The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-10
Destroyed By Fire.


caise, the historical play house of Paris
and the home of the world-famed Com
ediee Franchise. is tonight a mass of
smoking ruins. Only the mere outside
shell remains standing. The dome has
collapsed and the interior is an utter
wreck. The magnificent ceiling, bear
! ing the categorical painting by Maze
role, the ceiling painting by De Beuf,
the younger; of Truth Enlightening
| the World" which adorned the foyer,
and number of other tableauX and
works of art, together with a portion
of the invaluable library of manuscript,
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 de Rivolt.
The priceless statute of Voltaire, by
! Houden, one of the chief beauties of the
| foyer. escaped by being enveloped in a
| pile of mattresses.
The only victim of the fire, so far as
| is known, was Mile. Henriot, a beauti-
full young actress of 10, whose photo
| graph has been displayed in the shop
| windows along the bouleVards as a type
of beauty She came of theatrical
family, and her mother has been filling
an important role at the Theatre 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 all
ready gathered at the doors, awaiting
the opening for the matinee when the
alarm was raised Had the perform
ance begun few probably would have
escaped. owing to the rapidity with
n ipI he 40 ha
fate of the building before the firemen
could even get to work.
The staff of the theatre and several
actors and actresses had arrived and
the scene shutters were busy preparing
the stage for the matinee, when pass
ers by perceived smoke curling up from
the windows near the room. An alarm
was given and men rushed inside the
building shouting fire. A general scram-
BILE for the door ensued among the staff
and it was at first thought that all had
escaped. But it was found out after
wards that several persons in the upper
stories, including Miles Henriot and
Dudlay had been forgotten.
Meanwhile the fire brigade had been
summoned, and but twenty minutes
elapsed before the first detachment ar
rived, and then only hand pumps were
brought. Finally steam pumps came,
but then it was found that no water
was to be had. 1t was 12:45 p. M, near
ly three-quarters 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 quite beyond help. The smoke
which rose and formed a heavy pail
over the theatre acted as a magnet. to
the Parisians, who f1ocked to the scene
in crowds.
LIE Franchise is in fames!" spread
from mouth to mouth until the news
had reached every quarter, and moth
ing else was discussed, as the home of
the French classical drama has been
as familiar to Frenchmen as is the cap
itol at Washington to Americans.
An immense concourse soon assem-
bled at every point from which a view
of the fire could be obtained. The po-
lice endeavored to clear spaces around
the theatre for the fremen, but event
ually tn troops had to be summoned to
keep the crowds back and to assist in
the 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 nearby.
During the confusion thieves cut sew
eral paintings out of the frames and
got clear away. In one case the police
actually assisted them, under the i'm
preston that the thieves were work
men from the Coincide Franchise.
Miles. Dudlay and Henroit were on
the sixth floor, preparing for the mat
inee. Mile. Dudlay says: Il was near
ly dressed when I smelled smoke
which entered under the door 1 flung
the door wide open and found utter
darkness. The corridor was filled with
smoke, which choked me. I rushed
along the corridor and reached a win
dow, where 1 shouted for help My
cries were heard below and fireman
mounted ladder, tied a rope around
me and lowered me to the ground Just
in time, as 1 could feel 1 was about to
faint"
Mile. Dudlay was dressed in the cos
tune of the play. and great excitement
prevailed in the throng below as she
was gradually brought to the ground.
Mile. Henriots dresser relates that
she left the dressing room with her
mistress. but that the latter complete
ly lost her head. and instead of de-
scending, ran upstairs and sought ref
uge in another room. where, presum-
ably. she was asphyXiated.
The firemen found Mile. Henriot ly-
ing 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 unrecogniz-
able, the body was taken to the mOrgue,
where it was identified by NJ. Coquelin
and other members of the Comedy
Francois by the clothing.
Meanwhile the mother of Mile. Hen
riot had hurried to the scene bare
headed, and crying wildly for her
The truth was concealed
from her as long as possible, and when
it was finally told to her she was dis
tracted with grief
Mile. Henriot's dresser was badly
burned but not dangerously. A num-
Der of the firemen were slightly in
jured. chiefly by the sitting fumes.
In the chamber Of deputies today, NJ.
Deschanel, president of the house, an
nounced the destruction of the Theatre
Francois by fire, and praised the eff
forts of the firemen, who, he said, were
working hard to save the art treasures.
1t is now asserted that the fire was
due to incendiaries. M. Girard, chief
of the municipal laboratory. has made
inquiry into the matter and is con-
WINGED that the fire was due neither to
gas nor electricity.
FIRE AT LEAD, S. D.