Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2024 April 20

= April 20 =

"The Paris disaster"
It is mentioned in a poem of the same name by Annie Curwen, published in 1899 (on wikisource, on s:Page:Poems_Curwen.djvu/133 and s:Page:Poems_Curwen.djvu/134).

I have no idea what it is, and was not able to make it correspond to anything.

If it helps, the "Ushant" in the poem is a reference to the SS Drummond Castle and its sinking off that island (also a poem about that in the same collection, s:Page:Poems_Curwen.djvu/63 and s:Page:Poems_Curwen.djvu/64)

Could someone find what it is? — Alien333 (talk) 17:51, 20 April 2024 (UTC)


 * "fiery cross" and "blackened ashes" suggest a fire. I've found Bazar_de_la_Charité with 126 dead. Not sure whether we can prove that this is the one that the poem is about. --Wrongfilter (talk) 18:14, 20 April 2024 (UTC)


 * Seems the most likely candidate - it was widely reported in the Anglophone press as "The Paris Disaster" - see this Australian example, but I found the same usage in newspapers from New York, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Wales. I couldn't find any other event remotely comparable in that timeframe. Alansplodge (talk) 21:33, 20 April 2024 (UTC)
 * The Bazar de la Charité fire was the first thing that popped in my mind as well when I read the question. It was a huge story at the time, not just because of the number of dead, but also because the majority were well-to-do society ladies. Xuxl (talk) 13:48, 21 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Well, appears to be solved. Thanks to everyone! — Alien333 (what I did &amp; why I did it wrong) 12:13, 23 April 2024 (UTC)