The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-26
TODAY WE CELEBRATE.
Centenary Of Napoleon'a Flight From
W -. Island Prison.

Tho people OF the little Mediterran.
can island OF Elba win observe today
the centennial Of one Of the two great
events which made Elba forever me,
morahle In history. The first OF these
events was the arrival OF the deposed
Napoleon; the second, his departure.
1t was Just q hundred years ago today,
on February 2s. 1915, that the great
Corisican boarded ship and sailed
away for France. there to enact that
great drama Of the Hundred Days
which ended in defeat and disaster
on the bloody field Of Waterloo. Elba,
tiny inlet sixteen miles long, re.
mains today much as It was during
that period Of nine months and TWEEN:
ty.two days when Napoleon the Great,
become Napoleon the Little, ruled as
Sovereign Of Elba," issuing royal de.
crees to This people" acting as gen.
eral Of q comic opera army" ana as
admiral" Of, g navy that consisted Of
two or three derelict ships.
When the Powers oanished the Cor.
sican to Elba they generously gave
him an annuity Of two million francs,
bodyguard Of q thousand men. and
permitted him to retain the empty
title Of Emperor" At Elba he had
five palaces, the adulation Of the hero.
worshipping people over past glories.
Even the beautiful Pole, Countess
Waleska. with whom he had been In.
fatuated In happier days. failed to
arouse the Emperor from his despon.
dency. and after she had been with
him couple OF days he ordered her
deported from This kingdom"
While Napoleon brooded and played
with his make.believe government,
the people Of France were becoming
heartily tired Of the besootted rule OF
their restored king. The soldiers
plotted openly for the return OF Ma.
poleon. In February Fleury de Cha.
boulon, who had been an auditor In
the French council Of state, visited
Elba, and on his own initiative, beg.
ged the Emperor to return to France,
Napoleon had considered such q
project for months. and had purchased
four coasting vessels. He had raj,
lied about him his favorite veterans
as q bodyguard. The report OF Fleury
NC HSluuuuAVh VI tbAuiktoho iautU
convinced the Emperor that the time
was ripe to strike, and. once his mind
was made up, he lost no time in com.
pleting preparations. On the night
OF the twenty.fifth OF February he
gave a final ball at court. While his
mother and sister directed the fes.
tivities Napoleon left the gay assem-.
bly, and ordered his followers. to
march to the quay. AS the sun came
up from its bed In the Mediterranean
the flotilla, with 800 men on board,
put to sea; and Napoleon gazed for
the last time on the fading shores OF
Elba. S.si .F.,s stlS.
The brig .Inconstant. was Napo.
Icons flagship. and, as the ship drift.
ted slowly In the. light BROOKE 1t fell
In with a French Iman-o:war. The.
soldiers secreted themselves In the
hold, and the flag Of Elba, white
strewn with bees, was hoisted. The
captain OF the French ship inquired OF
the pilot az TO the health OF the En-.
peror, and then sailed on. jslf
After three days at sea the ..Incon.,
slant reached the Bay 81. Jonan,
near Antibos, and his followers rushed
ashore crying "yiye I'Empereuri- ii.
WAS a cry that was soon taken up ali
over France. Everywhere the little
man IN tho faded uniform was rreatcd