Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-05-08
TERRIBLE PARIS FIRE
Charity Bazaar Wrecked in the
French Capital.
OVER A HUNDRED LIVES LOST.

Appalling Scenes in the Rush to Es-
cape the Rapid Spread oft Flames.
Leading Society Ladies in the Mad
Scramble For Life.
Paris, May 5.-Fire broke out late
yesterday afternoon in a crowded char
liable bazaar in the Rue Jean Goujon,
at which the Duchess Dues and other
well known patronesses were present
The proceeds of the sales at each stall
We're devoted to separate charity.
The stalls were presided over by
Nine. Fevrier. the wife of General
Fevrier; the Marquise de rAigle, Nine
Jacobs, the Baronne de la Doucette,
the Marquise de ST. Michael, the Ouch
ess dues, Nine. Mignotte, the Bar
onne de st. Idier, the Comtesse Dzyal-
ynska, the Marquise lie Gouestier, the
Marquise d'Argence, the Marquise de
Pitt, the Duchess dAlencon, a mem
Der of the Orleans family; Mime. d'Arlu,
Nine. Boisseaux, the Baron F. de
Schiekler, Nine. Moreau, the Marquise
Costa de Beauregard, her royal high
ness the Duchess de Vendome, the
Marquise de Maison and the Comtesse
de Grefful, nee la Rochefoucauld.
The building was constructed about
six months ago. AT the time it was re-
marked that it would burn like match
wood. The interior was divided into
shops la old Paris, constructed of
prettily painted canvass.
The building was erected in the film
siest manner the nudity of the scat
folding inside being concealed by
tapestry hangings of the most inf1am-
mable material. The bazaar was in full
swing, when suddenly, about 4 o'clock
the cry of fire rose in the quarter
where the kinematograph was being
exhibited.
The Duchess D'Uzes and her daugh-
ter, the Duchess De Luynes, had stalls
near the great door. They escaped
easily, the former unframed and the
latter but slightly injured. Henry
Blount, the promoter of the bazaar.
had his beard burned off. General
Feyrier escaped with only burns on the
head and hands, along with Nine.
Wilson, daughter of former President
Grevy Nine. La Boulaye and the
Duchess D'Alencon.
A policeman who was on duty at the
doors of the bazaar says that from
1900 to 1900 people were in the build
ing when the fire broke out. He adds
that the alarm caused a general panic,
followed by a terrible rush for the
doors, which were soon choked with
people, thus preventing the escape of
many who might otherwise have been
saved. The strong trampled upon the
weak, the young crushed the old to the
floor, heartrending cries of fear arose
on all sides, soon followed by shrieks
IA &C hn Ao,o
behind the crowd struggling for the
doors.
Panic helped to spread the fire. La
dies whose clothes were blazing ran
wildly about, igniting the infiammable
surroundings. They had the strength
that cycling and athletics give, but lost
their heads.
Policemen, their hands covered with
gloves, were soon deputed by the pre-
feet of police to pick out the portions
of the remains and to wrap them in
pieces of cloth, to be transferred in
ambulances to the Palais d'L'Indus-
tries, The remains presented a horrible
spectacle of limbs burned and twist
ed. On all sides could be seen stretchers
piled with mutilated corpses, skulls
split open and brains exuding. Just
behind heap of corpses lay alone the
body of a woman. The face was down
ward, the head burned, the brain ex-
posed, and from the empty socket of
the eye the brains were slowly oozing.
The arms and legs were burned off.
A little further off was the body of an
other woman, nude, the entrails pro-
truding and the head missing.
The dead were piled in heaps, es-
pecially near the exit, where the char
red remains were four feet deep. Arms,
legs and skulls mingled in inextricable
confusion. In some cases only the
trunks remained, with no vestige of
clothing on any of the bodies.
Words would fail to describe the
horror of the scene at the Palais de
Industries, where the bodies are ex-
posed on the side next to the Avenue
Banton, in portion of the building
| now in course of demolition. Here
in large room, covered with rough
planks, and on sheets spread over
planks, the bodies as they arrived from
the ambulances were placed in
three long rows. Here was exemplified
death by fire, with all its horrors
Bodies completely nude, limbs twisted
in writings of agony, some still hav-
ing shreds of clothing which assist
III Splle OF nOTTlDle u1S-
| figurement, bones visible through fire
| eaten flesh, some merely skeletons or
| grinning skulls blackened with smoke
After the flames had been subdued
| there was no sign of the masonry,
| girders and other structural parts
which are usually left after a big fire.
The whole edifice was reduced to
ashes, with a heap of charred corpses
q cl an
| ground was a sodden mass of debris,
of clothes, boots, shoes, coins, keys and
miscellaneous remains of articles on
sale at the stalls.
Paris, May 6.-The police officials an
rounce that Ill We're killed in the ter
rible charity bazaar fire on Tuesday
afternoon, and of these "a have been
| Identified. Nearly all of the dead were
prominent in Paris society, and among
them are many belonging to the titled
aristocracy
The list includes the Duchess d'Alen-
con, Baronne Elizabeth ST. Martin,
| Vicomtesse Marie Bonneval, Comtesse
st. Pierre, Baronne st. Didier Nine.
Flerez wife of the Spanish CONSUL
Comtesse Mirimel, Comtesse Broder-
| vile, Comtesse Humolstein, Marquise
Des Maison, Duchesse E. st. Diedero,
Baron Carul st. Martin, Baron De
Laumont, Baron De Mackau, Comtesse
| De Nun, Comtesse De Surrier, Com
Jesse De Geffulhe Comtesse De La
| Bletterie, Comtesse De Vallin, Com
tesse De Subersac, Comtesse Carayon-
| Latour, Vicomtesse De Malefiieux,
| Comtesse d'Hora and Mile Therese
| Donen, daughter of the Baroness de
| st. Didier
There are 10 bodies still unidentified,
| among which must be those of the
| Comtesse de Lupe and Nine. Nitot's
\ second daughter, both CT whom are
| missing. NJ. Gosse, the notary, on
| learning that his wife and two daugh-
| ters were among the victims, was so
| Frustrated that his life is despaired of.
NJ. Girard. director of the Municipal
laboratory, reports that the ether for
| the lamp used in the acknowledgement
| set fire % the film, the flames then
| igniting the apparatus.
Further particulars regarding the
| finding of the remains of Duchess PAL
encon show that the secretary of the
| prefecture, accompanied by the maid
of the duchess and a footman belong
| ing to the household of the duke, ex-
! amined the rows of bodies. The two
! servants stopped before a blackened
and mutilated corpse, whose abdomen
| was torn open. They declared that it
! was the remains of their mistress, and
also sent for the dentist of the duch-