Eiffel Tower on fire

AP / WSTR Radio, Atlanta | 7.22.03

[mountaineer]

Eiffel Tower webcam here - looks like fire trucks!

[epluribus_2]

Religion de Paix?

[jdh64]

probably too much cheese at lunch...

[NeoCaveman]

The Saddam boys dead/ the Eiffel on fire. Tell me honestly, does it get any better than this?????

This could be the greatest day ever!!!!!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Date of birth: March 31, 1889 (hoisting the flag to the top), built for the Universal Exhibition in celebration of the French Revolution.

Age: 113 years
Contractor: Gustave Eiffel & Cie
Engineers: Maurice Koechlin & Emile Nouguier
Architect: Stephen Sauvestre
Studies: Begun in 1884
Construction: 1887 to 1889 (2 years, 2 months and 5 days)

Composition: 18,038 pieces, 2,500,000 rivets
Weight of the metal structure: 7,300 tons
Total weight: 10,100 tons
Height: 324m (height with flagpole)
Numbers of visitors up to December 31, 2002:
204.381.152
Distinctive feature: recognizable throughout the entire world
Number of steps: 1665
Owner: City of Paris

[LurkedLongEnough]

Jul 22, 1:45 PM EDT
One of Eiffel Tower's Top Floors on Fire

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FRANCE_EIFFEL_TOWER?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

PARIS (AP) -- One of the top floors of the Eiffel Tower was on fire Tuesday, officials said. Smoke could be seen rising from the famous Paris monument.

Officials said they were not sure whether anyone was on the top level, where the fire appeared to have erupted.

The company that operates the Eiffel Tower confirmed the fire but gave no details as to its origin and had no information about whether anyone may have been injured in the blaze, which appeared to be limited to a top floor of the monument.

The 324-meter (1,069-feet) iron-laced tower draws 6 million visitors a year, making it the world's most popular paying tourist attraction.

The tower was built by Gustav Eiffel for the 1889 World's Fair.

[max_rpf]

I wonder if these little dirt bags are having a gut check right now. It is probably a construction problem (didn't they announce that they were going to have a new light show..) but they have to be wondering.

They also know that they are on their own.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Maybe some Muslim flew a flaming croissant into it?

[DoughtyOne]

[CholeraJoe]

Now that I think about it, you're correct. There's some kind of an enclosed observation deck on top.

Memeo to self: Engage brain before keyboard.

[William McKinley]

The roof? The roof? The roof is on fire?

[Scott from the Left Coast]

More likely Chirac is just lighting up a monstrous doobie to help him get over the deaths of Uday and Qusay.

[DocJ69]

I hope no one is hurt, however I would not mind it to melt down, then they would understand that there only tourist attraction is gone. I was there in March and have the operators were on strike. It will be interesting.

[PoisedWoman]

A couple of weeks ago when there was speculation that Arafat would be exiled, I predicted on a FR thread that he'd go to Paris and blow up the Eiffel Tower. Hmmmmmmmmm

[ClearCase_guy]

If this turns out to be a terrorist attack on a priceless French landmark, I have only one question:

How's Kobe doing?

[ValerieUSA]

hee hee hee You're a saint.

[SaveTheChief]

Is this the real thread?

Will this thread stay or will it be pulled?

Tune in, same bat-time, same-bat channel for the thrilling conclusion.

Now that we have that out of the way... Should I be having mixed feelings about this? I certainly do not want any harm to come to any people.

[finnman69]

The live fOOTAGE ON msnbc does not like like anything serious.

[ConservativeDude]

Believing that the fire could have been caused by Iraqi nationalists, President Chirac immediately surrendered to "President Hussein, the true leader of Iraq". His cabinet concurred entirely in the surrender decision.

[Timesink]

Sounds like some beret-wearing surrender monkey tossed his lit Gaulois cigarette into a trash can.