South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-24
CATACOMBS FAIL TO
THRILL TOURISTS
File Through Gloomy Pas
sages as Means of Passing
Dull Afternoon.

PARIS. Nov. 23.-One way Of
frivoIing away a Saturday afternoon
If it happens to be the first or third
Saturday OF the month, IS TO visit
the catacombs
You foregather with other Ameri-
cans, and English, and the omni-
present Japanese, and the cocoa
nut-faced gentleman from Brazil,
and a handful OF French from the
country. in a courtyard or alley just
off the Place Denfort- Rochereau.
You buy a candle. which is affixed
10 a small paddle, with a square OF
pasteboard attached to catch the
drippings. You stand in front of an
iron door, and wait long time.
When IL has become evident that
the last franc has been collected.
a guide emerges from one of the ad-
jacent huts. The guide unlocks the
iron door and descends a flight Of
steps.
1t is very pleasant, going down
this interminable stairway There
are electric lights, and the iron rail
is wet, and some stairs have sharp
and when you step on the coat Of
the man ahead, the man behind
kicks you in the middle Of the back.
But you don't mind. Your thoughts
are intent on the tnrrl won are go
Ing 10 get presently. The cata-
combs, you remember, are a vast
series of underground quarries dat
ing from the time OF the Romans.
In the eighteenth century they were
converted into a charnel house for
bones removed from disus5G Paris
cemeteries.
Get to Bottom.
At last you arrive at the bottom
and stand on level gravel. 1t is
just like being down cellar at grand
pas. A long white passage opens
before you. Illuminated by the flick
ering light OF the candles.
Then YOU proceed to play follow
my-leader down a corridor in this
cellar. II is wide enough for one
and one-half persons to walk
abreast.
The walls seem 70 be made Of
paving blocks The roof is OF flat
stone Evidently this section Of
Paris is one large rock. out OF which
these galleries have been carved.
For perhaps ten minutes you con-
tinue allns there underground ave-
nues. reading an occasional sign
which says "126 G." or John smith.
U. s. A" and then you come TO
chamber Of fair width its roof sup
ported by large columns of rock.
Ii is the anteroom to the charnel-
house which you have been longing
for.
The guide opens the door. You.
IN trepidation. enter.
Oh. shucksl
Like a WOOdpile.
10 looks Ike woodward on
each side there are piles Of bones
like cordwood Neat. orderly rows
OF femurs and tlbias and fibulas.
looking as II they had been dipped
In varnish a cornice OF skulls.
middle row OF skulls a bottom row
or skulls No odor. not even OF for
maIdehyde \ tablet informs you
that these bones were removed from
the church of ST. Somebody the
Something in the year this or that
You pass on between two piles of
bones. which extend from floor TO
ceiling. and come 90 another cor
r.dor with more bones taken from
another church, and more bones and
skulls taken from still another. 4
so forth and 50 on
More bones and skulls. and still
more Streets OF them. avenues Of
them 'bouleyards Of them Grave
yard after graveyard has been eX-
cavated and It's contents deposited
here i'm sanitary piles. Occasionally
one marks the hand OF an artist
a designer iu thin bones on the face
of the structure. A. one point an
entire skeleton has been hung in "a
niche. Ii gives no thrill There are
skulls OF all sizes
Looks Like Millions
There must be the osseous frag-
meuts OF millions OF former Paris
ans here.
At last YOU come 20 another door.
before which the guide has paused
90 gather his forces There IS an
electric light and YOU eXtinguish
what is left OF your candle You
pas through the doorway and climb
spiral staircase several kliometers
n length. and Just as your breath
gives Cu- ro- the last time y-u come
20 land Ling where a chap collects
your candle paddle for use on an
her day AM stumble OUT into .
street quarter Of a mile from
where YOU started In a very IN