Notre Dame Cathedral Burns In Paris 🔥

What a way to start Holy Week. This is just horrible and heartbreaking.

Legal Insurrection: Roof collapse at Notre Dame

The cause of the fire is not known (yet). 

Fox News: Celebrities React

Instapundit: A  Sign, Mostly survives, No condition permanent, and PJ Media: Remains

DRUDGE REPORT  :  GOD SAVE NOTRE DAME

Lem's Place: Paris Bystanders Sing Ave Maria

Powerline: Notre Dame Survives

Mark Steyn: Fire and Faith

French Officials: Fire Fighters May Not Be Able To Save It

Victory Girls: We Weep For Paris #NotreDameCathedral

AoSHQ: Wave of fires in France and Cathedral Burns

TOM: Fire Destroys Notre Dame Cathedral

Mark Steyn: Heartbreak

Rush Limbaugh: Leftists and Notre Dame, Don't say arson, and We can rebuild that Cathedral

Instapundit: Lileks: It Stood and The hard left celebrate fire

Daily Mail: ISIS celebrates Notre Dame fire

PJ Media: Three colors of martyrdom

AoSHQ: Morning Report 04.17.19

Circa 1890

Insider: France's trees are too small to rebuild Notre Dame?

That may or may not be true, but my answer is so what? I suspect there are still some pretty big trees growing in France. In addition, we have things like glue lams (laminated wood beams) that are both stronger and also potentially more fire resistant than log milled wood beams.  Plus I believe the roof of that cathedral was rebuilt in the 1800s so the wood is not from when it was originally built.  

As for rebuilding with wood, I am sure the new construction will also have a fire supression system installed. Steel is not so great performance wise in fires.  Concrete is too heavy for that building.  

Gothic cathedrals are engineering marvels for getting the stone work and walls so light, thin and strong (the flying butresses shown in this photo certainly did their job keeping the walls up). I thank God the damage was not worse and that no one was seriously hurt. 

American Power: Rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral 

Instapundit: Really?  

We could hear it: the voice of grace rising in hymns to Mary as her Church burned; the voice of grace carrying our gasps as we saw the Cross in shimmering reassurance. The voice of grace, ringing like a great bell of mercy, leading us to another chance. https://t.co/d8n5c1GtWa

— Elizabeth Scalia (@TheAnchoress) April 18, 2019