The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-03
Historic Place Des Vosges Illuminated
at Night and Search Lights Thrown
on the Hugo Statue.
IN CENTRAL ARABIA
CITY OF E'RIAD CAPTURED By ABB
DUL AZIZ BEN ,FEYSUL.
Governor and Thirty Of His Retainers
kiIIed-Annrchy in AIbania-The
Sugar Bounty Convention.

PARIS. March 2-The fetes in commemo-
ration of the centenary of Victor Hugos
birth terminated to-day with the ceremony
of handing over to the city of Paris, to serve
as a Victor Hugo museum. the house in
which he for some time lived in the Place
des Vosges. The weather was superb The
exercises, which took place within the pic
turesque setting of the historic Place des
Vosges, with it's quaint arcade running
beneath the red brick and stone-fronted
houses on each of it's four sides, very
happily conceived, and a vast crowd gath
cred within the square to witness the pro-
ceedings. A plaster model of Victor Hugo,
taken from the bas relief THE Dreams
of the Poet by Sculptor Barrau, stood on
a pedestal facing Victor Hugo's house.
situated in the corner of the square. 1t
represents the poet sitting on a rock draped
in antique fashion and with a Tyre at his
feet. Overlooking the monument and fac
ing the house were erected tribunes for
the senators, deputies and other distin-
guished guests of the municipality, which
organized the fete and betrayed the
penses, the Municipal Council having vot
ed an appropriation of 100000 francs TO
carry out the centenary festivities.
The official procession formed at the
Hotel de Vile shortly before o'clock and
proceeded TO the Place des Vosges. On
the arrival of the procession the reigmental
bands PLAYED the "Marsellaise." which was
followed by the rendering of Victor Hugo's
hymn, "Cnux qui Sont Morts pour la
Patrio," set to music by Berlioz, by choir
of 1,20O voices and the band of the Repub-
lican Guard. The vice president of the
municipality of Paris presided at the cere-
monies and read a eulogy of Victor Hugo
by NJ Dousset, the president of the Munich
pal Council, who was absent on account of
the death of his father. A speech was also
made by the prefect of the Seine. The
house was handed over to the city of Paris
and officially accepted by that body The
concert was then resumed, a number of
pieces based on Victor HugoS works being
heard. including the hymn "Patrie,' from
LAS Chatiments,' to simple, but effec-
tive air composed by Beethoven.
The prettiest part of the exercises then
took place in the defling past the statue
of Victor Hugo of 200 school children two
by two, the little ones leading and the elder
pupils coming last. The boys and girls
marched past in alternating couples, the
boys carrying palm branches and the girls
bearing flowers, which they threw at the
foot of the monument, soon forming a
mass Of bloom and Verdure, out of the CEN
The cortege concluded with girls repre-
senting the muses. of Paris. young Pa
risian working girl, chosen by her COM
rades of the muse of labor. deposited a
simple bunch of flowers on the pedestal of
the tatue. the bands meanwhile playing
THE March of the Growing of the Muse -
composed by Charpentier. the author of the
opera Louise 1t had by this time grown
dark.
With the fall of night there was sudden
fanfare of trumpets This was the signal
for the illumination of the square. Several
Searchlights were thrown on the old house
bathing it in white light, while on the
facade by a combination of electric lamps
appeared a mauve cOored muse on a gold
en- ba kground holding a Tyre. At the same
time scrolls bearing the names of the poet 5
principal works were lighted around the
square, and the railing around the Place
des Vosges burst into a multi-cOlored IL
Elimination. the fairy lamps being so ar
ranged along the arches and outlines of
the architecture to reproduce a part of
the Alhambra. thus suggesting scenes from
Hugo's 'Orientales."
The ceremonies concluded at y. m. with
the singing of a specially composed can
tata by NJ. Charpentier and the playing of
the "Marsellaise." The Hotel De Vile
the Place des Vosges and the neighboring
thoroughfares are Illuminated tonight and
open-air balls are being held.