Huge fire at Notre Dame Cathedral- renovation related

[TravelingChris]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47941794

 

[Scarlett]

That is terrible!

[happi duck]

😢

The images are shocking!

[Terabith]

I don't see any way the whole thing won't collapse.  This is a super hot fire, and the church is so huge, it's going to be very difficult to fight.  They haven't even gotten any water onto the fire yet.  It's in the middle of other tall buildings, so air support is going to be pretty tough, too.  Wouldn't be surprised if they're just going to try to contain it.  A major, horrific tragedy.

[Critterfixer]

Just so sad. It's one of the places I would have loved to go see.

[Scarlett]

It is collapsing right now

[Terabith]

My choir sang there in college.  We recorded tracks for a cd in Notre Dame.  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.  

[Catwoman]

This is just awful.

[Chris in VA]

Spire is so iconic. I hope the stained glass windows don't blow. 

[Arcadia]

We visited the cathedral during our honeymoon in January 2004. My husband is shocked when I told him. 

[Innisfree]

So terrible. I hope some portion can be salvaged or rebuilt, like Windsor Castle.

[Elfknitter.#]

My inner medieval studies major heart is dying. I had always wanted to see it.

[TravelingChris]

Yes, the spire and roof over the sanctuary are gone.  At least the smoke is now white and water cannons are being used.

[bolt.]

I was going to see it, in Paris, in just 3 weeks. I’m so sad!

[Katy]

All that art and all those relics.

[bolt.]

Apparently some few of the meaningful pieces had been removed temporarily during the refurbishing that was happening. Therefore, anything that was off site for that reason will have survived... I wonder which ones.

[Katy]

13 minutes ago, bolt. said:

Apparently some few of the meaningful pieces had been removed temporarily during the refurbishing that was happening. Therefore, anything that was off site for that reason will have survived... I wonder which ones.

 

That's good.  Someone local just reported that the majority of the current work was on the spires and church had been going on as normal, artwork and relics in tact.  Which would mean it is all gone.

[madteaparty]

I can’t look at the pictures. I guess grateful both kids have been as far up as one is allowed to go but I’m having a ridiculously emotional reaction to this.

[Katy]

2 minutes ago, madteaparty said:

I can’t look at the pictures. I guess grateful both kids have been as far up as one is allowed to go but I’m having a ridiculously emotional reaction to this.

 

Me too, so emotional.  It feels spiritual.

[Terabith]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/days-before-notre-dame-cathedral-fire-medieval-statues-removed-for-restoration

[MysteryJen]

I can't believe how sad and sick I feel over this.

It's been over 25 years since I was in Paris.

[PrincessMommy]

This is very sad.  I'm just glad no one has been hurt.  I feel very fortunate to have visited it in 2000.  

[Katy]

I've been watching CBS News, which has mostly been BBC.  They had a woman on who was there for evening mass, they were evacuated with 15-20 minutes to go "for security purposes," and they didn't realize there was a fire until they were outside.

Also there was a guy on who was identified as the Deputy Mayor of Paris who said the fire started on the roof.  The bishop was able to direct saving "some art, some paintings," before evacuation.  He also said they will definitely rebuild.

 

ETA: Oh and several people there said at the beginning of the fire the smoke had a weird green color.  Does anyone remember enough from chemistry to know what on a roof might cause a weird green color?  I don't.  Copper?

Edited April 15, 2019 by Katy

[Arcadia]

6 minutes ago, Katy said:

ETA: Oh and several people there said at the beginning of the fire the smoke had a weird green color.  Does anyone remember enough from chemistry to know what on a roof might cause a weird green color?  I don't.  Copper?

 

Maybe 

[Murphy101]

I’m so sad. We were making plans to go there next year.

It is awful.  I have a friend there now.  She posted to FB that people are filling the streets singing catholic hymns in sorrow.  So that tipped me over from really sad to a blubbering mess.

[Guest]

I am in shock. It was just over a year ago by two weeks that I was there. 

I am wondering about all the relics and artifacts in the building. There are unique items in there, like baptismal gowns and bones of saints. 

[Heatherwith4]

So sad, especially since it’s happening during Holy Week.  😞

[EmilyGF]

I saw the news today and knew you guys would understand. My choir sung there in 1999, Terebinth, and that was amazing. So sad. 

3 hours ago, Terabith said:

My choir sang there in college.  We recorded tracks for a cd in Notre Dame.  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.  

 

[Murphy101]

There’s no way they will ever rebuild in the sense of recreating what it was before today. The materials and the craftsmanship for so much of it simply no longer exists.

But it can be rebuilt in the sense that The Church can and likely will rebuild a Cathedral there. 

[Katy]

A firefighter has sustained serious injuries.  Praying for him.

[mom2scouts]

3 hours ago, Elfknitter.# said:

My inner medieval studies major heart is dying. I had always wanted to see it.

My architecture major heart is so sad.

ETA: They're saying the bronze statues from the roof were removed for renovation (something that almost never happens) and have therefore been saved. Also, most of the artwork and icons were pulled out in time.

Edited April 15, 2019 by mom2scouts

[ktgrok]

We were doing our social studies unit on Europe (Explore the Continents from Catholic Heritage) and just learned about Notre Dame on Friday. DD is so sad. So am I. 

[Arcadia]

From CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/04/15/paris-notre-dame-cathedral-on-fire-reuters.html

“Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral has been saved from "total destruction," according to a French fire official, after a massive fire ripped through the structure on Monday and caused the roof and main spire to collapse.

While it will take another three or four more hours to contain the fire, the official said the two towers have now been saved. That news come as a sign of relief after one of the towers caught fire earlier in the evening. Earlier, a French Interior Ministry official had said that firefighters might not be able to save the cathedral.”

