New-York tribune., 1903-11-22
THE LOUVRE.
Il Ne7c Basement Discovered an the
Famous Palace.

Paris, November IL
M. CASTOR Redon, the architect in charge OF
the Palace OF the Louvre, has made an terest-
ing discovery. 1t occurred to him that there was
something anomalous in the portions Of the
building constructed during the reigns Of Louis
XIII and Louis XIV. The fine broad windows and
arches that impress the sightseer looking at
the palace through the railings Of the Rue de
Rivoli. to the architects mind, did not belong
to the ground floor basement, but to the Sec
ond floor. That is to say. the basis of the Louvre
was wanting. NJ. Redon wisely kept his ideas TO
himself. fearing that his efforts to discover a
new Louvre would. in the event of failure make
him ridiculous. Nevertheless, excavations were
begun along the front OF the palace occu-
pied by the Ministry of Finance, in the Tueries
gardens. NJ. Rouvier. the Minister of Finance,
one morning last week caught sight of M.
Redons workmen digging away merrily with
pick and spade. What in the world are those
men digging for?" he asked. "Oh! we are mere
ly making a subway for telephone wires
and waterpipes." was the evasive reply of M.
Redon In a few days splendid masonry that for
nearly two hundred years had been covered
beneath the soil to a depth of % feet was
disclosed. The Society of "Old Paris" and no.
tably NJ. Victorien Sardou. one of its most ener-
getc members, became keenly interested In the
excavations. The Society of the Friends of the
Monuments of France" also took the matter up
as of national Importance. Preliminary funds
were voted NJ. Redon's discovery now excites
widespread interest and Americans revisiting
Paris will find that the venerable old palace has
quite surprise in store for them.
NJ Redon when questioned on the subject, said
that the newly discovered basement occupied
three sides of the large square courtyard The
masonry is perfect and the blocks OF stone, cut
with sharp angles C'pierrc de taille joints
vifs') are Joined without the use Of mortar.
TT is certain" continued NJ Redon, that the
architect, Claude Perrault. when he undertook
to complete the work OF Lemercier, actually ter
minated the three fronts. 1t is ridiculous to
suppose that this fine and costly masonry was
intended to be hidden under ground. The ma
| sonry was, according to the plans of Claude Per-
raut, to have been surrounded by a vast dry
ditch % feet deep, very much like the ditch
| that encrces the Palace OF Saint-Germain.'
How could the Louvre be entered?'
by means Of three gigantic drawbridges cor
responding to the three great entrance gates
that lead to the square courtyard Imagine
what an imposing architectural effect would be
caused by the colossal structure OF stone rising
| above the enormous ditch!"
| How has it happened that so many years
have elapsed without the truth concerning the
construction of such an important building as
the Louvre being suspected?'
This is due partly to the Indifference mani
| tested even as long ago the time of Louis XIV
to the architecture of the period of Louis XIV
an indifference that lasted until the end of the
| nineteenth century. Now, however, there is
revival of interest in all that pertains to Louis
XIV, and there is. indeed. a proposal on foot to
| restore the Louis XIV portion of the Louvre to
its original truly magnificent proportions"
1t will certainly be many years before the
real Louvre of Louis XIV can be revealed. for
midable and majestic. with drawbridges over
which visitors must pass to enter the old palace,
and with broad, deep. dry bitches. lined with
flower gardens An odd reelection. suggested by
NJ Redon is that for nearly two hundred years
historians poets and architects have expatated
on the perfect proportions of the famous coll
onnade of the Louvre. and now II is discovered
that during all that time the entire bases Of the
edifce had been concealed from view. z. l. b.