Arachnids of Unusual Size

We're going to start off with a story entitled Spider Monster in Paris Catacombs, 1894.

Paris, can't go there,

hey? I always wanted to go there, but...

I don't know if they're above the catacombs.

And this one is actually real interesting.

Okay.

This comes from the Pequod Daily Call on August 18th, 1894.

Found by Lon Strickler, but it's a news article.

For many years, it has been undeniably stated that in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, called the Catacombs of Izoard, several persons living in that quarter had mysteriously and periodically disappeared.

The most careful research, the most minute inquiries, the most skillful agents of the police had failed to discover the least trace of them.

every year successively some inhabitants of this quarter would suddenly disappear leaving their friends overwhelmed with grief and anxiety it is also stated that these strange inexplicable facts always occur in the early spring from the 20th to the last of march and without regard to age or sex first a notary disappeared it was thought he had used his clients funds and fled to parts unknown then an old woman returning late one night from market was the next victim then a laborer going home from work the last victim had been a young girl a flower maker out late delivering her goods From that time, she had completely disappeared as if the earth had opened and swallowed her up.

Strange to say, no children had been among the victims.

The peculiar fact was accounted for in this way.

These mysterious disappearances always occurred late at night when the children were at home asleep.

As the time was drawing near for one of these periodical mysteries, the chief of police came very anxious.

It instituted a strict surveillance, confiding the matter to a number of the most skillful of his assistants.

hoping the combined efforts of so many zealous agents would surely be crowned with success.

You will now see the result.

One night, this fact could be verified by applying to the prefecture office.

A policeman at about 3 a.m. heard a distant musical song that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth.

He listened and fancied the sounds came from an opening in the center of the street.

at the foot of an enormous rock called the tomb of izwar or the giant's cave it may be interesting to note that this rock derived its name from a legend that a great giant had been buried there many years before the christian era and that it had been placed there to mark the tomb surprised at this strange discovery for the opening had never been noticed before the policeman waited listening to this peculiar song when he suddenly saw a young man approaching he knew from his costume that he was a countryman lately arrived in the city this young man also seemed to hear the subterranean sound first walking slowly with a peculiar wavering step as if in cadence with this musical chant then faster and faster as he drew near the fatal rock until he ran with such velocity that despite the warning cries of the policeman, he was swallowed up in this mysterious opening.

Without taking a moment to consider, the policeman recklessly followed, first firing his revolver and giving one or two vigorous blasts on his whistle.

At this signal, several of his comrades quickly arrived.

The musical chanting had ceased, but they could hear in the dark cavernous depths the muffled sounds of a desperate struggle.