The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-05-07
The PARIS DISASTER.
DETAILS ADD TO THE HORRORS
OF THE ACCIDENT.

The Death Roll Estimated at One Hundred
and Forty Three and Even G~reater-Nine.
ty.Four Bodies Observation-Disclosures.
ing Scenes at the Mortuary Ha1-TheE Elk.
periences of Some who Escaped-Oniy
One American Perished.
Paris, May 5.-A sombre feeling per-
vades every class of society. The
without exception, describe
the disaster at the grand bazaar de-
charlie in the sober and simple terms
BETTING SO appalling an event. The
catastrophe will always be remember
ed as one of the most fearful that ever
befell an European city. Nothing COM
parable in loss Of life has ever occurred
here, except the fire which destroyed
the opera cOmique in 1887. Singularly
enough, that disaster happened in the
same month Of the year., and eighty
persons were burned to death, while
fOrty-five were officially registered as
missing. In aristocratic circles. the
numberless dinner parties and other
functions of a gayly opening season
have been abandoned.
1t is now estimated tina there were
in the neighborhood Of 1000 persons in
the building when the fire was discov-
cred, about On-half Of whom escaped
unhurt. Some estimates place the num-
Der of dead at 143, others at a still
higher figure.
The amount of administrative negli-
gence surrounding the catastrophe is
almost in~conceivable. The structure
was SO combustible that many Of the
victims, if not most of them, have been
burned alive. without suffocation. No
sort of inspection seemed to have been
made in advance by the municipal or
police authorities or by the project of
police.
Mrs. F. B. Gilmour. of New York.,
mad a narrow escape. She had con-
scented to act as a SaleSwOman at the
stall of Nine Costa Beaureguard. She
left the Hotel Terminus, where she was
staying, about 1870 o'clock, accompany
ing the Vicomtesse Savigny. The sale
was going well. when suddenly her
maid cried: Madame, sauve vous.
VOLTA lie feu." (Madame save yourself.
There is a fire.. Mrs. Gilmour. with
wonderful presence Of mind. rushed
toward the main entrance, but seeing
the danger Of being trampled to death,
she ran back to the rear Of the build
ing where she saw a window that
opened in the wall. through which she
sOon reached the street.
Monsignor Clari. the paDal nuncio,
who had attended to his
blessing upon the bazaar, says he was
talking to the Duchesse d'Alencon at
$50 o'clock. He adds: Around me
was a group Of blind children. Several
of these must have persisted. My heart
is bleeding to think Of all those poor
creatures. 1t is too horrible to
speak Of"
DR.. Nachtel. who has directed the
ambulance work, says that the number
of bodies found gives a very inadequate
idea Of the number of victims as doz-
ems were burned completely to ashes.
The Vicomte Damas identified his
wife's body by a piece Of hair cloth
which she wore next to her skin as a
member Of the third order Of st. Fran
els.
M. Jean Raffaelli, the painter, says:
My daughter had the mark of a heel
stamped into her back. She was tram
pied in the heap at the door. near the
main entrance. Her mother tried to
pull her from the blazing fire, but she
said: 1t is useless. save yourself as l
shall die in any case Her monther 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 the ComtesSe
Villeneuve returned to search for her
two daughters, failed to find them and
persisted herself.
NJ. Lopine. the project of police who
is severely censured for lack Of proper
supervision Of the preparatry arrange
ments, says in excuse that the patrons
and ~patronesseS Of the bazaar were re-
%actionists and he feared. if he meddled
with their programme, that they would
say he was trying to suppress a Roman
Catholic enterprise.
M. Faure has received telegrams OF
coincidence from Queen Victoria. the
Emperor Nicholas, the Emperor. Will
liam, King Humbert and other SOW
ereigns, all couched in terms of the
deepest sympathy.
The body of the Duchesse d'Alencon,
has been identified. The secretary of
the prefecture, accompanied by the
maid of the ducheS and a fOOtman be-
longing to the household of the duke,
examined the rows of bodies. The two
servants stopped before a blackened
and mutilated corpse. They declared
that it was the remains Of their mis-
tress, and also sent for the dentist Of
the duchess.
The latter after examining the corpse
for half an hour declared it was that
of the
Terrible scenes continued to be en-
acted at the Palais dus this af-
ternoon. The mother of the 4-year-old
child, Alfred David, one of the VIC
tins, arrived during the day for the
purpose of taking the body away with
aner. 1t was decided. however, that it
was inadvisable to show her the
CHASTITY remains of her child. When
this news was communicated to the
unfortunate mother. in a ~paroxyisn OF
grief she tried to force her way into
the mortuary hall. screaming Il will
see my child!' 1t was found necessary
70 foicibly remove the poor woman,
whose case is one of the most dis
t~ressing. 1t appears that Nine David
lost her husband a month g and that
her only other child DIED a fortnight
&
The unidentified bodies,as well as the