The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-06
FIRE AND PANIC At PARIS.
o'Eh HUNDRED DEAD, MOSTLY
LADIES OF SOCIETY AND
FASHION.
4 WILD STAMPEDE FOR THE EXITS
The weaker Trampled Under Foot
by the StrOnger-Scene of the
Calamity Was n Charitable
Bazaar-SiclSeningS Scenes.

Paris, May 4.-Fire broke out at A
O'Clock this afternoon in crowded char
liable bazaar in the Rue Jean-Jean-
GouJon, at which the Duchess d-Uzes
and other well known patronesses were
present Many people were burned to
death, and there was terrible panic,
during which number of persons were
injured. Thirty bodies have been re-
covered, thirty-fve injured people are be-
ing cared for by physicians, and many
are reported missing. The building in
yxShich the fire broke out was Temporal
S{ty structure of wood. The flames were
first discovered above the stall occupied
by the Duchess Dues, and while the
place was generally crowded.
The bazaar is an annual function, pre-
sided over by the leaders of Partisan So
ciety. A terrible panic and crush fol-
lowed the alarm of fire. There was a
wild rush for the exits, and the weaker
persons were borne down and trampled
upon. The infammabe nature of the
building and contents caused the flames
to spread with great rapidity and in a
very short time the bazaar was a mass
of flames Thirty victims of the confa
grafton, mostly women, were afterwards
where the corpses formed ghastly spec
tacle.
Many people, however, are still miss
ing, and it is feared they are buried in
the ruins.
The number of injured is greater than
at first estimated. Over 100 persons
have been conveyed to the Hotel Dieu
Palais, in the Cour de la Refine.
A policeman who was on duty at the
doors of the bazaar says that from 1900
to 1900 people were in the building when
the fire broke out
A panic followed by rush for the
door, which was soon choked with peo-
pie, thus preventing the escape of many
ssAsho might otherwise have been saved.
f(e strong trampled upon the weak, the
. i,Hlng were crushed to the floor by the
|lHvler. IIcartrending cries of fear arose
p3H all sides. soon followed by shrieks of
ragony as the flames, sweeping onward
behind the crowd struggling for the door.
The managers of the bazaar had ar
ranged the stalls SO as to represent a
street of old Paris, and it was opened
yesterday. The proceeds of the sales at
each stall were devoted to a separate
charity. 1t is impossible as yet to iden-
tify the victims.
At $3.50 p. M, when these details are
telegraphed, the bazaar is a heap of
smoking cinders and ashes. Ambuances
are conveying the recovered bodies to
the Palais de PIndustrie. The bazaar
was 300 feet long by 1SO. feet wide, and
constructed almost entirely of wood.
The dowager Duchess d'Uzes is one
of the most prominent women in France
and is said to have provided 100000
francs for the propagation of Boulanger
ism. Enormous crowds of people are
gathered around the scene of the fire at
7:20 p. m., among whom are a large
number of liveried servants, inquiring
for their mistresses, and the indications
are that among the dead are number
of French aristocrats, although it is
hoped that the missing ones may be
found among the injured who are at ho-
tells, hospitals or other places. Twenty
corpses and number of the most seri-
ously injured are now in the right wing
of the Palias de PIndustrie. Admiral
Besnard, the minister of marine arrived
upon the scene shortly after Z o'clock.
Further details just obtained show that
before the fremen could arrive the roof
of the bazaar crushed in, burning num-
bers of those who had been unable to
make their egress from the building.
Very socn after the alarm was given.
assistance was hurried to the burning
bazaar and effective help was rapidly
organized between the firemen and the
policemen.
Although the alarm was sent out with
reasonable prOmptness. the whole wooden
structure was blazing before the tiremen
N~..nuI1 oh thn ho1aor tha ponf ND
kmost the whole building colapsing,