
Communists in 1871 amid the cheers
of frantic mob, but re-erected in
1874. All these, and many other archi-
tectural monuments, which give glory
and fame to the French metropolis are
spread out before you. Away off to the
left, my passing companion called my
attention to a dark background of
shrubbery, against which was outlined
long row of white canvass tents. 1t
was Buffalo Bills Wild West Show,
which backed by Mr.. Erastus Wiman,
OF Staten Island Railroad Terminal
fame, is doing "big business" in Paris.
Glancing at my watch, l found l had
consumed four hours IN the ascent of
the tower, and In viewing the panorama
from its summit. Ofthis time, l spent at
least hours in securing my place in the
elevator for the summit, the crowd of per-
sons desiring to ascend, being so great.
The actual time spent in the elevators
is very trifing, but to get on them on
the second platform is tedious waiting
and consumes much time. After hav-
ing reached the summit however, all
discomforts of the ascent are forgotten
in the keen pleasure derived from the
view before you. Silly stories have been
circulated about the swaying of the
tower in high winds. Although the
breeze whistles around you, not the
slightest perceptible motion of the IRON
work can be detected. Now, in my
case, Gas | understand is the case gen.
erally) was the slightest dizziness ex.
perienced. In fact | felt, for what rea-
son l am unable to explain, more dis
position to dizziness on the first plat
form, at a height of only one hundred
and eighty-four feet, than l felt at the
summit of the tower the actual level OF
the platform of which is oS4 feet. Be-
sides, the pleasure of the ascent is in
creased by the perfectly smooth work
ing of the elevators both in ascending
and descending. In fact they work so
smoothly, and with the slightest jar.
that if you close your eyes, you can't
tell that you are in an elevator at all
there is so slight an indication of mo-
ton. The upper lifts are run by hy
draulic pressure, immense tanks of
water being placed on the second plat
form to supply the needed power.
When you reach the summit, it is Gus
tomary to address your absent friends a
postal card which IS mailed in a (heav-
enly) postoffice furnished there. But
the supply of postals was not equal to
the demand the day of my ascent, and
1 did the next best thing, bought a
souvenir medal of my heavenly flight,
which by the way cannot be purchased
elsewhere in Paris, so when your casual
acquaintance boasts of his ascent to the
summit of Eiffel Tower, as an evidence
of his truthfulness, it is allowable in
Paris, to ask to see his medal. Very
beautiful atmospheric effects are fire.
quently noticeable from the tower. The
extreme summit is always, or generally
so at least, more cleanly defined than
the middle section of it, the reason be-
ing, that the upper portion Of the
structure Is above the ordinary vapor
limit. Only the day before l ascended
it, those who were on the summit saw
| a fine spectacle of rain clouds scurry-
ing along beneath them, and for the
moment shutting off the view below, the
dark shadow of the passing storm, be-
ing every now and then cleared COM
pletely away, by brilliant bursts of SUM-
shine, and since my ascent, the summit
has been struck by thunder bolt. l
wasn't praying for lightning when there,
but would not have objected to have
been an eye witness of the beautiful
cloud effects referred to. On my de-