The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-03-03
/ ,NAPoLEoN's GREAT DREAM.
~ Most GORGEOUS I3abylonian Palac,
for His Court.

. " ~ ~ ~ t---tSE :. ~ ~,
~ Most Gorgeous Babylonian Palace
for His Count ~
paris Cor New York SUM
M. Laflibte, founder, OF the VUltaire
newspaper and E;nce many years a
deputy mayor Of Paris, has just con-
tr;buted an interesting page ito Ma
pole'onlc history in Il memorial volume
dedicated 10 the littla village of Passy.
NJ. lIatlittc did q deal of rumaginE
through the dusty state archives, and
he was rewarded by finding complete
details and draughted .plans OF what
was probably one OF the pet dreams OF
the great empcror's later days.
1t appears that Napoleon. arrived at
the pinnacle 'of martial glory after hav-
ing Nanquishsd continental Europe and
forced the proud house of HapsbillY, to
oiler him q direct dynasty, conceived
the plan of adding new lustre to his
throne by constructing In his capital q
l'abylonian palace for his court. which
would eclipse hll thar had gone before,
even the works Of Louis NV. With
this plan III his mind, he summoned
two OF the Imperial architects. Perciera
ana Fontane. and said 10 them:
II wish TO establish at the gates OF
Paris, ut the threshold OF my capital,
Il monument, the most vast and the
most beautiful of the universe. | haVa
chosen as the seat OF this edliice the
heights which overlook the Seine and
the Champs de Mars. The palace it.
sell which will d'?mpate alb the sur
rounding country, 'slrall. face the field
OF maneuvcrs consecrMtcd to my sol
diers: in the background shall be the
Ecole Militalre. the cradle Of my OH
GERS. The palace shall bear the name
Oh Inc King OF Rome, the son when I
await; 1t shall he in detail wonthy Of
MN and worthy of me Besides the
grand State apartments. the reception
rooms, and the festal halls, there shall
-" 'hlnplc accommodation for the dwell
ing OIL myself, the Empress and her son,
likewise Tor the kings, queens. princes
ana princcsscs of my family and the
hish dign'tarcs of my court / dssire.
lurther that TN" arts, the sciences, the
university, the archives. shall have each
us own particular palace. In a word.
wish ITO create kremiin, q hundred
times more beautiful and imposing Than
ina, ,ilat az Moscow. All this will be my
'nlperil clty-thc NnP5lcOnic city"
Inc architects lost no i;imc. The quar-
res which existed upon the chosen site
were Immediately closed, ana a large
Iorce was set to work devising plans
lor what was 10 be the creates t building
Or series OF buildings, the world has ever
seen. IL was these drawings tina: NJ
i-aiiHtc discovered am ing rorwo;ten
s'ate documents, together with many
notes by Fontaine Of Interviews he h,5
on the subject with his imperial master.
Inc palace, ms planned. was ITO have
occupied nearly the exact site Of ibn
present Trocadero. Three broad ,gr-
RACES were TO have risen from the banks
oil the Seine. and the Summit was ana
| cmplacement CT the central poI,c.,
whlch was to have been ianked bv
double colonnadcs copied after those OF
~ refer ;. Inc gala apartments, with
a huse and splendid BAN room, were
10 have occupied the entire side racin.
the Seine. and they were t, have bonn
separated from the wing palaces by
o.her colcnades On the west, Or passv
SIDE, was TO have been the rhe afro ana
ON me north the chapel. Each' was ~
nave been many times larger than those
at Versailles The palace on the coat
TO have contained The apartments
OF Napoleon, the Empress and the King
of Rome.
To the rear OF the chanel. again
number Of smaller palaces were planned
10 afford dwelling places for high pcoplc
Oh the count; and further back were tn
nave been established the stables. rha
kennels, the orangere ana other de-
Tendencies. The Chateau de la AIuett.
was to have been given over cniiralv
10 hunting horses and their ,'grooms
me plans contemplated turning the
Bo:s de 'lH3ulogne into an imperial pri-
waite park, and all the intervening snacr
up 20 the group OF palaces, Including
ehc present park of La A!uette was TO
nave been laid out in lawns and plros-
urc grounds. The entire palace park
would have been nearly three times tho
SIZE Of the park at Versailles. and ,h,.
'-otai cost 'oi the establishment, includ-
ing buildings. would have been nearly
E"oo,oOO'DVo. calculated in money of our
day. "
Across the Seine, the Champ de Mars
was TO nave been left intact by Napo-
leon for reviews OF his beloved army.
but the field was 10 have been henmcd
III by monster administrative buildings
occupying hhc sites Of the cXposilions
'chind the Ecole Mil!:aire was TO have
been new Official quarter. Thus. the
heart Cf Paris was 10 have been carrls d
10 the west had Napols on'S dream been
realized. Eut this. like many other of
che great captains dreams. was de-
sined 10 be obliteratsd in the SHOWS or
russia Work on tha plans was stopped
at the beginnIng'rf The retreat, ana they
We're filed away in pigeon holes. ,eherc
10 + main hidden from the light of day
for over fourscore years.
In connection with his being Damcd
as correspondent in a divorce suit. the
King OF Italy might puzzle the Kaiser
somewhat by asking whether in his
opinion there are any limits in tho