New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
PARIS.
DISCUSSION AROUSED BY THE WINDSOR
HOTEL FIRE.
THE NEWS OF IT HELPS THE ENACTMENT
OF STRINGENT REGULATIONs-MUSIC.
DRAMA AND SOCIETY

OF STRINGENT REGULATlONS-MUSlC
DRAMA AND SOCIETY
fRY CABLE To THE TRBUNEI
! Paris March 25-"The Windsor Hotel ire
said NJ Bouvard. Superintendent OF Architect
ure Of the city Of Paris and OF the EXhibtoh
! Of 1900 in conversation with The Trlpuhe cor
respondent Yesterday. happening just as the
fire regulations for the Paris Exhibition were
being drawn up, has caused the au'horiueS u
adont most rigid measures and requirements
: in regard to construction and material not Only
fdN the Exhibition buildings, but for houses
hotels. schools and other structures within the
city limits Soon after the Charity Bazaar hre
tborouSb exneriments were made by the munich
nal engineers and architects with uninhamma-
! hIe wood for building purposes and with means
for enforcing technical precautions with reler-
ence 70 electric wires cinema tographs, furnaces
| hoorings girdcrs etc. Last September the Pre-
| feet OF Police issued A series Of DEGREES ana CITY
| ordinances based uTon reports collected oy the
/ city architects from the municipalities OF Lon
/ don Berlin Vienna and other leading cities IN
/ Europe and America. which are believed to con-
stitute the most efficient municipal legislation
vet enforced to secure immunity srom fire for
/ hotels and other buildings frequented by the
public The man who possesses the greatest
experience and who was foremost in selecting
! and framing these DEGREES, which now regulate
/ the entire subject In the city OF Paris Is NJ
Henri Bunel chief architect Of the Prefecture
Of Police. whom | consider the best au'horl!
| In the matter in France"
NJ Henri Bune. in conversation with The
Tribune correspondent said: Modern archi-
tectural requirements Of enormous hotels IN
large cities make it absolutely necessary to
impose with castron severity conditions and
/ regulations which a few years ago would have
| been considered arbitrary and tyrannical inter-
ference with individual rights. 1t is easy to
draw I'D elaborate laws and regulations 10
secure immunity from fire. but the great OBJ
stacle is the difficulty in obtaining the consent
Of Municipal Councils 10 the enormous expense
inevitably involved by thorough inspections and
systems making IL certain that the laws shall
be complied with.
For instance. Paris is now provided with
admirable regulations against fire. All build
ing plans must be submitted and passed upon
| by committee of city architects and engineers,
whose decisions are absolute and Draconian
All electric and heating installations are regu-
lated down to the minutest details. All build
ings must have their floors laid upon bricks or
tiles. Iron girders must be covered by cement
or clay to prevent being twisted into cork
!
naces, etc. must have regulation spaces pro-
! vded. All staircases and fire-escapes must con-
form to prescribed rules for safety These pre-
| cautions and many others are embodied in the
| municipal DEGREES issued by the Prefect Of
! Police last September Unfortunately. the city
| Council could not then he persuaded to vote the
sums required TO establish inspections and
means thoroughly to enforce their observance,
but now. owing to the terrible fire in the Wind
sor Hotel. Municipal Councillors are thor
oughy alive to the danger
Last evening NJ Charles Blanc. Prefect of
Police, told me that he intended immeda tey
after the Easter holidays to Jay before the Paris
Municipal Council two additional chapters Of
my fire regulations making still more stringent
conditions as to material and construction for
hotels, schools and public and private buildings
together with a demand for funds to enforce
them. The city architects Of New-York like
their colleagues in Paris. Will have no difficulty
framing laws but experience in Paris shows
that the crux OF the whole matter is to insure
drastic, honest thoroughgoing inspection with
out which city ordinances are not worth the ink
they are written with. Experience shows that
only by such terrible catastrophe5 as those Of
| the Charity Bazaar and Windsor Hotel the
city Councillors are forced to realize the true
danger and vote adequate supplies That such
will be the case in New-York is the heartiest
wish OF all who, like myself, have devoted a
lifetime to the subject"
NJ Paul Pugets opera Much Ado About
Nothing" produced last night at the opera
Comque, made a favorable impression, but Gre
ated no enthusiasm. The characters OF Beatrice
and Benedick almost effaced while Hero and
Claudio become the central figures Of the ac-
| ,rb
pleasing in the love passages, but nowhere rises
above honorable medocrity The harmOniza-
tion is overcharged with chromatic schemes. and
the orchestraton lacks simplicity and browns
the slender voices Of the singers Of the opera
Comique.
NJ Jean Richepin's Les Truands" an his
torc drama OF medieval Paris written in
archaic verse which was brought out at the
Odeon, over1ows with erudtion but its dra-
matte value is far below lie Chemireau" by
the same author. NJ Richepn evidently
haunted with the idea Of producing medieval
Cyrano, but his hero Robin Costeau. king of the
Truands is little more than melancholy and
somewhat tedious Dick Turpn.
La Samaritaine." three-act religious play
in verse by Edmond Rostand, with music by
Gabriel Pierne produced tonight at the
Theatre Sarah Bernhardt. Nine Bernhardt
played the part of Photine with admirable
tenderness and religious fervor much appre-
ciated the Of Passion Week.
Americans have deserted Paris this week for
Rome Monte Carlo and Cannes. Mrs Munroe
and her daughter. Miss Marion Munroe; Mrs
Pierpont Morgan. Miss Furnss Mrs. David
King Miss King Mrs Kent. Miss Kemp and
. Mrs. Denton are passing fortnight at Rome
Cannes is at its height OF gayety. The Prince
of Wales is now far recovered from the ef-