Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-27

pubic is admitted y conducted parties
20 tnat small section of TIE west Latin
quarter. whose walls are lined and many
"a .ieries packed with human bores trans
ported from Old cemeteries within 1;,,
Years. But If you would have an idea Of
the extent OF these so-ca1led known cata-
combs, here Is a fact. The isolated group
under the ,Ia-lin des Plantes dates from
Roman times. L! technical books like
DunlSels Topography and Consolida-
ton ii is stated to communicate with
the far-oT Latin quarter group: Yet no
map of the engineers shows it.
lie puolic is never admitted to these
ins,fficientiy explored labyrinths tangled
by cut-offs of masonry for who knows
what purposes. in what epochs. or block
ed by cave-ins that call attention. for the
first time, to their existence.
Elaborate plans made fifty years ago by
Deiesse and Lefehvre de Fourcy were
burned with the Hotel de Vile in ISL
The>- have bsen partially made over by
tie ancient Gua:ries service, bit not pub
itshed Dunkel's book incomplete and
reduced. is the only guide for t':osc who
contemplate buying Paris real estate.
They have often queer surprises.
In Dunkels book siNty-three entrances
are marked apart from the bo7e-infested
section inflicted on tourists The stair
ways leading down to them have from
So to 100 steps.
How is it that this under world does not
cave in oftene-? The weaker surfaces
have already caved il. In particular
around the year l774, the cave-ins. follow
ing prolonged rains and much new build
ing, became so numerous as TO alarm inc
popula ton. AT the moment when COM
mission Vas examining house in the Rue
d Enfer went down entlre.-tWenly-elSii IL
Yards below the surface into an abyss.
Researches following on similar acct
dents disclosed that most of the streets
of whole wards were in danger of break
in; through In l77G the king created an
inspection that has its offices today IN
Place Denfert -Rochereau. In French Ia"
the ownership OF land continues theorel-
ically to the center of the earth rms III
spection service from the beginning
therefore. refused to consolidate private
properties al the expense of the state; ana
it's subterranean work has always peen
limited to filling up sections under
streets and public buildings threatening
TO cave in. Small lateral galleries Keep
the communications open. but When PR
vete owners have similarly consolidated
their under soil they have often hlled 1t
UP solid, choking the catacombs.
By all this you Judge the confusion and
ignorance of this under world of Paris In
all periods robber bands nd consplratoiS
have found sure refugees in the catacombs.
In the uncertainty of the middle ages ana
the turmoil OF the RENAISSANCE 'He p's
session of subterranean routes assured
i'm unity The 'skinners' of the time o., OF
Joan Of Arc the trades unions OF 3F
years before and after her, the Free
Livers'' of the Cour des Miracles, the
Red Fingers of the time of Francis |.
the House Markers of the time OF Henri
III and the Warmers, Rosicruclans,
Freemasons and republicans OF later days
had luxurious headquarters 100 feet he
meath the streets, with entrances and
exits far apart, in mean shops and great
private houses cemeteries and neglected
gardens. . .
To come down to modern times, it Is
known that Napoleon III. become EN-,
peror, was much embarrassed by his Old
connection with European secret societies
working, at that moment, for the unity OF
Italy.
The world knows tn. story OF OrSlni $
bomb but the final pressure that con-
strained Ma poleon to throw France into
the Italian struggle was otherwise con
tinuous. In the cata combs of the Chaillot
quarter whose galleries run almost under
the Champs Elysees, and are said. in the