ly will live, though disfigured for
life. Under the wooden floor were thrown all the _debris_--tar,
shavings, paper, etc. This burned very quickly, and the floor fell
in, engulfing those who could not escape; the tarred roof and the
canvas walls fell on them. What an awful death!

The kitchen of a small hotel, which formed one side of the vacant
lot, had one window about four feet from the ground. This was
covered with stout iron bars. The cook, when he realized the
disaster, managed to break the bars and, pushing out a chair, was
able to drag a great many women through the window. He and the
stable-boy were the only persons who seemed to have done anything
toward helping.

Of course, around the uprooted and demolished turn-stile was the
greatest number of victims, but masses were found heaped together
before the canvas representing the street of _Vieux Paris_. The
poor things in their agony imagined that it really was a street.
It was all over in an hour. It seems almost incredible that such a
tragedy could have taken place in so short a time. And to think
that the whole catastrophe could have been averted by the
expenditure of a few francs! When the architect heard that there
was to be a cinematograph put up he pointed out the danger and
begged that some firemen should be engaged. The president of the
committee asked how much this would cost and, on being told twenty
francs for each fireman, replied, "I think we will do without
them."

The Duchesse d'Alencon and the wife and daughters of the Danish
Consul-General were among the victims. The dead were all taken to
the Palais de l'Industrie and laid out in rows. Through the whole
night people searched with lanterns among the dead for their loved
ones. It was remarked that, though there were many men's canes and
hats, there was not one man found among the burned. Not one man in
all Paris acknowledged that he had been to the Bazar.

Within an incredibly short time subscriptions amounting to over a
million francs were collected. From America came many messages of
sympathy and a great deal of money. But no one could be found
except the cook and the stable-boy who had done anything to merit
a reward. After giving them large sums the rest of the money went
to form a fund for the building of a chapel in commemoration of
the disaster.

PARIS, _1897_.

Dear L.,--Social life here is very confusing and fatiguing;
physically, because distances are so immense. People liv