Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-09
OF Paris Was Destroyed BY
Fire Yesterday.
ONE WOMAN PERSISTED
Valuable Works of Art Were DESTROYED
But Most Of the Sculpture Was
Saved Cause of the Fire Not Yet
Determined.

Paris. March s, II p. m.-The Theater
Francois, the historical playhouse of
Paris. and the home of the world
famed Coincide Franchise, is tonight a
mass of smoking ruins Only the mere
outside shell remains standing. The
dome has collapsed. and the interiar is
an utter wreck. The magnificent cur
tain, bearing the allegorical painting
by Mazerolle. the ceiling paintaing by
De Beuf, the younger, IF Truth En-
ligtening the World which adorned
the foyer, and a number of other Mural
tableaux and works of art, together
with a portion of the invaluable library
of manuscript. persisted in the flames.
Practically all the sculpture, however,
was saved and removed to the ministry
of finance, which faces the site of the
theater on the Rue de Rivoli. The price,
less statue of Voltaire, by Houden, one
of the chief beauties of the foyer, escaped
by being enveloped in a pile of mattress
es. The only victims of the fire, so far
as known. was Mile. Henryot, a beautiful
young actress of 10, whose photographs
had been displayed in the shop windows
She came of a theatrical family and her
mother has been filling an important role
at the Theater Antoine.
During the confusion thives cut
got clear away. In one case the police
actually assisted them. under he i'm
preston that the thieves were workmen
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 seem
cry burning like finder. Owing to a
arrangement of machinery. the iron
curtain could not lowered, and the
auditorium was quickly involved.
The fire broke out about nOon, but was
not discovered Immediately, inc the the
alter was burning %furiously before the fire
! brigade got to work. Even then the APP
| planes were quite inadequate to cope
with the contlagration, and by 1870 p. m.
furnace. The dense column of smoke
rising from the fire attracted crowds
from all parts of Paris, the Theater
Francois being regarded as a national in
stitution. ga@4 ~ -
The theater which is the home ot the
comedie francais, was only reopened 6
fortnight ago. after having been reno
waited for he exposition throngs
pected to visit Paris during the year..
A rehearsal of a comedy. which was
billed for the matinee, had just con-
cluded when the fire broke out. In
deed, two actresses, Madame Dudlay
and Mile. Henryot, were still on the
stage when al electric wire fused and a
spark catching the scenery the whole
stage was soon in flames. Madame
Dudlay had to be rescued in costume
and let down from a window.
Mr.. SardOu, the playwright, arrived
on the scene at about l o'clock n
burst into tears when he saw the
building was doomed. A part of the
doms collapsed at 2:30 p. m.
The Theater Francois or Coincide
Francois was situated on the Place du
Theater-Francais neal the palais roya
and occupied the highest rank among
; the theaters of France.
During the day the charred corpse of
woman was found in the ruins. II
was identified as that of Mademoiselle
Henryot, who was a promising young
actress.
After examination belief is expressed
that the fire was of ~incendiary origin.