The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-15
THE CHATEAU DIFF.
The Prison of Dumas's Famous Ro-
nance as IL Exists Today.

A correspondent OF the Paris Temps"
who attended the recent festival In Mar
ssillss COMMUNICATING the twenty 1--we
hundrsdth anniversary Of the foundation
Of the city visitsd the CHATEAU d'f and
made some interesting Investigations of
the prison where Dumas's, Count Of
Monte Cristo was confined. A boat
makes three trips day to the leland
one indication Of how widely Dumas IL
still reid. The boat Was full, and every
boiy maintained the serious demeanor
proper on pilgrimage. The trip takes
about ali an hour. The clstls, situated
o, nm isles about eight hundred yards in
circumference. sutirsiy surrounds IL with
its wall. IL 10 . heavy structure. with
short, .thicksst towers and square
donjon. yet there IL . certain beauty In
the color Of its stones, even In its massive
conformation. 1t was nevsi used - any
thing but . State prison. Southern
BastiIle. Francis L In 1894 laid the frst
stone. He was through personal expert
ence o connoisssur In prisona.
The cells open Into . small. gloomy in
side court Many hsve no windows;
some are merely low Dungeons below the
level Of the ground. 2hsee larger and
more cheerful ones on the second story
have contained famous prisoners: the
Man In ths Iron Mask, who ives trans.
ferrsd IN 1855 to the island Of st. Mar
guerite; Philippe kgalite, father Of Louis
Philippe. who was behsaded on Novsm.
Ter @, 17p3, and 01rabeau,r By virtue OF o
lsttre de cachet obtained by his father.
But these places are not the ones that
attract the crowds Of visitors. They all
dirsct thar tteps dret to . dungeon on
with an iron bound door, Q grilied peep
hole, boit weighing dozen polnds.
Enter this door and ron sre In cham
Ter. dry but gloomy. lighted By one little
lamp. Written outside II are thess words;
Cell of the Abba Faria, expelled from
Home In ISL, confined In tbs Co.. Chateau
d'If a. . conspirst tor. died In $780," u ID
nevertheless only an ante. chamber.
Faria's cell 10 In kind Of reoeas, whers
man can hardly stand, and whore no
ray Of light penetrates. In this oell can
be teen the kole dug BY the Able to COM
munioats with DANES. Yes, It really
exists, this hols What Southern genius
unfailins proof Of . popular books Illus
ion Of reality. Through this hole Dantes' .
cell can be dimly sesn, and In q glamour
Of mystery the more terrifying because he
door has been walled up and no one can
enter.
According Ia serious archaeological in
vestigators, there were really prisoners
confined In this dreadful hole, among
them one named Bernadot, Q rich msr-
chant Of Marseilles arrested on the
charge of speaking Ill Of Cardinal Richie
lieu and lefs there to die Of hunger. Jean
Paul, sailor who had struck bis CON-
mapding officer. died there In the tower
In 1910. altar thirty -ons years Of captivity
1t was doubtless the story Of thee men
literally buried alive, that inspirtd
Dumas. Today for the whole world the
Chateau DIFF 10 the prison Of Faris and
Danter, and the inscription are there TO
certify to their existence. An italian
visitor some years ago kissed the stones
Of these dungeons and wept oopious ~.
The correspondent embarked for the
mainland. The captain Of the boat point
ed GUS 70 him q tiny islet sticking mp out
Of the ssa--A mass Of rocks. wave beaten
and tragic In aspect.
first landed altar his escape"