The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-09
FAMOUS THEATER IN RUINS.
HISTORICAL PARIS PLAYHOUSE DE-
STROYED BY FIRE.


Theater Francois, Favorite Amuse-
ment Resort of Parisians, Burned
to the Ground-Fire Discovered
just Before the Matinee - Mile.
Henriet, a Young Actress, Lost Her
Life-severaI others Rescued From
the Flames Just in Time.
Paris. March s, IL p. m.-The Theater
Francois, the historical playhouse of Par
is and the home of the world-famed Come
die Francois, is tonight a mass of snok-
ing ruins. Only the mere outside shell re-
mains standing. The dome has collapsed
and the interior is an utter wreck.
The magnificent ceiling bearing the allie
gorical painting by Mazerolle and other
very valuable works of art, together with
a portion of the invaluable library of man
uscript, persisted in the flames. Practic-
ally all the sculpture, however, was saved.
'~Ihe only victim of the fire, SO far as
known was Mile. Henriet a beautiful
young actress of 10. She came of theat-
rical family and her mother has been fill
ing an important role at the Theater An
tome
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 already gath
cred at the doors, awaiting the opening of
the matinee, when the alarm was raised
and few probably would have escaped had
the performance begun. When the gem
e1al scramble of employees for the doors
occurred following the alarm several per
sons in the upper stories, including Miles.
Henriet and Dudley, were forgotten.
When three quarters of an hour later wa
ter was poured into the burning building
the structure was beyond help.
An immense concourse soon assembled
at every point from which a view of the
fire could be obtained. Troops had to be
summoned to keep the crowds back and
to assist in the work of saving the art
works
During the confusion thieves cut sew
eral paintings OUT of the frames and got
clear away. In one case the police act
ually assisted them, under the impression
that the thieves were workmen from the
Coincide Francois.
Death of Mile. Hcnriet.
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 deranSe-
ment of machinery the iron curtain could
non be lowered and the. auditorium was
quickly involved.
Miles. Dudley and Henriet, with their
dressers, were on the sixth floor, prepar-
ing for the matinee. The former was res
cued by a fireman who mounted ladder
tied a rope around her and lowered her
to the ground. Mile. Henriet's dresser re-
lates that she left the dressing room with
her mistress, but that the latter complete
ly lost her head and instead of descend
ing ran up stairs and sought refuge in
another room where presumably she was
asphyxiated The firemen found Mile.
Henriet lying on the floor. Only her face
had been burned. The body was carried
out and placed in an ambulance car, a
dozen of which were drawn up in front
of the door
AS her face was so much burned THAT
she was unrecogniza bic the body was TAX
en- to the morgue, where it was identified
by M Coquelin and other members of the
Coincide Francois by the clothing. Mean
while the mother of Mile. Henriet had
hurried TO the scene bareheaded and cry
ing wildly for her daughter. She was dis
tracted with grief. Mile. Henriets dresser
was badly burned, but not dangerously. A
number of the firemen We're slightly IN
jured chiefly by the sitting fumes.