Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-11

less than hours we had covered the
distance of ESQ miles to Paris and this
partly by water, besides making two
changes, and had our baggage inspect
ed at Boulogne by French customs off,
Gals. AS our stay in Paris was to be
short, and knowing very little about
French, we had taken this trip also
with Thos. Cook & Sons, who sent
guilds and interpreter with our train,
arranged about hotels and carriages
for the three days trip of the city.
Meet Many Americans.
The following morning we started
out to see the city on one of Cooks
carriages, which seats % persons
comfortably. On this trip, as well as
the one we took in London. nearly all
the passengers we're Americans, who,
like ourselves, were out on trips of
recreation and sightseeing. We met
Americans from all parts of the states.
We first stopped at the Church of the
Madeline. 1t is built in the early type
Of Greek architecture and resembles
more pagan temple than a church.
1t was founded in 1854 by Louis the
XIV. During the French revolution it
was badly injured but this has been re-
paired, yet these patches can still be
seen on the large columns in it's
front. The church was completed in
1912 at a total cost of $2,500,000 Next
stop was at the ARC de Triomphe,"
which is said to be the finest arch in
existence and was designed by Napo-
| leon in 1906 to commemorate his many
victories, bu,. not completed until 1886
by Louis PHILIPPE. 1t Is 100 feet high,
146 feet wide and 72 feet deep and
cost $2,000,000. From this arch radiate
10 fine avenues, allsloping downwards
from the arch. From this arch we pro-
ceeded down the Champ Elysees" to
! the Trocadero, which is fine palace
| built in the shape of a crescent. The
center is circular edifice surmounted
by a dome 173 feet in diameter, which
is 80 feet larger than the dome of st.
Peters at Rome, and Go feet larger
than St. Paul's cathedral dome in Lon
DON 1t has a large festival hall, seat
ing 1000 people. has very large pipe
organ. We assembled the tower to a
height of 800 feet and from this eleva
ton we had grand view of Paris
The Eisfel Tower.
The most important places were
! pointed out to us by the guide
The next place visited was the
Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, and
about one thousand feet high
Our next stop was at the Hotel des
Invalides,' which contains the tomb OF
Napoleon. 1t is built in two parts, the
church and the tomb. This magnificent
structure was built In 1905. A dome
$40 feet high covers the part occupied
by the tomb Immediately below is the
crypt, which is thirty-six feet in diam
eter and twenty feet deep
The walls are Of polished
granite with marble reliefs, the effec1
of which is greatly enhanced by the
flood of light admitted through the |.
windows in the dome above. The mo
sale pavement at the bottom shows {
wreath of laurels, and from it rises the
sarcophagus, which contains the ashe!
of Napoleon l, and thus fulfilling hi.
dying request read over the entrance
to the tomb: 81 desire that my ashes
rest on the banks of the Seine, in thu
midst OF the French people, whom
loved so we'll" His two brothers, JIG
rome and Joseph Bonaparte, both o
: whom at one time lived in the United
States, have their burial places herr
also. Napoleon was for a number o
years buried at the Island of st. Helen;
where his death occurred and thu
first sarcophagus which held his re
mains for 10 years. is also seen here
and is a very plain and ordinary ont
compared with the one now holdin,
his ashes.
the ST. Eustache church, Place d.
:. Bastile, the Column Of July. On thu
second day we visited Place de Ven
dome, The Louvre, the Church 0
Notre Dame and st. Sulpice, the Pal
!. ace de Luxembourg, the Tuilleries ant
many other places too numerous t.
mention The third day we took thu
| trip to Versailles and found it SO inter
esting that we would liked to hav,
spent week there instead of only
few hours. The city Of Paris makes
good impression on the visitor and on
only regret was that we could not re
main longer but as our steamship
: ticket called for our departure from
England across the North Sea to Swe
, den only two days later, we must re
trace our steps over the same rout
: back to London. From there we de
parted. the following day for Hull
England, on the east coast, where tn
) next day we boarded the steamer Roll
, for Gotherburg, Sweden. My letter i
already too long and for fear of trims
both your readers patience and ocu
plying too much space In one issue 0
your paper, / will bring this to close
with the promise to finish my epistl
in few days with a shorter lette
describing scenes and experiences il
Sweden, where we have now spent
pleasant weeks.
Yours truly,
G. j. Ekfelt.