Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-05-05
PARIS HOLOCAUST.
Two Hundred Of the Gay city's
Aristocracy Dead,
MANY OF THEN OF THE HoBLEssE;
Fnghtfnlly Mutilated corpses Reeov-
cred from the Scene of the Horror,
. veritable Fire-Trap,

With but One Exit for the Hundreds Gath
cred Therein-Flames Break Out and
esses, Countesses, Marquises, BARONESS
snd Madames, All Of the Highest Paris
6oeiety-RoofFalls in ON the StruxHling,
Frenzied Victims of Omcial Remissness.
Paris. May 5.-An Paris is in a state
Of great excitement over the terrible dis
aster at the charitable bazaar in the
Rue Jean Goujon. How many are dead
IL not positively known. The building
caught fire while it was crowded with
the nobility, wealth and fashion Of Paris
and before all got out the roof fell in.
The first report was that thirty-five
were killed. The bazaar is given an
nually for the benefit Of the poor Of
Paris and its managers are leaders in
the fore front Of high society. The man.
ayers OF the bazaar had arranged the
stalls so as to represent a street Of old
Paris. and 1t was opened Monday. The
proceeds of the sales at each stall were
devoted to a separate charity.
Aristocracy Prcsides Over the Stalls.
The stalls were presided over by Nine.
Fevrier (the wife of General Fevrier),
Marquise De L'Aigle, Nine. Macobs,
Barone De La Lucette, Marquise De St.
Michel, DuGhesse Dues, Nine Mignotte,
Barone De Staldier. Comtesse Dzalynska.
Marquise LIE Gouestier, Marquise Di
Argence. Marquise De Pitt. Duchess
D'Alencon "a member Of the Orleans
family, Nine. D'Arlu, Nine Boisseaux,
Barone F. DeSchickler. Mme. Moreau,
Marquise Costa De Beauregard, Her
Royal Highness the Duchess De Ven
dome, MarQuise De Maison and Countesse
De Grefful (nee La Rochefocauld). Mime.
De Florez presided over the refreshment
stand. These ladies were assisted by
many equally well-known society ladies.
The Fatal Number Thirteen.
As a somewhat remarkable coincidence
the stall presided over by the Duchesse
D'Uzes was mo. 49, 1t is impossible
as yet to identify the victims. The ba-
zaar is a heap Of smoking cinders and
ashes The bazaar was 900 feet long by
$50 feet wide, and constructed almost en-
tirely Of wood. The Dowager Duchesse
Dues is one of the most prominent
women in France, and is said to have
provided 100000 francs for the propa-
ganda Of General Boulanger. The
young Duchess D'Uzes was, before her
marriage, Nine. Marie De Luines,
daughter Of the late Due De Chaulnes.
She was married in Paris on Jan. 10,
1894. in the chapel of the convent Of the
Sacred Eeart, where she was educated
The Due Dues is the premier duke of
France, the creation Of his title dating
back to 1865.
Twenty Corpses in Ono Building.
Enormous crowds of people gathered
around the scene Of the fire. Among
them were large number of liveried
servants inquiring for their mistresses,
and the indications were that among the
dead would be a number Of the French
aristocracy, although it was hoped that
the missing ones might be found among
the injured who are at the hotels hos
pitals or other places. Twenty corpses
and number Of the most seriouly in
5ured were taken to the right wing Of
the Palais D'Industrie. Before the fire.
men could arrive the roof of the bazaar
crushed in. burying numbers of those
who had been unable to make their
egress from the building. Very soon
after the alarm was given assistance
was hurried to the burning bazaar and
effective help was rapidly organized be-
tween the firemen and the policemen.
Death Roll Above 100.
Although an alarm was sent out with
reasonable promptness the whole wood
en- structure was blazing before the fire.
men could approach the bazaar, the roof
and almost the whole building collapsed,
falling upon the unfortunate people.
many OF whom are supposed to have pre-
viously succumbed to the sitting smoke.
In spite of the efforts Of the firemen
some time elapsed before the charred
bodies could be pulled from the smoking
and burning mass Of debris covering the
spot which but a short before had been
the scene OF so much gaiety. In the
meanwhile the pumps played on the
burning ruins. As the work progressed
and the inquiries became more numer-
Gus and pressing it was seen that the
death rate would be much higher than
at first estimated. The police officials
say they believe 1t to be certain that
the number of deaths will exceed 100.
recalling the terrible fire at the Opera
Comique