Page 62 - myeong_shin_ebook_2019

Park Eun-jae

A fire broke out at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

on April 15, 2019 around 6:50 PM (local time). In the process,

the 96-metre high spire and the roof of the main building, iconic

symbols of the Notre Dame Cathedral, were lost in the fire. Luckily,

major structures such as the twin towers in front of the cathedral

were saved from the blaze. The area around the cathedral was filled

with reporters who wanted to cover the scene as police officers

tried to control the site, and people around the world watched the

cathedral fire.
The fire was fully extinguished about 10 AM on April 16th, 15 hours after the fire had begun. Paris officials

found that the damage had increased as the fire spread to the roof around the spire tower1) which had

been under repair. 400 firefighters were mobilized, and one was seriously injured. Police immediately
evacuated the tourists and citizens around the cathedral for their safety as the fire brigade2) extinguished

the fire. However, as most of the interior ornaments were wooden, the early fire suppression system had

failed, and the damage was great. The authorities investigating the cause of the fire discovered it was

caused by mistake, not arson.

According to Olivier de Chalu, the president of the Notre Dame Guides, a ping-pong ball sized fire began

to burn near the eastern framework of the cathedral. Early extinguishing was very difficult because the

location of the fire was very high at 250 meters and very far from the front of the cathedral. Also, he said
that, luckily, the crown of thorns3) and the Saint-Louis's tunic4) had been safely moved, the external stone

statues were safe, and the cross remained in place despite the fire.

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, announced a message to the public saying, “Notre Dame was

part of our history, literature, and spirit, the place where great events took place, and the center of our

lives. The cathedral will be rebuilt with funds from a national fund-raising campaign.”

Notre Dame Cathedral still stands on the Seine River in Paris, France. Notre Dame means “Our lady,”

and refers to the Virgin Mary. Notre-Dame Cathedral began construction in 1163 under the order of Louis

VII of France and was completed in 1345. However, the French Revolution of 1789 caused damage to the

building and left it unattended. In 1831, Notre Dame Cathedral gained attention from the public due to the

novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (1802-1885) since the cathedral served as the main

background of the story. It is a precious cultural heritage site that humanity must preserve.

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1) spire tower 첨탑 3) crown of thorns 가시면류관
2) the fire brigade 소방대 4) Saint-Louis's tunic 생루이의 튜닉

62 MYEONG-SHIN GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL