The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 5, 1897, Page 1

=3 VOLUME SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 5, 1897. "PRICE FIVE CENTS. HUNDREDS PERISH IN A PARIS HIRE Burning of a Building Used as a Charity Bazaar. * HORRIBLE STAMPEDE OF VICTIMS. Women With Their Clothing Ablaze Rushed Madly to Death. SCORES OF BODIES REMOVED FROM THE RUINS. As an Aftermath There Will Be Moutning Among Society Leaders of Several Coun- tries—A Sister of the Empress of Austria and Countess Castellane (Anna Gould) Reported Missing. PARIS, Fraxce, May 4.—The grand Bazaar des Charities, inaugurated yes- ded this afternoon in a disaster which caused the loss of at least 200 hich has thrown many of the best known families in France and other into mourni ntal countrii ucture in the Rue Jean Goujon, in which the bazaar was held, of planks and cloths, caught fire at 4:30 o'clock and in a few educed to a heap of ashes. There was a wild rush for people were in the bazaar at the time. ch were qu blocked with struggling masses of humanity, and seeking to escape were knocked down and trampled to death, while scated the awfuol crush. llapsed shortly after the fire started, burying scores who were still to escape. e dead are many leaders of Continental society. It is reported that d American visitors were aiso cremated. Among the reported Duch: nce Ferdinand of Orleans. 4’ Alencon, a sister of the Emvress of Austria and the wife of Pr The Duchess d’Uzes was injured. g those killed we: CoMTESSE p' HUNOLSTEIN. Baroxx E MAUNDAT-GRANCEY. 3ARON INT-M AR CoMTESSE MUNSEREL. TESSE DE £A ADMIRAL KANAN, Recently Appointed to Command the Greek Fleet. l VIEW OF VELESTINO AND VICINITY, Where the Greeks Under General Smolinski Have So Successfully Withstood the Assaults of the Turkish Columns. The little city of Velestino lies in the gap or depression between the Kara Dagh Mountains on the west and Mount Plessidui (the ancient Pelion)on the east, through which runs the railroad from Volo to Larissa. It is situated on a kind of low plateau and surrounded on three sides by hills. The point of view is from the hill to the south, and the field includes the southeastern extremity of the plain, which extends to Larissa and the Peneus River. To the right, just below the city, is its sta- tion on the railroad to Pharsala and just beyond the junction of that road with the one to Larissa. On the plain, just beyond the junction, on both sides the road are earthworks, thrown up by the Greeks, supported by batteries on the bills to the rear. On the right of the gap, on the rocky cliff, is the Greek battery which was so fiercely sssaulted on Sunday, and to the left are seen the Grecian and Turkish batteries which engaged in the sharp duel yesterduv. D' HINNISDAL. pe Frryoxt, Superior of the Convent de Raincey. Cartox Latovr and two daughters of Comte de Chevilly. : DE MOUSTIER. DE MIMMERS. Tire WIFE OF GENERAL MEUNTER. Mayes DE Fi and Brazier pE THUY. SisTERS belonging to the convent of Notre Dame de Bon Secours. More than 100 corpses have not been identified. 3 The injured include: Duchesse de Latorre, Vicomtesse d’ Avenel, Comtesss de Raincey, Marquise de Lubessos, Marquis de Gallifet, General Mounier, General de Bire; Mesdames de Macedo, Dubreuil, Recamier, De Challemel, Malezieux, and Comte de Montclair, Comte du Vesia, Baronne de Lissingen, Comtesse d’Hora and daughter. The bazaar was held by a representative syndicate of the chief charitable institutions, which every year unite for the purpose of selling all kinds of articles, the profits from which are devoted to the relief of the poor. The receipts each year have amounted to about 1,000,000 francs. The fire started in a cinematograph installation near the stall of the Duchesse d’'Uzes. Itis supposed the fire originated from an imperfectly insulated electric wire. The flames spread with such frightful rapidity that the building was almost immediately a raging furnace. The fire started immediately after the departure of Mgr. Clari, Papal Nuncio, who attended the function for the purpose of giving his blessing. The building had eight exits. The place where the fire started was on the left side of the structure, and the visitors and those attending the stalls rushed for the exit on the right. In the mad panic which followed, every one, with afew noble exceptions, fougnt for his own life. The majority of the dead seem to have been mercifully suffocated before being burned. In the awful struggle to get out of the building most of theladies who escaped lost part of their clothing. Some of them were almost nude, their skirts and petticoats being stripped off. As ithey rushed out of the burning structure they fell swooning in the street. More than 150 escaped through a window of the Hotel du Palais, upon which the bazaar building backed. Nacktel, the director of the ambulances, says he saw a group of corpses seated with their heads burned off. Mme. Lucie Faure, danghter of the President, escaped, owing to her making a call on her way to