, 1891-07-28
CHILDREN CRUSHED.
Terrible Accident to. q French
Excursion Train.
Forty-thre Killed and Over
One Hundred Injured.
Most of the Victims Women
and Children.
Many Of the Dead Legless and
Otherwise Mangled.

PARIS. July PA collision between
excursion trains occurred at St. Mande
last night in which fifty persons were in
jured and three carriages were wrecked.
Both trains were returning from 4 musi-
cal festival at .FOntenoy. The second
train crashed Tito the preceding train be-
fore the latter had left the St Mande sta
ton. The guards van and the rear car
riage of the fast train were wrecked and
caught fire.
The injured occupants were shriekiug
in despair, and tAe other passengers hur-
riedly left the rain and assisted in extri-
eating the victims, in quenching the
flames and rescuing the passengers. The
rescued we're cared for by torchlight. 1t
is reported that fifty persons were killed.
A dispatch from st. Mande at l O'Clock
this morning says that sixty persons were
injured, and that fifteen dead bodies have
been recovered. including those of two
children who were mangled beyond
recognition. Most of the dead victims are
legless, their limbs having been crushed
of through the jamming together of the
seats.
IuI9 -O.OVu OUlOOkeTS are al the scene,
Many relatives of the victims are assem-
tled at the railway station and heartrend
ing scenes were witnessed as the victims
were extricated from the wreck. .
The driver and fireman of the second
train were burned alive. 1t is reported
that the station master has gone mad.
The majority of the victims were
women and children. The work of rescue
proceeded slowly during the night until
dawn. People then began to flock to the
scene by thousands, many seeking friends
who had not returned from the fete BY day
break. There were 20. 900 persons around
the station, aud the school room and
town hall, where the bodies were lying.
were beseiGed by distracted people, In.
side there was n constant succession OF
heartrending scenes as the Identification
of the charred and mangled bodies pro-
ceeded. Among the injured sent to the
hospital a number died Immediately after
admission and many more are expected
to succumb. Inquiry into the causes of
the accident shows that the second train
left Vinceunes at the regulation interval
of FIVE minutes after the first train. The
latter train was delayed at st.
Mande, owing to the enormous
crowd of exc~ursionIsts. The
station master at Vincennes blames the
driver of the second train for the acct
dent. When this train was starting the
station master advised the driver to go
slowly M there was a train in front of
him, but the man paid no heed to the ad-
vice and went ahead at full speed. This
driver at first alleged that all signals indI-
Gated the line was clear, but inquiry con-
firms the rcnnrt of the officials at st.
Maude and Nincennes that danger signals
were shown. The driver now asserts that
he has been the victim of an act of re-
venge on the part of some one, who cut
the pipes of the air brake, thus prevent
ing them from bringing the train to a
standstill. The official statement makes
the number of dead forty-three and in
jured l03.
Among the victims are the Marquis
and MaTauise OF Montferaute. An
artillery lieutenant climbed to the top of a
burning carriage to rescue a girl, but fell
with her into the burning mass and
neither were seen again. 1t is reported
that warrants have heen issued for the
arrest of the driver OF the secondtrain and
the traffic manager at Vincenues station.