Fire in the drill hall
The ancients (meaning anyone over 30 according to certain among us) believed that the world was composed of four elements: earth, air, water and fire. Any one of these can be beneficial or damaging. Last night, one of the “landmarks” (in a city composed from hundreds) was destroyed by fire. From which springs the question: is a city composed of its elements?
The Manège Militaire wasn’t terribly old by the standards of the city. Built about a century ago, it was actually one of the “kids” in a neighbourhood that has structures going back to the beginnings of the country. Now, for those who aren’t “in the know”, this was a drill hall for the local militia. A roof over the heads of those who spend hours waiting to march in proper order and face inspection for dust and loose buttons. And since money has never been an issue with the military, it was ready for the occasion.
Here’s a “before” shot:
And an “after”:
The application of fire does not improve historic buildings.
The real twist is that somebody telephoned the mayor, who is on vacation a working trip for two weeks in Paris. His reaction was to offer to return home immediately in case he could “do” something. His next reaction was to demand that the other tiers of government begin reconstruction immediately; after all, this is the 400th birthday of his city, and money should flow like water (that will no longer be fluorinated due to a lack of money). Turn on the cash taps and rebuild a drill hall, next door to a huge fortress.
It’s sad that the museum housed in the drill hall is no more. It’s ironic that the building was a construction site, as they were installing a sprinkler system to protect the site from fire. And it’s time that people like the mayor give their heads a shake, to get the rare air out of the thinking spaces.
Without turning superstitious, the “snow-dometer” hasn’t budged for several days now. We’re registering 534.2 cm and that’s enough.
