Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-09
THEATRE FRANCHISE BURNED.
AN HISTORIC BUILDING, THE HOMIE
OF THE FRENCH CLAS-
SICAL DRAMA,
CONSUMED IN A FEW MINUTES.
Now n Smouldering Wreck Where q
Few Hours Ago stood the Greatest
Playhouse In Europe FILLED With
Literary and Art Treasures OF
Priceless worth-One Woman, q
) Beautiful Young Actress, Burned
to Death.

house of Paris and the home OF thu :
world-famed comedie Fraacaise. is to-
night mass of smoking ruins. Only
the mere outside shell remains stand
ing. The dome has collapsed and The
interior is an utter wreck. The mag
nifcent ceiling. bearing the allegorical
painting by Mazerolle, the ceiling
painting by Debufe, the younger. of
Truth enlightening the World"
which adorned the foyer. and num-
Der of other Mural tableaux and
works of art together with a portion
of the invaluable literary of manu-
script, persisted in the flames.
Practically all the sculpture. how
ever, was saved, and removed to the
ministry of finance. which faces the
site of the theatre on the Rue dc
Rivoli. The priceless statue of Vol
taire, by Houden, one of the chief
beauties of the foyer, escaped by be-
ing enveloped in pile of thick mat
tresses.
The only victim of the fire, so far
known, was Mile Henriot beautiful
young actress of 10. whose photograph
had been displayed in the shop win
dows along the boulevards as type
of beauty. She came of theatrical
family, and her mother has been fill
ing an important role at the theatre
Antoine.
1t was, however, only matter of an
hour that saved Paris a repetition of
the Opera Comique catastrophe, as a
crowd of women and children had al
ready, gathered at the doors, awaiting
the opening of the matinee when the
alarm was raised Had the perform
ance begun, few probably would have
escaped, owing to the rapidity with
which the flames spread, settling the
fate of the building before the fire.
men could even get to work.
The staff of the theatre and several
actors and actresses had arrived. and
the scene shutters were busily prepar-
ing the stage for the matinee when
passers-by perceived smoke curling up
from the windows near the root. An
alarm was given and men rushed In
side the building shouting fire. a gem
eral scramble for the doors ensued
among the staff and at drst 1t was
thought all had escaped. But 1t was
found afterward that several persons
in the upper stories, including Mile.
Henriot and Dudlay. had been forgot
ten.
Meanwhile the fire brigade had been
summoned but twenty minutes elapsed
before the first detachment arrived, and
then only hand pumps were brought.
Finally steam pumps came, but then II
was found that no water was to be mad.
1t was 12:40 p. m, nearly three quar-
tiers of an hour after the alarm was
raised, before an adequate stream OF
water was poured into the burning
building, which by that time was quito
beyond help.
The thick column Of smoke which
rose and formed heavy pail over tina
theatre acted as magnet to the Par
isians, who fiocked to the scene In
crowds. lie Franchise is in flames"
spread from mouth to mouth until the
news had reached every quarter and
nothing else was discussed, as The
home of French classical drama has
been as familiar To Frenchmen as the
capitol at Washington to Americans.
An immense concourse soon assembled
at every point from which view Of
the fire could be obtained. The police
endeavored to clear spaces around the
theatre for the firemen, but eventually
the troops had to be summoned TO keep
the crowds back and to assist in tho
work of saving the sculpture, paint
ings, library and other treasures which
were being hastily lowered from the
windows and heaped in the square or
carried into the stores near by.
During the confusion thieves cut sew.
eral paintings out Of the frames and got
clear away. In one case the police ac-
tualIy assisted them, under the impress
sion that the thieves were workmeu
from the Coincide Franchise.
The actual cause OF the outbreak
has not been determined, as the alarm
came from the outside, but the back
Of the stage was first consumed, the
scenery burning like finder. Owing to
a disarrangement of machinery, the
iron curtain could not be lowered, and
the audience was quickly involved
Miles. Dudley and Henriot, with
their dressers. were on the sixth
story, preparing for the matinee. Mile
Dudley says:
Il was near dressed when / smelled
smoke, which entered under the door.
I flung the door wide open, and found
utter darkness. The corridor was
filed with smoke, which choked me.
/ rushed along the corridor. and