The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-05-13

AFEARfUl FIRE N PARIS
In which Aasv es It's Lsading seesssy
wsnsa PsFsAh-Ovss O.s ausarsA livss
Lest ssA May Moro lsSsrsd-girs Orig
fases1 Prem n Espissses sad sprssd
via kapaAisy o.ssi.s s6 Esssps-
PARIS, May Fire broke ont at
1 o'clock this afternoon in the
crowded charitable bazaar in the
Rue Jean -Gougon. ., which the
Duchess Dues and other we'll known
P patronesses were present. Many
people were burned to death. and
there WAS = terrible panic, during
which q great number Of persons
we're injured.
The building in which the fire
broke out vas emporary structure
OF wood. The flames we're 6rst dis
covered above the stall occupied BY
the Duches Of d'U zes, and while tae
place WAS densely crowded. The
bazaar is an annual function, pre-
sided over by the leaders of Partisan
society.
The managers Of the bazaar ar
ranged the stalls, etc., SO as to rep
resent street Of old Paris, and it
Was opened yesterday. The pro,
ceeds of the sales at each stall were
devoted to a separate charity.
The police officials this evening
say they believe it to be certain that
the number of deaths would exceed
100.
The building was erected in the
fiimsiest manner, the nudity Of the
scaffoldings being concealed by
tapestry hangings of the most in
fiamabls material. Moreover, there
was only one exit. The bazaar was
in full swing, when suddenly, about
O'Clock, the cry of fire rose in the
quarter where the kinematograph
was being exhibited.
The firemen arrived at 6, and q
company of infantry followed, to
clear the ruins and search for
corpses. The news spread like wild
fire. All the Cabinet Ministers now
in Paris went Immediately to the
scene. Hundreds of equipages
streamed along the Champs d'Elyse,
their occupants with anxious and
tear stained faces burning for rels-
tives. There We're many heartrend-
ing scenes of grief and despair. Cab
met Ministers, Ambassadors, noble
men and members of the highest
social and financial circles were side
by side with the lowliest and the
poorest, anxiously inquiring for
their missing relatives.
| About thirty were saved by Pere
Ambrose and Pene Bailly, who
helped them ever the wall with q
ladder to the printing room of the
newspaper Lacroix. The staff of the
Hotel Du Palais lent valuable assist.
ance, and saved $50 persons through
a barred window overlooking the
bazaar, where, while the hotel en-.
ployes were carrying away the bars
} they saw three persons burned te
death.
! The Duchess d'Alencon, sister ol
the Austrian Empress is among tn,
injured, the list of whom include,
the Duchess d'Uzes, the Counties,
Savigny and Mile de La Boulaye.
In the streets djacent to the ba
zaar were long lines of sumptuoul
equipages. Most of these returned
empty; their owners were dead
The others were seen moving of
with occupants injured in head O
limb, in many cases with face
streaming with blood.
It appears that@he fire originate
: on the left side Of he bazaar. Tn,
: Illuminating apparatus Of the kiema
tograph exploded and set fire to tn
Turkish curtains and hangings.
PARIS, May 5.-A somber feeling
pervades every class of society. Tn.
! newspapers without exception de
scribe the disaster at tho Grand Ba
:. zsar de Charlie in the sober an
!, simple terms BETTING SO appallin!
1 an event. The catastrophe will al
ways be remembered as one of th
, most fearful that ever befell Euro
pean city. Nothing comparable il
loss of life has eyer occurred her
except the fire which destroyed tn
! Opera Comique in 1887. Singularl
enough, that disaster happened i
: the same month of the year, an,
OASuSy POIoOuS W0I0 OuI00O I
Q death, while forty-five were offici
ally registered as missing. In arii
I tocratic circles the numberless din
o ner parties and other functions of
gayly opening season have bee
8 suddenly abandoned.
It is estimated that there wer
Q about 200 persons in the buildin
q when the fire was discovered, 4bor
J. one-half of whom escaped unhurI
eel Some estimates place the number Q
y dead at 143, others at q still hight
II figure.
II NEGLIGENCE OF OFFICIALS.
a The amount of administrative
\. negligence surrounding the catastr'
# phe is almost inconceivable. I'll
d structure was SO combustable tn.
J. many of the victims, If not most {
" them, must have been burned sliv
n without suffocation. No sort of il
v spection seems to have been mao
j. in advance by the municipal or p
h lice authorities or by the Prefect (
y Police.
IN Finance and Railroad Reform.
70 Cordeie (Ga Herald.I
d Many Democrats profess to be
q favor free silver, and opposed natio
le al banks, but they say they cam
n