Notre-Dame smoulders as investigation begins

[webfact]

Notre-Dame smoulders as investigation begins

By Matthias Blamont and Inti Landauro

 

View of Notre-Dame Cathedral after a fire devastated large parts of the gothic gem in Paris, France April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Firefighters doused the smouldering ruins of Notre-Dame with water on Tuesday, the morning after a raging inferno swept through the gothic cathedral in the heart of Paris as investigators tried to establish what started the fire.

 

Hundreds of firemen battled the blaze which consumed the roof and collapsed the eight-centuries-old cathedral's spire for more than eight hours before bringing it under control, saving its bell towers and outer walls.

 

Pockets of fire continued to burn inside the building and thorough checks on the cathedral's structural soundness would be needed, junior interior minister Laurent Nunez said.

 

The Paris prosecutor's office said it had launched an inquiry into the fire. Several police sources said they were working on the assumption for now that the fire was accidental.

 

"It's a symbol of our country that risked being destroyed," Culture Minister Franck Riester told CNews television.

 

Firefighters who entered the burning cathedral saved many of its treasures, Riester said, although some paintings remained inside and risked smoke and water damage.

 

The fire tore through the cathedral's timbered roofing, where workmen were carrying out extensive renovations to collapsed balustrades and crumbling gargoyles and the spire's wooden frame.

 

Hundreds of stunned onlookers lined the banks of the Seine river as the fire raged, reciting prayers and singing liturgical music in harmonies late into the night as they stood vigil.

 

MULTI-MILLION DONATIONS

President Emmanuel Macron promised France would rebuild Notre-Dame, considered among the finest examples of French Gothic cathedral architecture and visited by more than 13 million people annually.

 

"We will rebuild it together. It will undoubtedly be part of French destiny and our project for the years to come," Macron said outside the cathedral shortly before midnight.

 

France's Fondation du Patrimoine, a charity which works to protect French heritage, is launching an international appeal to raise funds for the rebuilding that is likely to cost hundreds of millions of euros.

 

Other campaigns were swiftly launched in the United States as well-wishers around the world pledged contributions via social media.

 

Two of France's wealthiest men, Francois-Henri Pinault, chief executive of the Kering group which owns brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and Bernard Arnault, the main shareholder of luxury group LVMH, said they would donate 100 million euros ($123 million) and 200 million euros respectively.

 

"This tragedy strikes all the French and beyond all those who are attached to spiritual values," Pinault said in a statement.

 

A centuries-old crown of thorns made from reeds and gold and the tunic believed to have been worn by Saint Louis, a 13th century king of France, were saved, Notre-Dame's top administrative cleric, Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, said.

 

Copper statues representing the Twelve Apostles and four evangelists were removed by crane last week as part of the renovation work.

 

American tourist Susan Hargrove said she'd been left breathless by the scale of devastation.

 

"We are talking of world history, of our Western culture but also of something that is truly universal," Hargrove said. "Notre-Dame means something to everybody."

 

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Inti Landauro, Richard Lough, Sarah White; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Leigh Thomas and Raissa Kasolowsky)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-16

 

[metisdead]

A troll post and a reply has been removed. 

 

A post containing a news story from 3 years ago has been removed as unrelated to this topic. 

[kickstart]

I wonder if they will reshow the film The Hunch Back of Notre Dame, on tv.

They said on World Service this morning, one problem with the restoration will be finding a craftsman that can do some of the intricate work, they say a lot of the skills have been lost.

But when Winsor Castle, got burnt that was rebuilt to the original speck, it can be done, I hope so a very fine building.   

  

[observer90210]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Two of France's wealthiest men, Francois-Henri Pinault, chief executive of the Kering group which owns brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and Bernard Arnault, the main shareholder of luxury group LVMH, said they would donate 100 million euros ($123 million) and 200 million euros respectively.

And how about France using the money to fully fund the rebuild in cutting from it's multi billion €uro military budget ? ? ?

 

And perhaps ask the Institute for Works of Religion,  (which is the Bank of the Vatican)  for some extra change ?

 

Is it healthy for social or fiscal justice when a few very wealthy individuals meddle in affairs that should be handled by the running government ?

Edited April 16, 2019 by observer90210

[stevenl]

Meddle in affairs? They're making a very sizeable donation, end of.

[animalmagic]

[Lucius verus]

The French were very quick to announce the fire was not deliberately lit. How could they know this if fireman are still fighting small pockets of fire and the official investigation has barely begun if at all.

[tandor]

3 hours ago, animalmagic said:

..get back to you on that one....meanwhile, this will help..."singing liturgical music in harmonies".

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[Baerboxer]

14 hours ago, observer90210 said:

And how about France using the money to fully fund the rebuild in cutting from it's multi billion €uro military budget ? ? ?

 

And perhaps ask the Institute for Works of Religion,  (which is the Bank of the Vatican)  for some extra change ?

 

Is it healthy for social or fiscal justice when a few very wealthy individuals meddle in affairs that should be handled by the running government ?

 

I don't know about France but in Germany Catholics used to pay a 'church tax" in addition to income tax. Don't know if they still do. 

 

Very kind of rich families to contribute. Perhaps France will ask the EU to contribute?

[seajae]

with all the discord in France at the moment and the fact other churches have been burnt already you really do have to wonder if this was deliberate. There are pics circulating with what appears to be a couple on the roof just before the fires began but no idea if they are genuine, just hope they do get to the real reason the fire started and are able to rebuild this treasure

[Dustdevil]

The reports go on as if Notre Dame were the only impressive cathedral in France. There are a couple of Gothic ones with the flying buttresses that are even more impressive. Riems comes to mind. A couple of others even more so, but I forget their names.

[WeekendRaider]

first off, I’m as American as anyone can be.

 

QUOTE:

 

American tourist Susan Hargrove said she'd been left breathless by the scale of devastation.

 

Yup.  of what we can see.  but of what we can’t see, can’t sense at all, is the most powerful force there ever was and still is and accounts for all our air, all of our food [ plants ]... why life exists on the 2nd of only 2 large cored terrestrial planets in the at all ever knowable universe.... only has a chemical name.

 

according to generally accepted American culture and politics.

 

yet it also we now know probably accounts for why we left the trees 8 mya as well as for life itself..... and that we lived in trees... is proven twice by this little story about... one building. oh, we are breathless about the loss of a... iconic tourist attraction. which really shows something.... that does not leave me at all “breathless”... for sure.

 

not if you have ANY understanding of what I just referenced. not anymore it does.

Edited April 18, 2019 by WeekendRaider