The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-09
Fine Paintings and
Statuary Lost.
Fire aud Police Departments In
efficient.

Paris, March Sill D. m.-The Theatre
Francais, the historical play house OF
Paris and the home Of the world-!amed
Coincide Francois, is tonight q mass
of smoking ruins. Only the mere outside
shell remains standing. The dome has
collapsed and the interior 10 an utter
wreck. The magnificent ceiling bearing
the allegorical painting by Maerolle. the
ceiling painting by Bebuffe, the younger
of Truth EnIightsning the World which
adorned the foyer. and q number Of other
mural tableaux and works Of art together
with portion of the invaluable library
of manuscript, perished in the flames.
Practically all the sculpture, however,
was saved and removed to the ministry
Of finance, which faces the site Of the
theatre on the Rue de Rivoh. The price,
leFs statue Of Voltaire by Houden, one Of
TIE chief beauties O. y foyer, escaped by
icing enveioped in a pile OF thick mat
tresses.
The only victim OF the tire, SO far as Is
known, was Mile. Henriot, a beautiful
young actress Of nineteen.
1t was. however, only a matter of an
hour that saved Paris a repetition Of the
Opera Comique catastrophe as . crowd of
women and children had already gathered
at the doors, awaiting the opening for
the matinee, when the alarm was raised.
Had the performance begun few probably
would have escaped. The Etan OF the
theatre and several actors and actresses
had arrived and the scene shifters were
busily preparing the stage for the matinee
when pAssers-by perceived smoke curling
up from the " windows near the roof. An
alarm was given and men rushed inside
the building shouting fire. A general
scramble for the doors ensued. among the
staff, and at first 1t was thought all had
escaped. But it was found afterward that
several persons In the upper stories, In.
Guiding Miles. Henriot and Dudley had
teen forgotten.
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 1t
was found that no watsr was to be had.
Ii was l2. 40 p. N. nearly thTee-quarters
of an hour after the alarm was raised. be-
fore An adequate stream of water was
poured into the building, which by that
time, was quite beyond help.
The troops had to be summoned to keep
the crowds back ana to assist in the work
of saving the sculpture, paintings and
other treasures, which were being hastily
lowered from the windows and hsaped In
Cd tt,f, ha an
by. During the confusion thieves out
several paintings out of the frames and
got away. In one case the police actually
assisted them under the impression that
the thieves were workmen from this
theatre.
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.
Miles. Dudley and Henriot, with their
dressers, were ON the third story prepRr-
ing for the matinee. Mile. Dudley was
dressed in the costume OF the play and
great excitement prevailed In the throng
below as she was gradually brought to
the around. Mile. Henriot's dresser re-
lAtes that she left the dressing room with
her mistress, but the latter completely
lost her head, and instead of descending
ran upstairs and sought refuge In an
other room. where, presumably. she was
asphy xiated.
The iremen found her lying on the
floor. Only her face had been burned.
Mile. Henriot's dresser was badly
burned, but not dangerously. A mum Der
Of the firemen were slightly injured.