The record-union., 1897-05-06
GLOOM At PARIS.
A Sonber Feeling PervadeS
Every Glass,
In Consequence Of Tuesdays
Terrible Holocaust.
Nothing Comparable in Loss Of Life
Has Ever Occurred There,
Save The Fire Which Destroyed The Opera
COmique Ten Years Ago.
Of About Twelve Hundred People Present, Only About
Half ESCAPED Ulhurt, While the Death List
is Nearly Two Hundred.

PARIS, May ga somber feeling
pervades every class of society. The
newspapers without exception describe
the disaster at the Grand Bazaar de
Charitie in the sOmber and simple
terms befitting so appalling an event
The catastrophe will always be re-
membered as one of the most fearful
which ever befell a European city.
Nothing comparable in loss of life has
ever occurred here, except the fire which
destroyed the Opera Comique in 1884,
Singularly enough, that disaster hap
pened in the same month of the year,
and eighty persons We're burned to
death, while forty-five We're officially
reported as missing. In aristocratic
circles the numberless dinner parties
and other functions Of a gaily opening
season have been suddenly abandoned.
1t is now estimated that here were
about 1900 persons in the building
when the fire was discovered, about
one-half of whom escaped unhurt.
gence surrounding the catastrophe IL
almost inconceivable. The structure was
so combustible that many of the vic
tins, If not most of them, might have
been burned alive, without suffocation.
No sort of inspection seems to have
been made in advance by the munich
pal or police authorities or by the Pre-
feet of Police.
DR. 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 doz-
ems We're burned completely to ashes.
NJ. Lepine, the Project of Police, who
is severely censured for lack of proper
supervision of the preparatory arrange
ments, says in excuse that he patrons
and patronesses of the the bazaar We're
reactionists. and he feared if he med
died in their programme that they
would say he was trying to suppress a
Roman Catholic enterprise.
NJ Faure has received kilograms of
Emperor Nicholas, the Emperor Will
lam, King Humbert and other sover-
eigns. all couched in terms of the deep
est sympathy.
The list Of dead will reach into the
hundreds and the first names of France
are numbered in the grewsome column
In scores Of the most luxurious homes
grief and horror reign supreme. 1t is
not only that father, mother, children
husbands or wives have been lost;
there is also the unutterable horror of
their taking off. In the stately palaces
of the rank and wealth of the Capital
bereaved ones. rhalf frantic and mad
dened hang over charred and almost
unacceptable remains, all now left to
them of the relatives but yesterday
full of life, bright with beauty or Wig
orous in the pride OF blooming child
hood or perfect womanoohd.
Never before, perhaps. had death
come to so many of the great houses of
Europe in so terrible a form.
It was fire that caused the tragedy
fire that destroyed the building within
which was being held the grand char
ity bazaar, and with it swept to death
not less than POO people.
1t is an annual affair, the Grand
Bazaar de Charate." and its patronesses
are the most prominent society ladies
of Paris. Year by year ii has been held
in a great wooden structure, 100 yards
long and go wide, located in the Rue
Jean Beaujon 1t was a most inflam-
mable structure, but of this no one APP
pears to have thought before.
The conhagration broke out shortly
after / o'clock yesterday in the kinet-
omograph booth. near the stall Of the
Duchess D'Uzes. while between 1000
and 1000 people We're present. There is
too much reason for believing that it
caused the loss of over 200 lives.
When this dispatch is sent, early
Wednesday morning, Ill charred
oorpses have been recovered, together
with twelve portions of bodies. the
identity of which may never be discov-
cred.
Since O'Clock this morning crowds
have been fiocking to the Palais de
rIndustrie. where many of the bodies
and injured We're taken. At 6 O'Clock
a detachment of the Garde Republican,
ique relieved the detachment of infan-