The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
HUGO'S BODY, BURIED
IN STATE, NEGLECTED
It Lies IN Q Provisional Tomb
Against Protest Of His
Descendants.
IN DEPTHS OF PANTHEON
Fifteen Years Elapse, Yet Ro-
din's Design Of a Monument
Is Still Unfinished.
N DEPTHS OF PANTHEON
Special Correspondence 10 rur Sur.


PARIS, May 2s.--For almost thirty years
the body Of Victor Hugo. called by his
critics the greatest genius since Shakes
peare. has lain in the dark, damp depths
Of the Pantheon, where the authors tomb,
originally intended as a provisional rest
ing place, IL sought out by Americans and
other tourists with the aid OF the dim gas
burners and tho three tip hungry guides.
On tho occasion OF the twenty ninth an
niversary OF Hugo's death his descendants
and his literary executor. 0ustave Simon.
as briefly cabled to THE Sun, have made
formal protest against this neglect and
they have threatened to remove the body
from the French Westminster and bury Il
in Pere Lachaise.
Fifteen years ago Auguste Rodin 40
cepted q commission from the State for
the execution OF a tomb under the dome
OF the Pantheon which would glorify the
genius OF the author. All that Rodin has
done has been to submit "A rough sketch OF
the monument
Hugo lies beside Emile Zola In the
crypt beneath the Pantheon. Others
buried there are Lazare, Sadi Carnot. the
martyred President La Tour dAuvergne,
Baudin and Marcellin Berthelot and his
wife
Pantheon stands Empty.
Although beautifully decorated the
Pantheon itself stands empty. The In
scription over the entrance Aux Strands
hommes la Patrie reconnaissance" has
lost Its meaning. Built originally as
church on the summit or the ancient
Mount Sainte Genevieve tthe patron saint
OF Paris), the Pantheon has thrice served
as a church and as often has II been
~ oil
Hugo himself called the Pantheon q
gigantic "gateau de Savoie," but did he
then know that after death he would seek
his repose In its soggy depths?
There are not many In the Paris or TO-
day who recall the memorable Friday In
1855, May 90. when this man died. For
eighty-three years his glory had outshone
everything else. France Of the nineteenth
century had known no greater genius and
when the lover OF Hugo's verse. OF Hugos
plays and OF Hugo's romances stops to
think that ne was all but stillborn In
FAINT and only the frantic fight for life
that his mother made saved him he can
not help shuddering.
Three years beft 70 Hugo's Death France
and the world OF letters rose OF one &C.
cord to honor the octogenarian. As the
eighteenth century hehored voitnirA. q
the nineteenth paid homage to Hug
Behind the countless delegations. behind
the youth Of the schools and the banners
of seemingly countless organizations. $780,
900 persons-the common people that III
ioved-passed under the windows OF his
little hotel In the Place des vosges.
The news of Hugo's death spread
throughout the city like wildhre. In ar
inappreciable length Of time all France
all Europe knew OF his death and the re-
turning tide OF kilograms and letters OF
sympathy. The Senate. the Chambre des
Deputies and the Ave academies were
adjourned The Municipal Council went
In body to the Hugo home.
Wanted . simple Funeral.
France, after recovering from Its Arst
profound grief, sought every means pos
sible to honor It's dead. The authors will
stipulated that there should be no funeral
grafton In the churches. but merely
prayer from every soul. He asked to
have the funeral OF poor man. II was
decided, however. to transport the body
to the Arc de Triomphe. where for day
and night the body lay In state.
When the body was taken to the Arc dc
Triomphe on May 81. followed by the
twenty mayors Of Paris. the mournins
ceased and the celebration Of Huso's
glory began. For thirty-six hours the
cries Of "Vive Victor Hugo!" that came
from tho crowds. flling he Place Dc
rEtoile. reechoed throughout Paris.
Tho catafalQue rested under the arch
almost completely filling It. The back and
the sides of the arch were draped In blac''
escutcheoned with the names OF Hugo's
works. At the base of the catafalqrs
there was a medallion of tho republic
above the initials ''V. H." Two hundred
lamps burned all day long. while as a
guard of honor there were hundreds oil
students thanked by cuirassiers.
All night long the crowds marched I'M
ceasingly past the gigantic atafalque
The night. too. seemed In sympathy, the
sky was covered with clouds and not a
star dared make its appearance. Many
people camped In the square all nigh'
long.
When morning broke q fn' rain was
falling, but this was soon succeeded by q
clear sky and brilliant sunshine. At IL
o'clock the public services began In the
presence OF all members OF Parliament,
the diplomatic corps, the members OF the
Presidents encourage. the Cabinet the
city council and the members OF the five
academies
Then>io the striking accents Of tbs
''Marseillaise'' the huge cortege began to
move toward the Pantheon. The wave o,
public sentiment was high that day. To-
day It is a mere ripple, while Hugo sleeps
on in tho mouldy cellar OF Sa.nte uene-
vieves old church.