Regarding the fire at Brazil's National Museum, Arthur Shippee writes:

A massive fire ripped through Rio de Janeiro's treasured National Museum, one of Brazil's oldest, in what the nation's president says is a "tragic" lossof knowledge and heritage.

The majestic edifice -- which was closed to the public when the fire started -- was swept by flames as plumes of smoke shot into the night sky, while scores of firefightersbattled to control the blaze.

Five hours later they had managed to smother much of the inferno that had torn through hundreds of rooms, but were still working to extinguish it completely, according to anAFP photographer at the scene.

The natural history and anthropology museum -- founded in 1818 and home to over 20 million valuable pieces -- has suffered from funding cuts, forcing it to close some of itsspaces to the public.

The head of finance and planning at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, on which the museum depends, described the destruction as "a loss to the wholeworld."

To read the complete article, see:
Raging fire tears through Rio de Janeiro'streasured National Museum (http://artdaily.com/news/107319/Raging-fire-tears-through-Rio-de-Janeiro-s-treasured-National-Museum#.W5MaoehKiAs)