As fire raged through historic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday, Langley resident Kelsey Haskett was among the horrified witnesses.
㽶ƵֱWith thousands of Parisians and others I have just seen 800 years of history crumble before my eyes,㽶Ƶֱ 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.
㽶Ƶֱ[I] pushed my way little by little through thick crowds until I was near the front of the crowd,㽶Ƶֱ Haskett said.
She described 㽶Ƶֱan atmosphere of hushed silence with groups of people here and there singing hymns and prayers.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱSomeone read a passage from Isaiah - from today㽶Ƶֱs 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.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱI 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 firemen㽶Ƶֱs 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.㽶Ƶֱ
Haskett called the sight 㽶Ƶֱone of the saddest things I have seen in my life, and one of the most sobering.㽶Ƶֱ
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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
㽶Ƶֱ lily crandall (@lilycrand)
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire expressed㽶Ƶֱenormous relief㽶Ƶֱ at the salvaging of irreplaceable pieces that were transported to a 㽶Ƶֱsecret location㽶Ƶֱ after the fire.
- with files from Associated Press
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