The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-06
Paris, and Its Situation, DeS-
cribed in Literature.
FLUCTUAT NEG MERGITUR
Is a Motto Placed on Seal of
the Capital.

rates two arms Of tire Seine. II is ex
tending every year. eYeery day. in al
directions; its progress will sooner D
later break the line Of fortifcationi
built against invasiop in the days o.
Louis Philippe;e and it has recently beer
decided that that part of the fortified
tons which separates western Paris
from theBois de Boulogne shall be de
molished, as the protection Of Mont
Talerien is deemed sufficient in that di-
rection- The island OF Lutetia, however
still remains the center and heart OF
Paris; and nothing can vie. in our adj
miration. with the congeries Of monu-
ments TO be seen from the bridges OF
the Siene, from Notre Dame TO the
Louvre. the nte-Chapelle, the Pa
lais the Concierge, the Chatelet
There is a whole literature Of this an
Gent Paris: there is also valuable col
lection Of all its aspects. Some collect
ors devote themselves. entirely to Paris,
and are the deyotees of the capital. 1
have just noticed an Interesting volume
OF the -'Conciergerie du Palais de Paris
which traces the history Of this striking
monument from the year 1921 to the year
1s0L The author of the volume, NJ Eu-
gene Pottet. writes:
For twenty years, and several times d
Gay, We have passed this old monument,
with its pointed and black towers. which
forms a part Of the Palais de Justice. and
IS still commonly called the Conciergerie.
All Paris knows at least the outside OF
this antique prison, whose gloomy ap-
pearance strikes the passerby who goes
along the Pont-Neuf, the Pont au Change
who follows the quays opposite the
Chatalet It is chiefly thus. on a clear
clear night and from the Quay de la Meg
isserie, that the old edifice shows its
majestic outline and its terrible beauty.
The Conciergerie is the oldest prison in
Paris and is an annex Of the Palais de
Justice which shows in its irregular
buildings every order Of architecture
VI hat is stin called the Palace began 10
be occupied by the Capetian kings It
was rebuilt by King Robert H., and en-
larged by Saint Louis. to whom under
the large han Of the Palace, called Sale
des pas perdus. where YOU may every day
see lawyers and judges in their gowns
walking with their clients. one of these
rooms is stiIl called SalleSaint Louis: an
other goes under tht name Of the kitchen
OF Saint Louis. The Sainte- Chapelle was
constructed by Louise TX: it is a jewel
Of gothic art. and has been compared to
a relquary. All visitors to Paris admire
II The Square Tower which makes the
corner Of the Quay deTHorloge. bears
On one of its walls a very remarkable
immense clock, which has been often re-
paired Its latest decoration is very rich.
and one can see in it the initials of Henri
H. Of Diane de Poitiers. and Of Henri
III Il was in allusion to Henri III that
the poet Passerat wrote this inscriptions
"Quidedit ante duas. triplicem dabit lille
coronam.
The two statues on each side Of the clock
are by the celebrated German PiIon. and
represent Force and Justice
The PaIais, constructed and rebuilt at
various periods, is wanting in harmony, /
hut its complexity is easily explained by |
the numerous objects for which It was
destined. Justice was administered in
some parts; in others there were places /
OF recreation for the people. theaters I'm 4
hich the mysteries Of the middle ages /
were played The Fronde made It the /
center OF its agitations The parlements /
met in It, and afterwards the revolution |
airy tribunal sat in it. The solemn open +
tng of the parchment took place. after a /
two months vacation. OF the day follow 1
ing St Martins day At an altar which /
was placed In the GraRde Sale was cele- /
brated mass which was called the Mass /
OF the Holy Spirit-or the Red Mass be-
cause the president and the counseIlors 4
wore red gowns. To this day the Red I
Mass is celebrated at the opening Of the /
courts. but in the Sainte-Cchapele.
What Is most striking in the general !
aspect Of the ConcieTgerie on the quay is
its towers. one. called Caesars. is where
Ravailiac and Lacenaire were shut up.
Queen Blanche is said TO have inhabited
another. called the silver tower. mas
much as it once contained the kings
treasury. a third. heavier than the 9th
erS has been called the Tower of Bon
Sec and also the Bavarde II was used
for torture. as Ravaillac and Damiens
experienced. Some other towers We're de-
moished; one Of them disappeared in
Isl in III fres lighted by the commune.
We can not 90. as NJ Pottot does. into
er elaborate description of the endless
passages, the prisons the cabinets Of
the inner Conciergerie. y isitors ara
sometimes allowed, 10y special permission.
IL view a part Of them. others are the
exclusive domain Of the judicial world
N. Pottet gives as the names OF an the
prisoners OF Importance who have enter
Ell The Conciergerie. many OF them now
completely unknown We viii mention
only. in old times. the celebrated histo-
rian Philippe lie Confines. who was first
IL the service Of Charles the Bold. Dlke
O. burgundy, ana who tim attachd him
self 10 Louis III. Charles enemy. Co
mines. whose memoirs are stu read. did
ror. however die in prison. Victor Hugo
Introduces liz The "Roi amusc" Saint
Waller who left the Coucisrgerie for The
scafold, and received his pardon on tho
road: his daushter Diane. OF remarkable
teauty, having obtained ID from Francois
!. The poets sang the courage of sam
b,ancay, superintendent of finances. who
left the Conciergerie for Mon1faucon.
where he was hanged r. P0ttet gives
rs the ext of RavaiIlac's ''or6re
c'ccrou. stll preserved in the archives
o; the prefecture OF police.
The history OF she Conciergerie during
the French revolution forms a dramatic
chapter in n Pottets volume. During
the famous September massacre nearly
8 hundred prisoners were killed IN the
most atrocious manner hy men who made
themselves the executors OF what they
considered thc justice OF the peorie
Among the victims was the ex-minister
MQnmorin. These massecres. which took /
place on the End % September. 1872 were
organized in the prisons ~ Paris hy thu
Commune. When the committee of pub
lie safety was organized on the 6gh q
April 1893 sit disappeared only 81 1888 Il
chose the EOncierEerie as a Sorr al ante