The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-12-18
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE.

;
stone bridge Across the Seine The
Famous Old Chateau-FOuDtRtns OF
ST. .CIoud-Versaines, Its Park ana
Palace-The Great TrianOn-The Route
to Rueil--Rouen and Tomb of Richard
Occur de Lion-Normandy scenery
Brighton the Famous English Water
ing PIace-Thence to London-slghts
and Scenes In the English Capital.
Especial Correspondence Of the Bdnner.l
i.. NUMBER XII.
In order to see the river, we took one
of the little steamers and went to st.
Cloud, distance much greater by water
than by land, as the Seine makes great
bend, the town being only a few miles
from Paris. A large stone bridge crosses
the Seine here, one arch of which is
gone and has been replaced by an iron
span. This arch was blown up by the
French when they rotreated before the
Germans, who took possession OF the
town, which was then bombarded from
Mt. Valerian, and most of the buildings
along the river destroyed or badly dam
aged, including the railway station.
The famous old chateau which was full
of historical associations, having been a
favorite residence of Napoleon | and
Napoleon III. while Queen Victoria
occupied apartments there during her
first year to Paris 1t must have been a
lovely old place, but it was destroyed
probably by the shells from Mt. Valerian,
when the town suffered, although the
French say the Germans burned it.
However it is now only a shell, al
though stately in its ruined condition,
as the walls are almost intact. 1t occu-
pies an ele Iated site and commands a
fine view of Paris. while from the top of
the hill near it, is the finest outlook
over country and citywe found anywhere
about Paris. The grounds connected
with the chateau are very large, lying
near the river, up the hill side, and back
some distance into the country, and
contain great many splendid trees.
The fountains here and at Versailles are
immense and during the monarchy were
often set playing but the Republic is much
more prudent, and il is well, for the cost
per day is $1,000. There are large cascades
in the fountains which take an enormous
amount of water. The fountains at
both places are now open only on special
Sundays, about six or eight times a
wear. when it is well advertised and
crowds 90 to see them. The trees along
the avenue leading to the fountains at
st Cloud are set closely together, the
punches intermingle, aud are then
clipped squarcly off on both sides, SO
that the foliage is not over two feet
thick, giving it the appearance of a
solid green wall, scarcely thicker
than the tree trunks, and queer enough
it looks.
Versailles is thirteen miles from Paris
where large town grew up about the
palace, an extremely large building
facing great open paved court, anC
with large double wings running out
into the square. 1t is a long distanc,
from the huge iron entrance gates to thu
palace, everything is on such an immense
scale. On one side of the building il
the largest flight of stone steps | eve
saw, built by some one of the kings
probably because he had nothing else t.
do, for | could not see that they were a
all necessary.
The park surrounding the palace con
tains hundred of acres of land, mostl.
grass with many grand old trees; from
the back of the palace a broad vista i
opened across this park to grea
basin full of water, about a mil
distant.
BOIn v fHTSullltS anu Dl' OlOuu, llht Ill
Luxembourg, are the property OF tn
nation. but not much care is expende
on the first two. A broad street lead
up to the palace gates, and this open
into another nearly as wide and like
bordered by fine trees. This lead
directly TO Paris through various out
lying towns, including Sevres, the sea
of the famous porcelain manufactory
SO long owned by the nation, butrecentl
sold to an English firm The State d'
partments only are shown at Versailles
including the great galleries lined wit
the enormous canvasses depicting th
! battle fields on which the French hay
won glory, and large galleries of POI
traits of celebrated men and womeI
> The grand old ball room or glass CALLER!
, is said to be the finest room in Europe
it is very long and is lined on the outsid
3 with great windows, on the inside wit
4 mirrors of the same size as the window
\ while the crystal chandeliers are veI
l large; the floor was like the surface of
i frozen lake.. The bedroom of Louis |
is at the front of the palace, looking OF
between the wings to the entrance gates
The bed and furniture are still thel
just as they were at the time Of Ii
! death, since then the room has NJ
4 been used, From the balcony of th
i chamber Marie AntOinette watched Il
\ Paris mob, while Lafayette spoke
j them. the horde who took her baC
J with them to an awful death. stood an
looked out over the court, trying
% conjure up the sea of malignant flc
. which greeted the ill-fated queen on thi
k. terrible day.
A broad avenue lined by splendid o
trees leads from the palace to the Graz
Trianon, a One-story, white buildii
/ erected for Madame de Maintenon,
J place to which she could retire whit
l weary of the immense palace. 1t is n
j very large, and has two short wings
right angles to the main part, projectil
J. toward the entrance gates. Napoleon
II had an apartment in this building late
which remains as he left it.
Close by is the building where d
u finest collection of State carriages al
2 sleighs in the world is kept, one carriae
that of Charles Y, cost 100000, viii
the sleighs are extremely old and prett
the collection has also great historic
q interest. Just beyond this is the Lit
{. Trianon, also white, smaller than q
other but far pleasanter, as it is thr
stories high; the principal apartment
are on the second floor, facing the gre
park and looking out at the back in
the charming small park belonging to
This building is full of associations
Marie Antoinette, many of the apa
NETS are very much as she left thel
Winding paths lead under the tre'
through the pretty park to the chalC
where the queen played at rural life.
There are several of the little hous'
built out of the simplest materials a
with matched roofs, grouped about
little lake: did not wonder that S
loved the place, for it was charming;
architecture of the houses was
pretty, the green sward and the fl
trees keeping watch and ward over a
but it was so sad, all silent now a
forsaken. The park is full of sha
paths, grottos, several caves, altOgeth
one of the most interesting places
visited.
/, Our next pilgrimage was to Rue
about twenty-five miles from Par
where Josephine and Hortense lie burr
in the old church, then on to MalmaisC