Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-28
ST MANDE COLLISION.
rty-ThreeKilled and Over One Hun
dred Wounded.
THE WRECKAGE SET ON FIRE
And Many Victims Drowned By Frsmsn flooding
the Wrsck-HeMrsnding Scenes Enacted
When the COrpses are Taken Oct
Station Master and Engineer
Of Ono Train Arrested.

PARIS, July 27.-The details Of the
accident between the two excursion
trains returning from a musical festi-
val at Fontenoy are now being received
from St. Mande, show that the collision
was most terrible affair. The engine
of one of the excursion trains tele-
scoped three carriages loaded with ex-
cursionists, and at the same time the
reservoir of gas'o the damaged train
exploded and set fire to the wreckage,
while scores Of people were pinioned
down, wounded and helpless beneath
the ruins of the three carriages. In
very short time the flames spread to
such an extent that numbers or the
wounded were slowly roasted to death
before the eyes of those who were do
ing their utmost to rescue them. The
horrible shrieks Of the burning people
and the cries of desperation and terror
continued almost without interruption
for half an hour after the collision.
1t IS now reported that 200 people
we're either killed or injured as result
of the ST. Mande collision. Many OF
the unfortunate people imprisoned be-
meath the wreck Of the railroad were
drowned while partly roasted by the
fremen who were summoned TO the
scene. Forty minutes elapsed before
the firemen were able to obtain water,
but when they did so they poured tor
rents upon the wreck and seemed to be
utterly unaware of the fact that they
were drowning the people they were at
| tempting TO rescue.
LIE Parts this evening states that an
| inyestig alton which has been made into
the St. Mande railroad accident has dis
closed the startling fact that the dis
aster was Intentionally caused by some
unknown miscreant who deliberately
altered the signals so as to bring the
two trains into collision. This an
nonncement has caused the most in
tense indignation among the relatives
and friends OF the victims, and has
aroused popular feeling generally to
state of great excitement.
Most of the bodies in the town hall
were scorched beyond recognition. They
owe their identification to some specia
Tue accruoio W as uIe nercesJ II. ouS .es eito' s
class carriages, from which twelve
bodies have been recovered, so badly
charred that Identification was impossi
BILE. Among the injured sent to the
hospital, number died Immediately
after admission, and many are expected
to Succumb.
An inquiry into the causes Of the ac-
cident shows that the fecond train left
Fincennes at the regulation interval OF
five minutes after the first train. The
latter train was delayed at st. Mande,
owing to on enormous crowd OF excur-
sionists. The station master at ViDcennes
blames the driver of the second train
for the accident. When this train was
starting the station master advised the
driver to go slowly, as there was a train
in front Of him, but he paid no heed to
the advice and went ahead at full speed.
This driver at first alleged that all the
| signals. indicated that the line was clear
but an inquiry confirms the report Of
the officials at st. Mande and Vincennes
that danger signals were shown. The
driver now asserts that he has been the
victim of an act of revenge on the part
of some one who severed communica-
tion with the Westinghouse air brake,
thus preventing him from bringing the
train to q standstill, the instant he per-
ceived the lights in the rear OF the sta
tionary train.
An official statement makes the num-
ber of dead 43, and the number OF in
jured 1O4. 1t is reported that warrants
have been issued for the arrest Of the
driver of the second train, and the
traffic manager at the Vincennes sta
tion.
The majority of the victims were
women and children. The wrecked
carriages consisted of one first class,
two second class and guards van.
The first was completely shattered.
The work Of rescue proceeded slowly
during the night until dawn. Peo-
pie then began to flock to the scene by
thousands, many seeking friends who
had not returned from the fete by day
break. There were 10000 persons
around the station and the school room
and town hall, where the bodies were
lying, were besieged by distracted peo-
pie. Inside there was constant sue
cession of heartreniing scenes as In the
dim light afforded by the lamps and
Identification Of the charred and man
gled bodies proceeded.