Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-28
A FEARFUL WRECK.
Forty Three Men Crushed,
Burned and Drowned.
THE GUILL0TiNE AT WORK.
A Deprayed Mob Crowd Up to View the
Bloody Spectacle.
The Emperor of Russia Loves France,
but He Won't Toast the French Re-
notwithstanding the Customs.
Italy Reducing Expenses.
Excursion Train Wrecked.

Excursion Train Wrecked.
PARIS, July 21.-The latest reports from
| ST. Maude. near Nincennes. where the col
lision occurred, show forty-nine killed and
| 100 injured. Six died after being extricated
| The engine of one of the trains telescoped
three cars loaded with excursioniSts, ex-
| ploding gas reservoir and setting fire to
the wreck
Later-It is now reported that 200 people
We're either killed or injured as I result of
the collision. Many of The unfortunate
people imprisoned beneath the wreck We're
| drowned, while partly roasted, by the fire
men, who were summoned TO the scene.
Forty minutes elapsed before the firemen
We're able 10 obtain water. but when they
did so they poured torrents upon the wreck.
and seemed to De utterly unaware of the
fact they Were drowning the people they
were attempting to save.
To-day the town hall of St Maude pre-
sents a fearful spectacle. Blackened bodies,
dead lie in rows upon the floor and upon
tables in that building. In some cases the
remains are but little more than heaps of
cinderS, intermiXed with parts of limbs and
fragmentsTof other parts of what were but
short time ago human beings, laughing,
chatting and singing. One pile OF charred
limbs and human cinders was especially
conspicuous. as it consisted of mass of
!, unidentified and unconnected bodies placed
in a heap.
ATT p. IN. LeParis states that an investi-
cation has been made into the ST. Maude
railroad accident, and ii has disclosed the
startling fact that the disaster was inten-
tionaliy caused by some unknown miscreant
who deliberately altered the signals so as
to bring two trains into collision. This an
nouncement has caused the most intense
Indignation among relatives and friends of
the victims, and has aroused popular feel
ing generally to state OF great excite
ment. There seems to be little doubt ds to
the fate that awaits the cowardly wretch
who caused such a terrible loss of life
should he fall into the hands of the mOur-
nerS now at St Maude.
Details of the accident now being received
from St Maude show that the collision was
a most terrible affair The engine of one OF
the excursion trains teleScoped three car
riageS loaded with eXcurSionists, and at the
same time the reservoir of gas on the dam
aged train exploded and set fire TO the
wreck, while scores of people We're pinioned
under the ruins of the three carriages. In
a very short time the flames spread to such
an extent that numbers of wounded were
slowly roasted TO death before the eyes of
those who were DOING theirutmost to rescue
them The horrible shrieks of the burning
people and the cries of desperation and
terror uttered by the survivors. who were
engaged in the work of reScuing, continued
almost without interruption for half an hour
after the collision.
\ majority of the victims were women
and children. The wrecked carriages con-
sisted of one tirSt-class, two second-class
and guards van. The first was completely
shattered. The work Of rescue proceeded
slowly during the night. At dawn people
began to flock to the scene many seeking
friends. There We're 10000 around
the station, and the school-room and
town hall, where the bodies were
l,-ir, HOG l,N
Inside there was a constant succession of
heartrendering scenes in the dim light af-
forded by lamps, as Identification of the
dead proceeded. Most of the bodies in the
town hall were scorched beyond recogn-
ton. They owe their identification TO some
special mark
The fire that broke out was fiercest in
the tirst-class carriages. from which twelve
bodies We're recovered. Among the in
iured sent to the hospital a number died
Immediately after admission, and
many are expected to die. The earliest per-
sons at the scene of the fire was brigade
of soldiers in barracks in the vicinity They
worked until O'Clock, when the line was
cleared.
Inquiry into the cause of the accident
shows that the second train left Vincennes at
the regulation interval of five minutes after
the first. The latter train was delayed at
ST. Maude, owing to the enormous crowd
Oh Inc Station EldSItr At
Nincennes blameS the driver of the second
train for the accident. When the train was
starting the stationnaster advised the
driver to go slow as there was train in front
of him, but he paid no heed and went ahead
At full speed. This driver at first alleged
that signals indicated that the line was
clear, but inquiry confirmed the report of
officials that danger signals were shown.
The driver now asserts that he has been I
victim of an act of revenge on the part of
some one, who severed his communication
with the air brakes, thus preventing him |
from stopping the train. The stoker of |
the second train declares that when the |
train left Vincennes the signal discs indi- |
Gated that there was no danger ahead. On |
reaching Port Tournelle, close 10 the station |
of St Maude. where the line curves he !
caught sight Of the redlights on the rear of |
the front train. He tried to put on brakes |
but they failed.
\ leading official of the railway blames |
the public for crowding into the rear van, !
which lie says was intended to remain !
empty. The greatest number of dead were |
found under the ruins of this van. An Off
Cial statement makes the number of dead |
forty-three and wounded l04