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Thread: Notre Dame is burning

  1. #11
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
    Two words: Flying Buttress
    A marvel of architectural innovation 800 years ago and effective enough to last this long.

    The last time we were there we had the opportunity to explore an active archaeological dig underneath the cathedral where the remains of an older Roman structure existed.
    Whenever I thought about cathedral construction techniques when reading Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth," which is actually set in the 12th century, I would think of Notre Dame with its spire reaching forever.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  2. #12
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    Losing any historical building is a real tragedy, let alone one so grand. I'm still grieving the library at Alexandria.

    ETA: ...which I used to visit as a girl...
    Rumor has it Apollonius of Rhodes patterned the Sirens in his epic poem Argonautica after a winsome lass named Jane he'd met in Alexandria during his tenure at the library. Hmmm....
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  3. #13
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldhat View Post
    I'm wondering how a a fire in a building so heavily trafficked could have gotten so badly out of hand, but I suppose we'll find out in due course.
    It's heartbreaking to watch.

    I suspect the issue with the fire at Notre Dame is the same as it is with many other structures of its era and many centuries later: difficulty in integrating fire-suppression technologies like sprinklers and alarm systems without damaging the integrity and esthetics of the structure. In addition, it was mentioned that the building was undergoing an extensive renovation by the roof and workers were present when the fire broke out. So it is possible that a worker's torch or some spark lit old dried out frame timbers or other materials (wouldn't want to be that guy). Even the notion of dumping large quantities of water on the fire are complicated by the age of the building.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  4. #14
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    So far as I understand no one's been hurt and I have yet to hear the T word being thrown around.....this to me is indeed a big loss but things could have been worse. I continue to hope that it's not an act of terrorism. Rob

  5. #15
    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    I read that it was undergoing some renovations. Perhaps some equipment sparked a flame? Who knows.

    I visited Notre Dame in my teens as a part of a tour/homestay program. It is one of the very few remaining memories that stand out from that trip.

    Horrible and tragic. Such majestic buildings---it never crosses our minds that something like this would happen to them, they're so much a part of the city's persona, culture and history. Imagine, its building was begun more than 1,000 years ago!

    What strikes me is that Paris is on a river, yet I didn't see any aircraft dumping water like we see here every fire season. Maybe they aren't so equipped?
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

  6. #16
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Appolonius clearly never heard Jane sing...

  7. #17
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    Appolonius clearly never heard Jane sing...
    Or maybe he did. Perhaps the Sirens didn't lure sailors to their demise, but rather drove them there.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  8. #18
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Translations can be tricky.

  9. #19
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Yes--I'd hate to be the worker who set off that blaze. What an awful burden to bear!

  10. #20
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    Yes--I'd hate to be the worker who set off that blaze. What an awful burden to bear!
    Agreed. I couldn't imagine living with that. Rob

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