Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-23
FROM FRANCE.
THE GREAT FIRE AT NICE AND IT'S
SCENES OF WOE.
The Pork war-A Composers Many
Friends = The Washer
woInan's Fete.
PARIS. March 20, 1881.

ceive more clearly their sufferings and mis-
cry, or whether it is that in advancing to
higher degree of civilization man has de-
veloped a more sensitive organization
whichever it may be, l have been much
impressed by the general sympathy and
real horror experienced by all Parisians
with regard to the catastrophe at Nice.
Having just passed through the painful
ordeal of terrible fire, such as is seldom
seen in the French Capital, they can more
easily imagine the terror such sight must
inspire. The details'of this accident are
fearful, and each day some sad event is
telegraphed which is added to the already
numerous incidents. and which bring tears
to our eyes and make our hearts sink with
in us. As a general thing, a great deal IS
done to prevent accidents. Numerous IN
spectors are appointed to look after the
security of buildings, others to examine the
food we eat, that We may not poison our
selves, and so on the Government, like
q solicitous parent, looking after us with
affectionate care. But even the Govern
ment, like real parents, will sometimes be-
come careless and trust to our good stars
to take care of us without the aid of in
spectors or surveillance.
THE ACCIDENT AT NICE.
During the day of the accident the
Mayor of Nice was informed that the gas
pipes were in bad condition, and it would
be advisable to postpone the evenings
performance, but yielding to the urgent
request of the manager, who was fearful of
losing the receipts Of successful repre-
sentation on acsount of a supposed danger.
the Mayor gave his permission for the per-
Torrance to take place. The opera given
that evening was Lucia di Lammamoor1a y
The performance began at S o'clock. The
gods were, of course, in their places at the
ring of the curtain, so as to lose none Of
the music, for the inhabitants of Nice are,
for the most part, of Italian origin and ex-
tremely fond of music; besides, the boat
men along the coast are Sicilians or
Italians, and when on shore where they
can hear an opera, their last sou goes to
procure them that enjoyment l remem-
Der well, during the occasion of operas In
San Francisco, OF seeing the top galleries
always hlled with rows of black eyes and
boards and red shirts, and their owners
were as severe in their criticisms and as ar
bitrary in their tastes as though they were
judges pronouncing judgment on their
peers and not gods looking down upon
ordinary mortals. 1t was about half-past
when the explosion Of gas occurred, and
although all the upper galleries and boxes
were filed with spectators, the n ajority OF
the fashionable and rich owners of the
private boxes had not yet arrived. Es-
cape was almost impossible besides, as in
all the theaters throughout France there is
hut one exit, and that through a
narrow door, so that those who could
have reached it would have found
it difficult to proceed further however, a
very small number did escape, but they
were occupants of the lower boxes and
were of limited number. The prima
donna, Blanca Donadie, who WAS in her
dressing-room dressed, prepared to appear
before the public, suddenly found herself
in total darkness, and in a sudden fit of
fright, fled to her rooms at the hotel,
where on her arrival, she had terrible
ht of Mysteries. Her impressario, Mr.
Strakosch, was slightly wounded in the leg
The company of embarcation for vessels
marine pumps, and Immediately system
OF drawing water from the sea was organ
lied on the beach, and at 10 o'clock they
were masters of the fire. All the sailors
and the pompiers manifested the greatest
courage and bravery, and unfortunately
some of them were wounded, although not
seriously injured.
THEY RUSHED INTO THE FIRE
To rescue the living, or rather to snatch
from the hungry flames the bodies of the
victims, and as they were brought out they
were carried into the church OF Saint Fran
co.'s de Paul, near by, and there the in
habitants OF the city came to look for
their missing friends, The bodies were
all so charred and burned that they were
mostly recognized only by some trinket, or
part Of the clothing which had resisted the
flames. In the nj ght fifty. nine bodies were
carried to the church, among them those
of Mr.. Bus the President OF the En-
ployers' Society of Commerce. his wife, his
sister. n-law, his mother-in-law and his
nephew they had all occupied private
box together. There was also the body of
Cottoni, the basso- bouffe of the italian
IIOupC- HO ulOplCI NONn hb1h AlUuA ao
phyxia lust as he reached the door, after
having descended three pairs of stairs.
The Identification of the victims in the
church that night was a hesrtrending
sight; husband recognized the body OF
his wife almost calcined three corpses, al
most burned to a charcoal were found with
arms interlocked, the father, mother and
little boy, which last held an orange in his
~ T. Al ~.
and all the civil and military authorities
remained nearly the entire night giving
orders on the place of the disaster There
was to have been a regatta the following
day, and grand fete, which was of course
countermanded the same evening, and the
money destined for the prize was given to
the poor families of the victims. The next
morning the bodies exposed in the church
were carried to one of the alleys OF the
garden OF the chateau, and placed under a
tent erected for the purpose. The most
profound CONSERVATION reigned throughout
the city, and 1t was heartrendiug spec
tacle to see almost the entire population
passing around them in procession, and en-
deavouring to recognize some dear and
loved one. The flags on the monuments
were placed at half mast, all the theaters
were closed the following evening Of the
catastrophe, and the entire city was in
mourning. All that next day
BODIES WERE DISCOVERED
And carried beneath the tent, until the
number amounted to eighty About forty
were identified and taken away by friends.
Besides the number found it is supposed
there must be about twenty or thirty more
buried beneath the ruins, for letters by
hundreds arrive from all parts of France,
England and other countries, asking for
missing relatives and friends. AS Nice is
a great resort for strangers, many of them
were undoubtedly among the victims, and
it will therefore be weeks and weeks before
all the names can be made known. Two
young English ladies with their brother
on tour throughout Europe happened on
that night to attend the opera, and all