The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-07-28
THE FRENCH HORROR
Details Of the Railroad Collision
Near Sainte Mande.
FIRE ADDS TO THE AWFUL AGONY.


Beneath the Burning Debris, Beg
ged to Be Put to Death-FulIy Two
Hundred Killed and Injured-A
Heap of Charred Flesh and Bones.
PARIS, July 2s.-A dispatch just re-
ceived from the scene of Sunday nights
fearful collision between excursion
trains near Sainte Mande represents the
accident as having been Of even a more
distressing character than at first ap-
peared. After the fearful crash the
train caught fire, and those unfortunates
who were pinned and wedged in the
debris were slowly roasted. Many Of
the poor creatures were so placed that
for many agonized minutes they were
forced to look upon death remorselesslY
burning its way toward them.
All that humanity could do to aid tho
sufferers was done, but in most in
stances to no avail. The awe stricken
multitude were compelled to stand help
iessly by and listen to the awful din
made by the cracking flames, the fall
ing iron work of the burning cars and
the shrieks, moans and prayers OF the
doomed.
begged to De Put to Death.
Occasionally hoarse voice would
raise itself above the tumult supplicat.
ing the merciful to kill the unhappy
speaker. In number of instances men
and women were seen laughing. gibber-
ing and finging their arms wildly aloft
Fear had dethroned their reason.
Thirty bodies have been taken from
the scene of the disaster and the search
continues.
The engine of the rear train telescoped
the last three cars of the train ahead
and almost instantly the reservoir in
which the gas was stored exploded with
terrific force. The wreckage then caught
fire.
A full half hour elapsed after the out.
break of the flames before the last faint
cry of agony was stilled.
Fully Two Hundred Victims.
Fully 200 persons are now known to
have been killed or injured The search
of the smoking wreck continues and
blackened cindors that once were human
Bodies or parts of living men and women
are still taken from among the twiste d
iron and Smoldering wood. The hor-
ror exceeds anything known in France
for many years and equals that near
Basic, Switzerland, some weeks ago.
Many of the unfortunate people i'm
prisoned beneath the wreck were
drowned, while partly roasted, by the
firenen 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 tho wreck and seemed to be
unaware Of the fact that they were
browning the people they were attempt
ing to rescue.
In the town hall of st. Mande the
blackened bodies lie in rows, unidenti
fed and unidentifiable. In the corner is
a heap of charred flesh and bones, all
khat remains Of number of bodies. The
number of the dead is believed to be
about forty-nine or fifty.
The Disaster Intentionally Caused.
lie Paris states that an investigation
which has been made into the accident
has discloiH1 the startling fact that tho
accident WIS Intentionally caused by
some unknown miscreant who delib-
erately altered the signals so as to bring
the two trains into collision. This an
nouncement has caused the most intense
Indignation among the relatives and
friends Of the victims and has aroused
popular feeling generally to state OF
great excitement. There seems to be
httle doubt as to the fate that awaits
the cowardly wretch who caused the
terTible loss of life should he fall into
tho hands of the mourners now gathered
al st. Mande.