Notre Dame Cathedral on Fire

[x0xsaywhutx0x]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/live-updates-fire-at-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-173732973.html

This is just insane and very sad. Hard to believe a structure that has been around for almost 700 years is all of a sudden nearly completely destroyed. Hopefully everyone is/stays safe, and they can stop the fire from spreading and save part of the structure.

 

[yankee2bbq]

I’ve been following the breaking news...very sad..

 

[HalfSmoked]

For sure sad but goes to show nothing is forever.

Warren

 

[hb99]

Truly sad. I've been there a few times.

 

[noboundaries]

I was heartbroken when I saw the news earlier this week. As Europe has proved more than once, they know how to restore iconic structures. I think it's great that two French billionaires have stepped forward, pledging over $300 million.

 

[weev]

I was heartbroken when I saw the news earlier this week. As Europe has proved more than once, they know how to restore iconic structures. I think it's great that two French billionaires have stepped forward, pledging over $300 million.

I just saw they are up to 950 million in pledges so far

 

[johnmeyer]

Watching that heart-wrenching sight on Monday reminded me a little of reading the news, back in 1967, that McCormick Place had burned down. This was the steel and glass convention center structure in my hometown of Chicago that was constructed in 1960 and was thought to be completely fireproof. How could anything made of glass and steel burn, and come down completely in a matter of hours?

It was rebuilt and the new McCormick Place looks very much like the original.

I had the same question as I watched Notre Dame cathedral burning: how could a structure made of stone generate that much intense flame? I guess there was a lot of wood structure inside the stone, but the size and intensity of the fire sure amazed me.

Hopefully they'll be able to direct all the goodwill and money already being pledged towards reconstruction to actually get things done. I make no prediction one way or the other, but I'm sure we all remember the endless meetings and haggling about what to do in lower Manhattan to replace the World Trade Center.

 

[smokerjim]

it's amazing it was 800 years old, some of the buildings built today start falling apart after 40

 

[johnmeyer]

it's amazing it was 800 years old, some of the buildings built today start falling apart after 40

Yeah, just the other day I was counting all the ballparks and stadiums that have been built in my lifetime, but have already been torn down, like Shea and Candlestick.

 

[tag0401]

It is sad to see something with so much history destroyed in such little time.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I was really saddened by the destruction of such a beautiful cathedral. The really sad part is that France is unable to replace the roof timbers. They were cut from old, original growth, and France has no trees large enough to reproduce them. Hopefully some other country will step in and help.
Gary

 

[Jonok]

It shook me up pretty badly too. (My wife was literally in tears when initial [thankfully untrue] reports suggested that the rose windows were destroyed)

I’m pretty sure no one is going to be able to come up with timbers like that now.
From what I’ve read, the roof support used about 50 acres of old-growth oak, with natural growth angles.
When they recently rebuilt the USS Constitution, which employed similar naturally bent oak timbers as ribs, adequate wood was not to be found anywhere at any price, so they had to use laminated oak engineered replacements.
I’m betting they will punt and use steel trusses instead.