combat the fire, pumping from the roofs and upper
storeys of the neighbouring houses. The fire continues, however,
increasing and spreading on the theatre side. Here is the greatest
danger. If the theatre catch light, all the quarter will most probably
be destroyed. They then determine to avail themselves of the water
appliances of the theatre to stay the progress of the flames. This is.
rendered more difficult and dangerous by the continuous firing from the
Communists installed in the upper story of the Hotel du Louvre. M. Le
Sache mounts on the roofs, with the principal engineer, to conduct this
movement. They are compelled to hide out of the way of the shower of
balls coming from the Communists.

"At ten o'clock the companies from the quarter of the Banque, the 12th
battalion of National Guards, arrive. The Federals are put to flight.
Thereupon thirty _sapeurs-pompiers_ of Paris came at full speed and
succeed in mastering the remaining fire. An hour sooner and all could
have been saved."

[Illustration: Hotel de Ville.]

THE HOTEL DE VILLE.--The Hotel de Ville was set on fire by order of the
Committee of Public Safety at the moment when the entry of the troops
caused them to fly to the Ecole des Chartes, which was thus saved, and
whence they fled to the Mairie of Belleville. Five battalions of
National Guards--the 57th, 156th, 178th, 184th, and the 187th--remained
to prevent any attempt being made to extinguish the fire. Petroleum had
been poured about the _Salle du Trone_, and the _Salle du Zodiaque_,
which were decorated by Jean Goujon and Cogniet; in the _Galerie de
Pierre_, in which were paintings by Lecomte, Baudin, Desgoffes, Hedouin,
and Bellel; in the _Salon des Arcades_, in the _Salon Napoleon_, in the
_Galerie des Fetes_, and in the _Salon de la Paix_, which contained
works of Schopin, Picot, Vanchelet, Jadin, Girard, Ingres, Delacroix,
Landelle, Riesener, Lehmann, Gosse, Benouville and Cabanel. It is not
only as a fine specimen of architecture that the Hotel de Ville is to
be regretted, but as the cradle of the municipal and revolutionary
history of Paris, as well as for the vast collection of archives of the
city, duplicates of which were at the same moment a prey to the flames
at the Palais de Justice.

[Illustration: FOREIGN OFFICE.]

THE PREFECTURE OF POLICE was set fire to by the Communal delegate Ferre
and a band of drunken National Guards.

THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE, thanks to the prompt arrival