“The Burning Tower of Light”

Tuesday evening as we walked to dinner with visiting friends, we noticed smoke pouring out of the upper level of the Eiffel Tower. We learned that an electrical fire broke out among the cables in one of the rooms in the broadcasting station which is located just above the upper observation deck. 3,000 tourist had to leave and no one was hurt. A worker said that there was one small fire extinguisher and that an emergency water pipe could not be used because they had no wrench to open the valve. One would imagine that all possible disaster situations would have been scrutinized and prepared for after 9/11.

The tower was reopened yesterday. There were questions on whether or not the new blinking lights might have been a cause. The lights are similar to the ones used during the Millennium celebration and are turned on for ten minutes on the hour every night after dark. The newspaper reported this morning that the lights are no longer suspect and that they resumed their blinking last night. I never saw them when I looked several times last night…

I ran back to the apartment and grabbed my camera. about fifteen minutes after the fire broke out.

We dined al fresco to the background music of fire trucks and sirens.

About this entry

You’re currently reading ““The Burning Tower of Light”,” an entry on Robert Leedy Watercolors

Published:
July 24, 2003 / 8:05 am
Category:
Americans in Paris, Eiffel Tower, France, Paris
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