The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-06
PAIL OF GLOOM.
Gay French Capital Dazed
By Bazaar Horror.
All Paris Feels the Shock of the
Terrible Catastrophe.
s---
Number of Dead Estimated to Be 43-OnIy
One American Among the Victims.

Paris. May 6.-Gay Paris is today the
gloomiest city in Europe. A shroud of
sorrow envelops all classes. The horror
at the grand Bazaar De Charlie is not
yet fully realized. One hundred and
fifty charred and dismembered corpses
have so far been taken from the ruins
ard how many more perished cannot be
told-and perhaps never will be known
The catastrophe has no equal In the his
tory Of any European city, and the
scenes or the last two days will be long
remembered.
In aristocratic circles the numberless
dinner parties and other functions of
gayiy opening season have been sud
denly abandoned.
1t Is now estimated that there were
about 1900 persons in the building when
the fire was discovered about half OF
whom escaped unhurt. Some estimates
place the number of dead at 143, others
a. a still higher figure.
The amount of administrative negli-
Gence surrounding the catastrophe is al
most inconceivabe. The structure was
so combustible that many of the victims
must have been burned alive without
suffocation. No sort of inspection seems
ricipal or police authorities, or by the
prefect OF police.
Mrs. +. Il. Gilmour of New York had
a narrow escape. She had consented to
act as a saleswoman at the stall of Nine.
Costa Beauregard. She left the Hotel
Terminus, where she was staying, about
1;S0, accompanying the Vicomtesse
Savigny The sale was going on we'll,
when suddenly her maid cried, Mad
anne, sauvez vous. VOLTA lie feu." Mad
anne. save yourself. There's fire)
Mrs. Gilmour, with wonderful pres
ence of mind, rushed toward the main
entrance. but. seeing the danger Of being
trampled TO death, ran quickly back to
the rear of the building, where she saw
a window that opened in the wall.
through which she soon reached the
street.
Mgr. Clari. the papal nuncio, who had
attended to pronounce his blessing upon
the bazaar, says he was talking to the
Duchesse D'Alencon at 3:45 o'clock He
adds: Around me were a group of
blind children. Several Of these must
have perished. My heart Is bleeding to
think OF all those poor creatures. 1t Is
too horrible to speak Of My nerves are
in a terrible state"
Dr. Nachtel, who has directed the am
bulance work, says that the number of
bodies found gives very inadequate
idea of the lumber OF victims, as dozens
were burned completely to ashes The
Vicomte Damas identified his wifes
body by piece of hair cloth which she
wore next her skin as member of the
Third Order of st. Francis. NJ. Jean
Raffaelli. the painter, says:
"My daughter had the mark of heel
stamped into her back. She was
trampled in the heap at the door near
the main entrance. Her mother tried
to pull her from the blazing fire, but she
said: u 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 Able 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
nents, says in explanation that the
patrons and patronesses OF the bazaar
were Reactionists, and he feared IL 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 I'm terms of the deepest sym
patty.
The unidentified bodies. as well as the
te, -. 1.ls.
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 officiate.
The cabinet has decided to ask the
chamber Of deputies for a special credit
I'm aid Of the needy families. The min
lister of justice communicated to his col :
leagues the first results Of the inquiry
into the cause Of the fire. The investi-
| eating magistrate. NJ. Bertolu. reports
that there VAS great carelessnoss a,.d
iniprudence i'm the principal arrange
n,ents for the bazaar.
Former Consul General s. f. Morss
said To the representative OF the press:
There was only ono American victia.
| This was remarkable. because Just now
there Is an unusually large number of
| Americans i'm Paris. They are generous
4 supporters of such fctes as the grand
| Ragaar DE Charlie: and moreover. II
gave them a favorable opportunity Of
| getting into close quarters with the ars-
| tocracy and many of the celebrities ~
/ Paris"
! Mrs Porges was the only American
| victim. She was y Miss Weisweiiier.
| Her daughter accompanied her In the
bazaar and escaped uninjured. The
rorgos family reside in Vienna.
| one feature which Is generally re-
marked OF the victims taken To tho Psiais
| DE LIndustri is that the head is thrown
back and tho arms are uplifted with a
peculiarly wjerd effect.
| Advertise your wants in TIE TyIBuSE.