The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-06
Bazaar Fatality MOStFear-
full Recorded.
Charges of Criminal Negli-
gence Against Officials.
The Building That Proved Funeral
Pyre Was finder BOX.

vades every class OF society. The news
papers, without exception, describe the
disaster at the grand Bazaar De Charlie
In the sober and simple terms befitting
30 appalling an event. The catastrophe
will always be remembered as one OF
the most fearful that ever befell "a Euro
pean city. Nothing comparable i'm loss
OF life has ever occurred here, except the
fire which destroyed the Opera Com
ique in 1857. Sngularly enough that dis
aster happened III The same month OF the
year, and so persons were burned to
death, while 40 were officially registered
as missing.
In aristocraNc circles the numberless
dinner parties and other functions OF a
tayly opening season have been sud
denly abandoned.
1t is now estimated that there were
about 1900 persons i'm the building when
the fire was discovered. about half of
whom escaped unhurt Some estimates
place the number OF dead at l43, others
at still higher figure.
The amount of administrative necIt-
SenSe surrounding the catastrophe is al
most inconceivable. The structure was
must have been burned alive without
suffocation. No sort of inspection seems
10 have been made in advance by mu-
ricipal or police authorities, or by the
prefect of police.
Mrs. +. r. Gllmour of New York had
q narrow escape. She had consented TO
act as a saleswoman at the stall of Mime.
Costa Beauregard. She left the Hotel
Terminus. where she was staying. about
1;So, accompanying the vicomtesse
Savigny. The sale was going on well
when suddenly her maid cried. Mad
anne. sauvez vous. VOLTA le feu." Mad
anne. save yourself. There's flre).
Mrs. Gilmour, with wonderful pres
cnce OF mind, rushed toward the main
entrance. but, seeing the danger of being
srampled to death, ran quickly back 10
the rear of the building, where she saw
window that opened in the wall
through which she soon reached the
street.
Blind Children Perish.
Mgr. Clari, the papal nuncio. who had
attended to pronounce his blessing upon
the bazaar, says no was talking 10 the
Duchesse D'AIencon at 3:45 O'Clock. He
addsi Around me were q group of
blind children. Several OF these must
have perished. My heart is bleeding to
think of all those poor creatures. II is
too horrible to speak OF. My nerves are
In a terrible state"
Or. Nachtel, who has directed the am
bulance work. says that the number of
bodies found gives a very Inadequate
idea OF the number Of victims, as dozens
were burned completely to ashes. The
Nicomte Dsmas identified his wife's
body by a piece OF hair cloth which she
wore next her skin as a member OF the
Third Order OF st. FranCis. NJ. Jean
Raffaelh. the painter, says:
Ny daughter had the mark of a heel
stamped into her back. She was
trampled in the heap at the door near
the main entrance. Her mother tried
20 pull her from the blazing fire, but she
said: 1t is useless; save yourself as
shall die In any case Her mother re-
piled. L shall not leave you. [ will take
you or stay and die with you Both
escaped though severely injured"
The Abbs Marriott says that the
Comtesse Villeneuve returned to search
for her two daughters. failed to find
them and perished herself
NJ. Lepine, the prefect of police, who Is
severely censured for lack OF proper sup
ervision OF the preparatory arrange
ipents says i'm explanation that the
patrons and patronesses of the bazaar
were Reactionists. and he feared, if he
meddled with their program. that they
would say he was trying to suppress a
Roman Catholic enterprise.
NJ. Faure has received telegrams OF
coincidence from Queen Victoria, EN-
peror Nicholas, Emperor William. King
Humbert and other sovereigns. all
couched In terms of the deepest SYM
pathy.
The unidentified bodies. AS well as the
Jewels recovered from the debris. have
been photographed by the Bertillon
method. and the funeral service over the
victims has been fixed for the Cathedral
Of Notre Dame. NJ. Faure will attend.
and Pere Richard will probably oficiate.
The cabinet has decided to ask the
chamber OF deputies for a special credit
In aid OF the needy families. The min
lister Of justice communicated 10 his coll
leagues the first results of the inquiry
into the cause OF the fire. The investi-
eating magistrate, VI. Bertolu. reports
that there was great carelessness and
imprudence i'm the principal arrange
n!ents for the bazaar
Former Consul General s. +. Norss
said 10 the representative of the press:
There was only ono American victim.
This was remarkable because Just now
there Is an unusually large number Of
Americans in Paris. They are generous
supporters OF such fetes as the grand
Eazaar De Charlie: and moreover it
gave them a favorable opportunity OF
getting into close quarters with the aris-
tccracy and many Of the celebrities Of
Iaris."
Only One American Killed.
Mrs. Porges was the only American
victim. She was a Miss Wcisweiller
Her daughter accompanied her TO the
bazaar and escaped unlnjured. The
sorges family reside in Vienna
ore feature which r. generally re-
marked OF the victims taken to the Pala,s
De L'Industri Is that the head is thrown
back and the arms are uplifted with n
ItCuIiar1y WORD eject
The scene on the Champs Elyssee is