Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-12-11
Mass for the Artists on the Evening Star.


Mass for the Artists on the Evening Star.
Especial Paris Correspondence of the Picayune ]
| have just witnessed a distressing
scene. The Dramatic Artists Asso-
citation here celebrated this morning
at st. Roch a mass for the unfortu-
nate artists who persisted on the
Evening Star. A catafalque was
raised at the entrance Of the choir.
All the artists-lyric and dramatic
in Paris were present. The man
ager of the French Comedy and the
Superintendent of the theatre (M.
Camille Doucet) were also in attend
ance. The families of the victims
wore deep mourning. The most dis
tressing scenes took place at the
close of the service. The widow of
poor Clarence, who died here a few
weeks since, was SO affected by the
sobbing cries and means heard all
around her, she was seized with hys-
terics and had to be carried out of
the church. The father of poor
Mile. du Mery-who is believed to
have been the unfortunate woman
who hung on boat by her hands for
several hours-sobbed in heart
rending manner, and at last tainted
from excessive grief. The families
Of many of the victims have been
plunged into the deepest poverty by
the loss of those on whom they were
dependent for their daily bread. ]
have heard of one old lady whose
daughter and son-in-law left their
children with her. They went down
in the ship, and she, with. her poor
grandchildren, (who were entirely
dependent on her children) do not
know where to procure the means of
living. Among the victims was
Mile. Marta Campana, whom fate
tried its best to save from death, but
the poor girl would rush to her
watery grave. She was we'll known
here. She played for some time at
the Belleville Theatre; then she
went to Constantinople where she
played for year, and she was en-
gagged there when Mons. Alfalfa en-
listed her. She was informed of her
engagement to 60 to New Orleans
just in time to quit Constantinople
and reach Havre when the company
embarked, provided she travelled con-
stantly by express trains. She en-
barked ON L'Illyssus, the French
steamship of the Messageries Impe-
riales. When Marseilles was made,
the mistral blew with such violence
and the sea was so rough the steam
ship was unable to enter the port,
and was obliged to take refuge in
the harbor of La Ciotat. Mile. |
Marta Campana then begged the
captain of the steamship to allow her
land with the mails and go to Mar
settles with them; she explained to
him how necessary it was for her to
reach Havre on a given and then
very near day. He consented. She
reached the Marseilles and Paris
railway station after the ticket and
baggage Offices were closed. She
to the station master to
allow her to take place in the train
then about to leave, and she wrung
consent from him too. She reached
Paris after the transatlantic steam
ship had sailed from Havre. She
took the railway and reached it just
in time to take the Vile de Paris,
which bore her comrades to America.
The passage Of the Vile de Paris
was singularly stormy and 1ncom-
Portable. She embarked on the i'll
fated Evening Star-you know the
rest
The same day the Dramatic Asso-
citation had the mass for the repose
Of these victims celebrated here, the
artists of the Havre Theatre had a
similar mass celebrated in their ca
thedral, They went in procession
from the theatre to the church and
in procession. The mu-
nicipal authorities at Havre were
present at the mass.