The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-05
APPALLING
!, CALAMITY.
Death By Fire Came to the
Leaders Of Partisan
Society.
One Hundred Bodies Have Been
Taken Out With Many Still
in the Ruins.
A CROWDED BAZAAR BURNED.
Agonizing Scenes During the Search For Bodies
Fathers Search For Daughters and
Husbands For Wives.
CROWDED BAZAAR BURNED.

Paris, May 5.-One of the most hor-
rible caiamities of the century occurred
here yesterday. The Illuminating ap-
paratus of kinenatograph exploded in
q charity bazaar crowded to suffocation
by brilliant throng. which included
scores of the titled and wealthy women
Of Partisan society. The flames spread
with lightning-like rapidity through the
himsy structure. A panic followed and
wild rush for life. The few exits be-
came choked with fugitives. Scenes Of
supreme horror were enacted, and when
the fiery rafters Of the roof presently fell
In, a mass OF corpses was buried beneath
them.
Two hundred persons are dead and
missing. and twice that number were
injured by the fire and in the mad rush
to escape. 1t will be many days before
complete list can be prepared or the
full story Of the catastrophe told.
The number of dead taken out up to
this morning was l20. 1t Is certain that
fully 100 more were burned to death.
Ambulances and undertakers' wagons
were moving all night In endless pro-
cession from The scene Of the holocaust.
Among the dead were some Of the most
prominent society people Of Paris.
Enormous crowds Of people gathered
around the scene of the fire. Among
them were large number Of liveried
servants inquirins for their mistresses.
1t Is hoped the missing ones may be
found among the many injured persons
who are being cared for at the hotels,
hospitals and other places.
Although an alarm was sent out with
reasonable promptness, the whole wood
en- structure was blazing before the
firemen could approach the bazaar.
When they were within a short dis
tance Of ii. the roof and almost the
whole building collapsed upon the un-
fortunate people who had been unable
to force their way out Of the building.
In spite of the efforts OF the firemen,
some time elapsed before the charred
bodies could be pulled from the smols-
ing and burning mass of debris, where.
but short time before, had been so
much gaiety.
The building was erected in the film
siest manner, the nudity OF the scaffold-
ing inside being concealed by tapestry
Eangings of the most inflarnmable ma
terial. The bazaar was i'm full swing
when suddenly the cry of fire rose in the
quarter where the kinena tograph was
being exhibited.
d. Piled In Heaps.
The dead were piled in heaps, espe.
cially near the exit, where the charred re-
mains were five feet deep, arms, legs and
skulls mingled in inextricable confu-
sion. In some cases only the trunks re-
mained, with no vestige Of clothing on
any of the bodies
Policemen, their hands covered with
gloves. were deputed by the prefect
Of police to pick out the portions of re-
mains and to wrap them in pieces of
cloth, to be transferred in the ambu-
lances to the Palais de Industries
The remains presented horrible spec
tacle of limbs burned and twisted. On
all sides W. stretchers piled with mu-
tilated corpses, skulls split open and
brains exuding. Just behind heap Of
corpses was the body of a woman, the
face downward, the head burned, the
brain exposed, and from the empty sock
ct of the right eye the brains slowly
oozed. The arms and legs were burned
off.
A little farther off was the body OF
another woman. nude, the entrails pro-
truding and the head missing. It was
q ghastly sight.
The building was constructed about
six months ago. At the time, IL was
remarked that II would burn like match
wood. The interior was divided into
shops, la old Paris, constructed OF
prettily painted canvas. r.
Miss Elsie Bushbeck OF Philadelphia
with the Misses Hawthorn and Dresher
were among the few who escaped,
although not unscathed.
The whole of the highest society i'm
Paris is in horrible pell-mell. a prey
to the deepest despair. husbands seek
ing and calling for wives and fathers
seeking and cdlling for daughters. One
young woman. still wearing on her
breast the badge of a stall attendant
was seen rushing about I'm her petticoat,
her dress having been torn off to be
thrown over lady who was in flames.
Her one anxiety was to find and tell her
parents of her safety.
Horror Indescribable.
Words would fail to describe the horror
Of the scene at the Palais de Industries,
where the bodies were exposed on the
side nexts to the Avenue Danton, i'm a
portion OF the building now I'm course of
demolition. Here In large room, rudely
covered with rough planks, and on sheets
hastily spread over planks, the bodies as
they arrived from the ambulances were
placed In three long rows. This was
death by fire. with all Its horrors-bodies
completely nude. limbs twisted I'm the
writings N agony. some still having
shreds of clothing which assist recognl-
ton In spite Of horrible disfguremens,
bones visible through fire-eaten flesh.
some merely skeletons or grinnIng skulls
blackened with smoke.
A large force OF officials Is engaged In
regulating the admission of friends at
the entrance. which is besieged by
crowds shouting and fighting. Only
small groups are admitted at a time, and
the visitors arc supplied With candles 20
assist them I'm the lugubrlous search. IL