Notre Dame

[keyplayer 0]

Reports just breaking of a serious fire in Notre Dame, Paris -

https://globalnews.ca/news/5168799/fire-tears-through-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris/

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6925015/Fire-breaks-historic-Notre-Dame-cathedral-Paris.html

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47941794

 

Looks potentially very bad.

[Steve Goodwin 0]

Live on France24....

https://www.france24.com/en/live

 

[contraviolone 0]

With the flames reaching the west end towers, no doubt the grand organ will be totally destroyed.

[S_L 0]

 

French news this evening gives that the fire is serious. Much of the roof has been gutted and the spire has collapsed. Hundreds of fire-fighters are at the scene. Given that the renovations in progress at the moment are an attempt to stabilise a crumbling structure It does appear, at the moment, as if Notre Dame may not survive! 

 

[DaveHarries 0]

Watching France 24 Live as @ 1929 BST it seems that the rose window where the organ is located is currently intact which gives at least some hope for the survival of the instrument but it is certainly not looking good so we could potentially be talking about the biggest, and perhaps saddest, loss of any organ ever.

Certainly smoke and water damage at best.

Dave

[Steve Goodwin 0]

1 minute ago, DaveHarries said:

Watching France 24 Live as @ 1929 BST it seems that the rose window where the organ is located is currently intact which gives at least some hope for the survival of the instrument but it is certainly not looking good so we could potentially be talking about the biggest, and perhaps saddest, loss of any organ ever.

Dave

Huge amounts of water being sprayed into the towers which doesn't bode well ☹️

[Aeron Glyn Preston 0]

I am currently watching Channel 4 News. According to a cathedral spokesperson, all the wooden interior fittings are likely to be destroyed.

[John Furse 0]

On this Monday of Holy Week, our prayers are required: for the building, its fittings and windows . . . and organ(s).

[DaveHarries 0]

7 minutes ago, John Furse said:

On this Monday of Holy Week, our prayers are required: for the building, its fittings and windows . . . and organ(s).

 

Indeed although I think there may now be only one organ left at best. The central spire collapsed and fell to the east which means that the orgue de choeur (Merkin 1865, reb. 1966-1969 with work in 1970, 1987 & 1990s) may not have survived this awful event.

Dave

[David Surtees 0]

From the pictures on France24 at least one of the towers is in flames.

[DaveHarries 0]

Watching F24 Live @ 2016 BST it looks as if whatever was burning in that tower has been swiftly put out. 

Dave

[MusoMusing 0]

It's far too early to speculate, but fire does tend to go upwards. As with the great Selby Abbey fire, the roof frame caught fire and collapsed, and much of the fire below appears to be from burning roof timbers on the floor of the cathedral. The fire at York Minster started quite near the organ and the roof of the transept collapsed, but the organ survived with some smoke, steam and water damage.

Hopefully, the organ may well survive the ordeal at Notre Dame, but it will not be heard for a very long time, even if the damage is minimal.

A very sad day indeed.

MM

 

[contraviolone 0]

They may well save the west end towers but a significant majority of the cathedral has been destroyed. 

Given the smoke and flames were directed toward the west end of the cathedral by the prevailing wind, and with all the water poured onto the towers, I cannot see how the grand organ may survive.

[David Surtees 0]

It would appear (2104 BST, 2204 Paris time) that the flames have returned to the North tower. The fire has been burning for over 3 hours now, and the firefighters are not certain to be able to stop the spread of the fire, according to French media. 

[keyplayer 0]

I'm afraid that video from the Independent site leaves no hope that the grand organ has survived.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/notre-dame-fire-live-updates-cathedral-paris-france-stream-video-latest-a8871471.html

[David Surtees 0]

The Paris firefighters are now reporting that the fire is lessening in intensity, and the building will be saved, according to France24. But there is, I imagine, little hope for anything inside. 

[contraviolone 0]

23 minutes ago, keyplayer said:

I'm afraid that video from the Independent site leaves no hope that the grand organ has survived.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/notre-dame-fire-live-updates-cathedral-paris-france-stream-video-latest-a8871471.html

The aerial photograph of the cathedral is quite incredible. The entire roof has collapsed, and the internal fabric is just a fireball, with everything seemingly destroyed. And yet the walls of the nave, transepts and chancel are still standing. This must be due to the strength of the flying buttresses.

But as you say all the furnishings, including the two organs, appear to be completely destroyed, as well of course much of the medieval stained glass windows.

[AndrewG 0]

Catastrophe. I can’t believe anything of the contents will survive from looking at the aerial pictures. So sad for such a great building.  Our thoughts for the people of Paris. 

[combineharvestersam 0]

The drone footage shows the stone vaulting has held but the fire has consumed the entire roof. Another photo I have seen on social media is from around 15mins ago, the nave of the cathedral and furnishings still intact with fire fighters inside. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBF0Zb8Bs4&fbclid=IwAR0CE4LZuIngSCM7BzAcP1lh1njm1EuBU-BpZyAOAHg3lsTuywZ_0mcJ21I

 

Vespers from this evening. 

[MusoMusing 0]

30 minutes ago, combineharvestersam said:

The drone footage shows the stone vaulting has held but the fire has consumed the entire roof. Another photo I have seen on social media is from around 15mins ago, the nave of the cathedral and furnishings still intact with fire fighters inside. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBF0Zb8Bs4&fbclid=IwAR0CE4LZuIngSCM7BzAcP1lh1njm1EuBU-BpZyAOAHg3lsTuywZ_0mcJ21I

 

Vespers from this evening. 

I hang on to slight optimism concening the organ. Looking at photographs, the organ is situated on a gallery between the the two west towers, but more importantly, the towers form the "roof" section above the organ, and appear to be stone vaults rather than wooden roofing structures. That's important re: any possibility of the organ surviving.  If the nave furnishing have survived, then that suggests that the fire was less intense towards the west end of the cathedral.

We can but live in hope.

 

MM

[MusoMusing 0]

1 hour ago, contraviolone said:

The aerial photograph of the cathedral is quite incredible. The entire roof has collapsed, and the internal fabric is just a fireball, with everything seemingly destroyed. And yet the walls of the nave, transepts and chancel are still standing. This must be due to the strength of the flying buttresses.

But as you say all the furnishings, including the two organs, appear to be completely destroyed, as well of course much of the medieval stained glass windows.

The stained glass would probably survive the heat, but it will be scattered all over the place. It's the lead joints which give way first.  They performed miracles at York with the rose window of the transept, which looks as good as it ever did.

MM

[SomeChap 0]

An interior view from (very approximately) an hour ago.  I think there is some hope, but only time will tell. Kyrie Eleison.

[keyplayer 0]

Well, it appears I was premature - my friend in Paris had told me that the word was that most of the interior vault had given way, but it appears from that photo to be only a small section so hopefully there is room for some cautious optimism about the fate of the organ.

[S_L 0]

 

My next door, Jean-Louis, who is an organist, has just spoken to me and told me that "the great organ has been saved".

Where he got that from I have no idea as I have, after travelling around Europe for the past two days, only just woken up!!!

[Adnosad 0]

Most unfortunate.     One could say that this represents the fraility of life;  or an accident caused through human carelessness.

Whatever, the destruction, even as portrayed at this stage ,appears to be total.