The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14


 0 grease accidentally spilled on
 fire has put an end to the his toric Chateau Flu. It has been white elephant to the Duke d'Orleans and the insurance money is no doubt balm. As habitation 1t was not one to be desired, but as historic edifce 1t was 8 connecting link with the romance of the past. Beneath the old dish-covered roof have lived and died have loved and in trigued, have plotted and planned men most famous in the old regime, and wo- men whose beauty and wit are preserved in the quaint old chronicles of France.
 The flames in the kitchen leaped up the ancient chimney which was doubtless de- fective, ignited the beams on the upper floors and spread rapidly. The servants, instead of ringing the alarm bell, which would have summoned help from all the neighboring buildings, tried to extin- guish the chimney fire as best they could. When they found cans of water insuffi- cent they tried the fire engine. but it did not answer for want of pressure on the water. The Comtesse de Paris in such an emergency would have been the right woman in the right place. l re- collect at a harvest-home fete at Eu how she often disappeared from the ball room ethe gallery of the Guies) to see that the firemen were at their posts and that water was laid on and the engine ready to work. She had a chronic fear of fire all the time she lived at Eu. All these old marquetry floors, panelled rooms, caisson ceilings, and the frame work of the tall roofs would, she knew burn like a dry fagot
 F.4... TV,, -fAA eli chosen by Rollo the Norman for a strong hold and residence. It commanded port deep enough for any sea-rovers' ship in his time, good fisheries, fat valley where his cattle could graze, a great stretch of forest, and was near the for midable part of the Somme below Abbe' vile. The French seized on Eu when Rollo died and then William of the Long Sword presented Flu to Charles the Bold William the Conqueror seeing the nd. vantage of the place, wrested it from the king of France and brought home as his bride to Rollos castle Matilde of Elan ders. He entertained Harold there in tho lifetime of Edward the Confessor. Yot may be sure that when he lived at Et the idea of succeeding Edward by clever management, fraud or force got in hi: brain just as the notion If becoming sea king got on the brain of the German emperor, when as Prince William, h' used to look down from Osborn at Ports mouth A subsequent owner who wen to the Crusades brought back a collec tion of wild beasts from Africa, and hat a pit made for them like that in whicl the bears are kept at Borne. Joan of Ar is said to have been thrown into thi lions den'' on her way, under escort from Crotoy, at the mo n of the Somme to Rouen. Louis XI. was among the au gust inhabitants of Flu, but alarmed a the news of an alliance between Edwari " and the Duke of Burgundy, he re tired inland, after settins, fire to the cas tie. /. manor house. with Qualifications marked the occupancy o. the Comte d'Eu, from one of whom that Due d Guise with the scared face bought tn whole estate. He proceeded to pull dow the manor house and to build the Chat eau that is now. ruin. --.e style wa the same as that of the two end pavilion added by Henery " to the Tuileries One looked in vain for those architec tural beauties that gave such captivatin elegance to the central part of the Tui cries, but the ensemble had fine effect and. as the French say, was Of une bell ordinance. The scarred-face duke laid tn