The Princeton union., 1900-08-30
EUROPEAN SIGHTS.
A Letter from the Old World .
UNIONS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

WIZARD, tne faflS representative OF |
the Bureau of University Travel, is an
ideal conductor in every respect.
Thoroughly conversant with the city's
history, thoroughly in love with it's
art, he leaves no stone unturned in his |
efforts to help others to like under
standing and appreciation Of all that
gives it foremost rank among the great
cities of the world.
One of the first points to which he
conducted US was the Arc de Triumph,
that magnificent monument to the vic
tories of the First Napoleon begun by
himself in 1906 and finished by Louis
Philippe in the year 1880. This mas
sive arch, $50 feet in height, has been
called the ''grandest monument in the
world.' Around the top is a row of
medallions each bearing the name of
some battle field and groups of figures
in relief adorn the pilasters, one group
representing victory in the act of
placing crown upon the great gen.
erals head. Within one of the pilast-
ers spiral stairway leads to the sum-
nit which commands fine view of the
city. Eight lovely avenues converge
here, of which the most famous is the
Champ Elysees extending to the Place
de la Concords and teeming with the
fashionable life of Paris upon every
pleasant day. Always imposing, this
triumphal arch is best seen at night
with searchlight from the tower
thrown upon it bringing out its pro-
portions in dazzling whiteness and it is
then too, that the avenue is at it's fin
est, brilliant with rows and rows of
lights and gay with carriages resplen-
dent in the dress and beauty of their
occupants.
Another arch. designed by the daunt-
less Napoleon stands between the Tuil-
cries and the Louvre in the, Place du
Carrousel. A group IN bronze adorns
the top and among these figures at the
time of erection were the famous
horses of St. Marks, brought at Ma
poleon's command from Venice. Upon
the decline of his power, after Water
loo, however, they were returned to
their original resting place. At the
Place Vendome stands one of the best
known of his monuments, the Vendome
column in bronze surmounted by a COL
lossal figure of the emperor. The Com
munists, it will be remembered, strove
to destroy this but it has been care
fully restored.
One sees Napoleon everywhere in
painting, in sculpture and in monu-
ment, but nowhere so impressively as
in his last resting place 'among the
French" whom he 'lOved so we'll" "
The gilded dome of his tomb can be
seen to a great distance and the entire
structure is grand and imposing in the
extreme. A beautiful marble altar is
opposite the entrance and behind this
are great bronze doors leading to the
crypt. The interior of this is viewed
by the visitor through an immense
circular opening in the floor protected
by a railing. The floor of the crypt is
in Mosaics representing the sun with
its golden rays, figures of angels stand
at the base of the massive columns,
the battle flags of the great hero are
grouped about and in the center, upon
a marble pedestal, stands the sarcoph-
agus where lies his remains. This is
of rich red porphyry cut, it is said,
from a single block. His brothers,
Joseph and Jerome are buried within
these walls, also, two of the emperor's
dearest friends, Duroc and Bertrand,
one his companion on the battlefield
and the other with him during his
exile.
OF the churches, La Madeleine, one
of the most famous, is within short
distance of our hotel. This is a beauti-
full, classic building, out of place, it
seems, in the gay French capital for
the architecture would proclaim it as
belonging to some Grecian city, but it
is here that the fashionable world OF
Paris worships. Here, too, is the
starting point OF the boulevards which
extend to the Place de la %Bastille
where the terrible prison once stood.
The site of this: is now marked by a
tall column crowned by a statue OF
liberty. ! a..
"La Madeleiae''' reminds one OF Rome
in that "all roads lead to it, A tram,
omnibus or carriage taken at the Mad.
eleine conveys the tourist to any part
of the city and we are always directed
to this point in going or. returning
We started from here on shopping
expedition, the other day, to the 'sBon
F. s