As fire raged through historic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday, Langley resident Kelsey Haskett was among the horrified witnesses.
B次元官网网址淲ith thousands of Parisians and others I have just seen 800 years of history crumble before my eyes,B次元官网网址� Haskett said.
Dr. Haskett, chair of the school of modern culture and languages at Trinity Western University, spends every summer teaching in Paris.
When news of the fire broke, Haskett took the Paris Metro subway to get as close as she could.
B次元官网网址淸I] pushed my way little by little through thick crowds until I was near the front of the crowd,B次元官网网址� Haskett said.
She described B次元官网网址渁n atmosphere of hushed silence with groups of people here and there singing hymns and prayers.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淪omeone read a passage from Isaiah - from todayB次元官网网址檚 mass. Numerous tourists had come for Easter - you could hear every language being spoken in hushed tones. Lining the streets all the big news outlets of the world were telling the story to their audiences.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 finally squeezed back out of the huge crowd watching the front of the cathedral and took a circuitous route through the Latin Quarter to see the side - where the firemenB次元官网网址檚 hoses were no match for the fire that was still ravaging the entire wooden framework on the inside of the cathedral, below where the roof had been.B次元官网网址�
Haskett called the sight B次元官网网址渙ne of the saddest things I have seen in my life, and one of the most sobering.B次元官网网址�
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Firefighters waged a more than 12-hour battle to extinguish the inferno that destroyed the Notre Dame spire and roof, but spared its bell towers and the Crown of Christ.
Officials said the world famous 18th century organ also appeared to have survived.
all of the back roof is gone
B次元官网网址� lily crandall (@lilycrand)
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire expressedB次元官网网址渆normous reliefB次元官网网址� at the salvaging of irreplaceable pieces that were transported to a B次元官网网址渟ecret locationB次元官网网址� after the fire.
- with files from Associated Press
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