New-York tribune., 1871-06-02
AN INCIDENT OF TIE SIEGE.
EXPLOSION or CARTRIDGE MANUFACIoRl IN
PARls-FEARFUL Loss OF LIFE.
IFROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


PARIS, May 1S.-A frlghtful accident took
place in Pars yesterday. The cartridge manufactory of
Grencllc blew up destroying IN instant, II Is said
more than 100 human beings aud WOundiDg an unknown
number besides. was on the boulevard yesterday af-
teDoOn about 6 o'clock, when suddenly there was a
slight explosion which caused all passeIsby to look
about them, the louder than the usual re-
ports Of cannon, 10 which all pretty well ac-
custOmed 10y this time. But Immediately aftcrward
there came a second and much louder report, which
made all the windows rattle and all the people dash
raady into the middle of the street and stare wildly
toward the Madeleine If they expected to find that
the explosion was the boulevard Itself Hardly had
the deafening sound rolled away before huge gray
volume OF smoke 90 be seen in the direction OF the
Place dc la CoDcCrde l jumped into a carriage and
went 10 see what had really taken place, rs
a thousand contradictory rumors were instantly
aAoat "Ihe Fort de Vanvres has been blown up"
"Ho lt is n powder magazine at Passy." 1.-The Yer
saillese are assautng Paris and huge mine charged
with picrate Of potash has exploded" Ihesc
were come OF the remarks. still the huge
columns OF smoke high in the air, and
1t was evident that the explosion had been
followed by large fire. At the Place de la Concorde
the explosion at the cartridge manu-
factory at the Champ de Mars. wonderful TO relate,
my driver got excited whipped his Rosinsnte into
sharp trot and took quickly to the scene of the dis
sster Just as my carriage reached the POnt de plma
three frenen rushed frantically by dragging small
hand freengne Of about halfmaD power, 10 exnguish
fire which would have dehed ten Of the most powerful
steam fire-engines in Hew-York.
At the scene Of the disaster most appalling spectacle
presented itself Women and children rushed frantic
ally hither and thither not knowing what they did or
whittier they went, for Of them would have actu-
ally dashed into the flaming ruins had they not been
prevented by the remen One woman, mad with terror
ung herself from third-stOry window and was dashed
10 pieces on the pavements. The National Guards
promptly formed Gordon across the Avenue Rapp, ana
declined to let any by, warning every one that
there was imminent danger OF second and equally
formidable explosion My safe-conduet secured me ad-
mittance One could not walk many yards along the
Avenue Rapp without being in danger OF stumbling over
blackened shapeess corpse In the middle OF the
lay the trunk of woman whose arms head and
limbs had been blown away. 1t difficult to recognize
the charred Of flesh and before us as having
recently belonged 10 a living creature. mans arm
was TO be seen the top Of low house about 100 yards
from the scene Of the explosion. AL this while the fire
blazed ercey notwithstanding the courageous efforts OF
the nremen. Every moment fresh explosion was ex-
peeted as more powder known TO be stored In the
neighborhOOd
AS 10 add 10 the horror OF the scene the Versailles
shells kept bursting IN the Champ de Mars in which
many Of the wounded stl lying. Above the roar
OF the flames would heard the OF the shells as
they few down from Msntretout and Meudon. For a
space OF about a hundred yards square all the light
wooden buildings had been leveed with the ground, and
Il was the debris that burning with many human
beings buried in fiery grave beneath The frelnen and
the crowd generally behaved admirably. While some
men formed chain down to the seinefOrtunstey only
fe hundred yards disant-Others watched for lull
IN the to dart in and endeavor 10 some un-
fortunate person fear however that these generous
efforts not crowned with the success they deserved
for living being extracted from the smoking ruins
as long remained. The wagons from the American
Ambulance on the Champs Elysees the first to get
into action Care was at taken OF more than 200
wounded persons The dead bodies and portions OF dead
bodies were gathered together.
Every window in the neighborhood broken and no
wonder for in the Avenue Rapp large pieces of stone
wall than foot in thickness were blown down for
yards together. block Of houses known the Cite
Napoleon almost entirely destroyed by the explo-
sion All the wooden sheds built for the reception OF
the National Guards the Champ dc Mars were shat
tered by the explosion and by falling balls, for the
poson hurled thousands Of Chassep6t cartridges
into the air These cartridges packed In large cop
per boxes only lightly fastened at the top, and exploded
high up in tho air sending the balls in all directions
Some Of them fell the TrocaderO on the other side OF
the Seine at least yards from the Of the dsas
ter The ground is st this morning covered with bull
lets and wonder, for several million cartridges were
fired by yesterdays explosion. Many persons, who
had escaped the effects Of the explosion ITSELF were
wounded by the falling bullets. Some or these
people who were only slightly wounded, as If by
an invisible hand, ran about shrehng "Treason"
Horses, which had broken loose, dashed down
the streets, knocking over the and children.
Suddenly the crowd took into their heads that trea
son was at the bottom Of the whole matter. Two or
three unfortunate arrested on the barest sus-
picion, and would certainly have been cast into the
ver had not been for the prompt Intervention OF the
National Guards. workman In the crowd was more
reasonable for taking off his cap, he round TO
money the wounded and the families of the vic
Tins Some maintained that the mischief had been
caused by shell from Montretou others declared that
the explosion had been the work Of traitor; but the
cry treason been often raised in France that
this last supposiuon is hardly worth discussing The
eaTelessness OF authorities in leaving so dangerous
Irludtnz III thcky populated quarter exposed 10 the