[LMD]

It really does feel like such a loss. Those rose windows! This was a piece of all of us, of the heritage of our culture. I'm not Catholic nor have I ever been to Paris, I'm surprised how much this feels like a gut-punch...

[Farrar]

Apparently the vast majority of art inside was removed before it could be damaged. Firefighters took things out to keep it safe as the fire blazed on the roof. If you’ve been, I think they mean all the stuff in the main part of the cathedral in all the little chapels.

One rose window shattered. But apparently they’re optimistic about most of the glass. I guess we’ll see. Some of it is definitely intact.

The whole interior wooden frame and latticework is gone. That included very old stuff. Also, the roof and the spire.

At one point, they thought the bells might fall and the tower might collapse. They saved it. If you look at the photos, you’ll see that the whole stone interior is still there.

It’ll never be the same, but they’ll definitely restore it. 😥 I’m so glad to have seen it. My boys were so little when we went, but Mushroom said he does remember it (mostly because Grandma tripped and hurt her knee coming out!).

Edited April 16, 2019 by Farrar

[gardenmom5]

52 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Apparently the vast majority of art inside was removed before it could be damaged. Firefighters took things out to keep it safe as the fire blazed on the roof. If you’ve been, I think they mean all the stuff in the main part of the cathedral in all the little chapels.

One rose window shattered. But apparently they’re optimistic about most of the glass. I guess we’ll see. Some of it is definitely intact.

The whole interior wooden frame and latticework is gone. That included very old stuff. Also, the roof and the spire.

At one point, they thought the bells might fall and the tower might collapse. They saved it. If you look at the photos, you’ll see that the whole stone interior is still there.

It’ll never be the same, but they’ll definitely restore it. 😥 I’m so glad to have seen it. My boys were so little when we went, but Mushroom said he does remember it (mostly because Grandma tripped and hurt her knee coming out!).

according to a news report I read earlier, three rose windows have shattered due to the heat.  rosette north, rosette west, and rosette south.   

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by gardenmom5
confused one of the directions.

[J-rap]

This hit me in the gut when I heard it in the news.  I'd been there three times, and it's the neighborhood I've always stayed in.  The journalist I was listening to said that wailing could be heard throughout the streets as people stood and watched, stunned.  The pictures are really shocking.

[Terabith]

Actually, the pictures I'm seeing now of the interior look shockingly undamaged.  I mean, the spire (from the 1800's) is gone, but the interior of the main part of the church is pretty good.  One or two of the windows are destroyed, but there's far less destruction than I feared from seeing the fire from the outside.  They're saying all the art and relics and such were all saved.  I'm not sure how, but I know a bunch had been removed from the premises because of the renovation.  For a fire that big and that hot, it looks rather like a miraculously small amount of damage.  

[lavender's green]

I feel sad and literally sick over this. And yet hopeful, after the latest reports.

[elegantlion]

As a medievalist who studies 12th century England, I'm heartbroken. Me and the other medievalist at school were practically in tears, she had been there, I have not. 

We talked about it our medieval class tonight. Apparently much/some of the glass in the windows has been replaced at some point. Apparently glass will "melt" over time and they were having issues with the panes falling out. So there is some original glass that had been removed (probably years ago) and is housed elsewhere. 

 

 

 

[bolt.]

5 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

Maybe 

It'll be the lead. 250lbs of lead, in the spire. "...the wood and lead spire was built during a restoration in the mid-19th century...."

I wonder if the lead is airborne and making the smoke particularly toxic?

[ealp2009]

1 hour ago, bolt. said:

It'll be the lead. 250lbs of lead, in the spire. "...the wood and lead spire was built during a restoration in the mid-19th century...."

I wonder if the lead is airborne and making the smoke particularly toxic?

Not pounds, Tons.  And yes very very toxic.   

https://tamararubin.com/2019/04/as-notre-dame-burns-please-think-of-the-children-of-paris-the-potential-tragedy-here-is-far-worse-than-flint/

[PinkTulip]

My family and I were there just 3 weeks ago. My husband lived in Paris for two years in college and it was his first time back. I’m so grateful my boys were able to see it. 

Hopefully this will post - mass was just ending when we walked in and the organ music was so beautiful. It was the first European cathedral my boys had ever been inside and they just stood there in awe. 

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

"Why the Non-Catholic Weeps for Notre Dame, Too"  by the Circe Institute

 

I am not Catholic, but weeping inside. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

So incredibly sad.

[Murphy101]

9 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

"Why the Non-Catholic Weeps for Notre Dame, Too"  by the Circe Institute

 

I am not Catholic, but weeping inside. 

 

That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing. 

[Pawz4me]

9 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

"Why the Non-Catholic Weeps for Notre Dame, Too"  by the Circe Institute

 

I am not Catholic, but weeping inside. 

I'm sure that article resonates with lots of people.

My sadness is due to the history and the architecture. Not so much anything religious. And I'm guessing a lot of other people feel that way, too.

[theelfqueen]

Dh shared this link with me this morning ...

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/04/notre-dame-survives-mostly.php

[brehon]

I saw some pictures this morning from inside. The vault seems to have protected the Cathedral quite well, except for where the spire collapsed: candles standing upright in candelabras, pews upright, the pulpit and the altar still standing (though undoubtedly damaged). I’m waiting to hear about the organ. Apparently, they don’t think it suffered fire damage but probably does have water damage. 

[Lady Florida.]

50 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

 

My sadness is due to the history and the architecture. Not so much anything religious. And I'm guessing a lot of other people feel that way, too.

Mine too. Even as an atheist I'm terribly upset over this but there's nothing religious in my sadness. I didn't even know that mass was still said there so I didn't think of it as an actual active church. To me it's all about the history.