the bazaar. Her parents suffered cruel anxiety for more than an hour. Mme. Lucie arrived on the scene after the roof fell. The firemen and gendarmes were promptly on hand, but when they arrived the building was in ruins and all their efforts were directed to removing the dead and injured. From the stories told by the survivors it is learned that the dresses of a number of ladies caught fire before they scarcely bad an opportunity to attempt to escape, and their shrieks of agony as they ran hither and thither in blind terror added to the pamic. They ran into crowds near the exits, and in this manner the fire communicated to the clothing of others, who either perished miserably or were frightfully burned. The bodies thus far recovered have been removed to the Palais de I'Industrie, close to the scene of the fire. It will be impossible to identify all, many of them being burned beyond recogntion. Some of them were completely carbonizea, while oihers were without heads or limbs. So far as can be learned about 500 persons were enveloped in the flames, the others in the building baving managed to effect an escape before the fire gained great headway. A hundred and filty seriously injured have been taken to the hospitals or are being treated at their homes, The ruins are still smoking to-night. Until they have cooled sufficiently to allow a thorough search it will be impossible to know the extent and number of the victims. Great crowds -gathered at the fire, but could render no assistance to the imprisoned people owing to the intensity of the heat. Twenty minutes after the fire was discovered the building was wholly destroyed. The excitement in Paris was hardly imaginable. Everybody seemed to forget to dine, and the theaters were virtually empty. Thousands of persons from all parts of the city rushed to the Champs Elysees, and the crowd in the streets Jeading to the Rue Jean Goujon resembled that which assembled in the Place de 1a Concorde on September 4, 1870 L There were distressing scenes around tne Palace de 1'Industrie, where the bodies and frazments of bodies were deposited. Scores of persons were awaiting admission to seek for the identity of relatives. Dozens were admitted at a time, but the improvised mortuary was so full it was impossible to meet the demands fast enovgh. Many were sobbing, while others were laughing hysterically or ac- cusing the police of cruelty in excluding them. Every time a number of persons were admitted groans were ‘raised by those left behind. A reporter who entered says policemen waiked to and fro with lighted torches, the smoke from which make everything blurred and indistinct, like a London fog. A Hurdles were fixed around the hall, on the other side of which were heaps of apparently old clothes, though a close inspection showed they Were unrecoguisza- ble bits of bodies. In the center of the room was a pile of deal coffins. About one hundred bodies have been recovered, and it is believed that at least another hundred are vet under the ruins. As news of the disaster spread hundreds of carriages went streaming along the Champs Elysees, conveving people seeking relatives. Within a half hour there were witnessed indescribable scenes of grief. One lady on reaching the scene went mad. The building was about 300 feet long and 200 wide. The interior represented a street of medieval Paris buildings and the decorations of which were bought from the managers of preceding exhibitions by Baron Mackau and presented to the syndicate for the occasion. The shops and houses with their quaint balconies and peaked gables were utilized as stalls for a display of costly and bpeautiful fabrics. The lists of the dead and wounded are very incomplete, and those cabled may vossibly prove incorrect here and there. No two are alike. Some reports say the Duchesse d’Alencon certainly perished, while others deny this. The Duke d’ Alencon was injured. Viscomtesse d’Avenel, who is now said to be dead, was the wife of the cele- brated writer for the Revue des Deux Mondes. Mme. de Flores, reported dead, was the wife of the Spanish Consul. No Americans have been Identifiea among the dead, nor are any definitely de- clared to be missing. Miss Eisie Bushbeck of Philadelphia was in the building, but escaped. One of the many rumors impossible to verify in the confusion says the Countess of Castellane (Anna Gould) was in the building. LONDON, Exc., May 4.