The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-09
YOUNG ACTRESS SUFF0CATED
MILE. HENRIOT, WHO RAN UPSTAIRS
INSTEAD OF DOWN.
Noted as a Beauty-Mlle. Dudlay Low
cred from the Sixth Floor with
q Observation-Disclosures.

standing. The dome has collapsed, and the
interior is an utter wreck. The magnifi-
cent ceiling, bearing the allegorical paint
ing by Mazerolle, the ceiling painting by
Dubufe. the younger, of Truth Enlighten-
ing the World which adorned the foyer,
and a number Of mural tableaux and
works of art, together with a portion Of
the invaluable library of manuscripts. per-
ished in the flames. Practically all the
sculpture, however, was saved, and re-
moved to the ministry of finance. which
faces the site of the theater on the Rue
de Rivoli. The priceless statue of Vol
taire, by Houdlon, one of the chief beauties
of the foyer, escaped by being enveloped
in a pile of thick mattresses.
The only victim Of the fire, so far as
known, was Mile. Henriot. a beautiful
| young actress of nineteen. whose photo
graph has been displayed in the shop win
COWS along the boulevards as a type of
beauty. She came of a theatrical family,
| and her mother has been filling an impor-
tant role at the Theater Antoine.
1t was, however, only a matter of an
hour that saved Paris a repetition of the
Opera Comique catastrophe, as a crowd of
women and children had already gathered
at the doors. awaiting the opening of the
matinee. when the alarm was raised. Had
the performance begun few probably would
have escaped, owing to the rapidity with
which the flames spread, settling the fate
of the building before the firemen could
even get to work.
The staff of the theater and several ac-
tors and actresses had arrived, and the
scene shutters were busily preparing the
stage for the matinee when passersby per-
ceived 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 en-
sued among the staff, and at first IL was
thought all had escaped. But 1t was found
afterward that several persons in the up
per stories. including Miles. Henriot and
Dudlay, had been forgotten. Meanwhile
the fire brigade had been summoned, but
twenty minutes elapsed before the first de-
tachment arrived, and then only hand
pumps were brought. Finally steam pumps
came, but then 1t was found that no water
was to be had. 1t was 12:45 d. M, nearly
three quarters of an hour after the alarm
was raised, before an adequate stream of
water was poured into the burning build
ing, which by that time was quite beyond
help.
CROWDS WATCH THE FLAMES.
The thick column of smoke, which rose
and formed a heavy pail over the theater,
acted as a magnet to the Parisians, who
focked TO the scene in crowds. La Fran-
caise is In fiames!' 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 is the
Capitol at Washington to Americans. An
cry point from which a view of the fire
could be obtained. The police endeavored
to clear spaces around the theater for the
fremen, but eventually the troops had ia
be summoned to keep the crowd back and
TO assist in the work of saving the sculp-
ture, paintings, library and other treasures
which were being hastily lowered from the
windows and heaped in the square or car
ried into stores near by.
During the confusion thieves cut several
paintings out of the frames and got clear
away. In one case the police actually as
sisted them, under the impression that the
thieves were workmen from the Coincide
Franchise.
The actual cause of the fire has not been
determined, as the alarm came from the
outside; but the back of the stage was
nrst destroyed, the scenery burning like
finder. Owing to a arrangement of the
machinery the iron curtain could not be
lowered and the auditorium was quickly
involved.
liz Duuldy d1u ftenflOC, with their
dressers, were on the sixth story, pre-
pairing for the matinee. Mile. Dudlay SAYS:
II was nearly dressed when / smelled
smoke, which entered under the door.
/ flung the door wide open and found
utter darkness. The corridor was filled
with smoke, which choked me. 1 rushed
along the corridor and reached a window.
where 1 shouted for help. My cries were
heard below and a fireman mounted a lad
der. tied a rope around me and lowered
me to the ground just in time, as 1 could
feel L was about to faint"
Mile. Dudlay was dressed in the CO.'S
tune of the play. and great excitement
prevailed in the throng below, as she was
gradually brought to the ground.
Mile. Henriot's dresser relates 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 another room, where,
presumably, she was ~asphyxiated. The
firemen found Mile. Henriot lying on the
6oor. Only her face had been burned. The
body was carried out and placed in an am
bulance car, a dozen of which were drawn
up in front of the door. AS her face was
so much burned that she was unrecogniza.
BILE, the body was taken to the morgue
where ii was identified by M. Coquelin
and other members of the Coincide Fran.
caise by the clothing. Meanwhile the
mother of Mile. Henriot had hurried &c
the scene bareheaded and crying wildly
The truth was concealed from her as long
as possible, and when it was finally told
to her she was distracted with grief.
Mile. Henriot's dresser was badly burned
but not dangerously. a number of the fire.
men were slightly injured, chiefly by the
sitting fumes.
1t was first asserted the fire was due &c
defective electric wires, but tonight IL
was stated that the disaster was not &C.
cidental, but due to malevolence. NJ Cir
ard. 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, because he ascertained tina
several dressing rooms were on fire at the
same time.
The Theater Francois, or Coincide Fran
Gals. was situated on the Place du Thea
ter Francois. near the Palais Royal. anC
aters of France. 1t was built in 1872, bu
was much altered in later years. th'
facades being modern. The Doric vestibuli
contained a statue of Talma. the TRACE
dian, by David ID. Anglers. and figures o.
tragedy and comedy by Duret. bearing, re
spectively, the features of the celebrated
actresses. Mile. Rachel and Mile. Mars
The Foyer du Republic was adorned will
a statue of Voltaire. by Houdin; a chin
ney piece. with a relief representing Come
diens growing the figure OF Molere. by Il
ings of celebrated French dramatists. ans
a new ceiling painting, by Dubufe, thu
younger, of Truth Enlightening thu
World"
At the end of the corridor, leading on
of the foyer, was a satue of George SAM
] by Clesinger. The ceiling OF the interior