—A Paris dispatch to the Chronicle says Mgr. Clari, Papal Nuncio, is missing. Six Dominican monks perished. The dispatch adds the first estimates of the loss of life were far below actuality. The Prefecturs of Polica beiieves 350 perished. keepers, including a number of English and Americans, of them are among the victims. The Times says many foreigners were among the stall- It adds it is feared some DEATH OF REAR-ADMIRAL MEADE. WASHINGTON, D. C.,, May 4 —Admiral Richard Worsam Meade, retired, of the United States navy, died to-day. His record as a navy officer has been full of heroism and adventure. He was born in New York City October 9,1837. He eu- tered the navy as a midshipman October 2, 1850, On January 23, 1858, he became a lieutenant. He was made lieutenant-commander on July 16, 1862. He reached the rank of commander Seplember 20, 1863, and became a captain March 13, 1830. He was raised o the rank of commodore May 5, 1892, and on September 7, 1894, he became a rear-admiral. During the civil war he served on the Mississippi River and in the South Atlantic and Western Gulf blockading squadrons. He was highly commended in the official dispatches for skill and gallantry, Admiral Meade was retired May 20, 1895, NOW HOPE FOR GAE SUCCESS Powers Not So Anxious for the Turks to Win. KING GEORGE IS BITTER AGAINST THEM. Prefers Direct Negotiation With the Sultan to the Goncert. GROWING BELIEF THAT THE WAR IS NEARLY OVER, First Wil Come an Armistice and Then the Intervention That Is Certaln to Follow. [Copyrighted 1897, by the New York Sun.] LONDON, Escraxp, May 4 —The im- pression grows stronger in all quarters that the submission of Greece to Tarkey and the powers will soon be forthcoming. It is not expected to take the form of suing for peace or mediation—the latter the least of all, for the Greek feeling is more bitter against the concert of Europe than against Turkey. King George would prefer to negotiate direct with the Sultan than through the powers. Indeed, he declared recently he would never under anv circumstances seek the intervention of Europe. It is not unlizely the end of the hostilis ties will take the form of a brief armistice. This gained, nobody believes the fighting will ever be resumed. Instead of hoping for Turkish success, official Europe is now earnestly desirous the Greeks should gain some advantage in the field. The inter- ests of Europe were considered best served by the Turkish victories at the outset of the war, Now the situation is reversed. The Sultan is naturally convinced ne is invincible, and daily becomes more de- fiant. Reliable information from Constantino- ple is to the effect that he now refuses to listen to lesser terms than the return of Crete, a cessation of the bulk ol Thessaly and a transfer of half of tie Greek navy. Emperor William and others who incited him to try to beat the Greeks are likely to repeat when they find the Eastern prob- lem rendered immensely more difficult instead of simplified by the war, A gen: uine Greek victory at the present moment would, therefore, be received with joy in European chancelleries because of its double effect of restoring the Greek self- respect and checking Turkish obstinacy. England, as Curzon announced in the House of Commons to-day, is again press- ing the question of intervention, this time with success. It is beginning to be recoge nized at St. Petersburg, Berlin and Vienna that the political friendship of England and France will become a genuine factor in the situation, and its influence is al- ready felt. Itis no secret that England is in favor of stopping the war instantly at any cost and of restoring the status quo ante bellum in every respect. France practically indorses the policy of Salis bury. A= ENGLAND IS ANXIOUS. Curzon Says It Is the Desire of the Powers to Terminate the War. LONDON, Exa., May 4.—In the House of Commons to-day Curzon said com- munications concerning the situation in the East were passing between the powers, 1t was impossible at this time for him to announce the character of the communi- cations, but he was at liberty to say it is the earnest desire of all to terminate the war now being waged between Greece and Turkey. It was obvious, however, the first essential would be for the belligerents to accept the powers’ intervention. ATHENS, GREECE, May 4 —A prolonged Cabinet council was held to-day to hear reports from Minster of War Tzamavos and Minister of the Interior Theotokis, who have just returned from an mspeos tion of the Greek army at Pharsala. Nothing is known regarding the conclu- sions reached, bnt the Acropolis infers from information in its possession the Impure Blood. Rheumatism, Kidney Troubles and Sick Headache the Results—Doc= tored for Years Without Rellef. “My blood was out of order and I be gan taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla. It has purified my blood and relieved me of rheumatism, kidney trouble and sick headaches. I have been :fflicted with these difficulties for years. Iam now able to do a good day's work. Rheumatism hes troubled me since I was a child, but I am now entirely well.” Miss PH@BE BAr- LEY, box 445, Pasadena, Calitornia. «I Lave suffered from the effects of ime pure blood, boils, pimples, etc., for five vears. I have tried various remedies with- out relief and finally purchased six Lot tles of Hood’s Sarsaparilla. The boils and pimples have all disappeared since I be- gan taking this medicine. I am now en« tirely cured.”” Louis THoMAs, 1412 1lth street, Oakland, California. Sarsa= Hood’s parilla Is the best—in fact the One True Blood Purifier. Sold by all druggists. $1; six for §5. Hood’s Pills {7, i Ge)