The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-30
SIX KILLED
AT The PARIS
EXPOSITION
Temporary Bridge Unable to Stand
the Sunday Crowd, Goes Down
with Fatal Eject.
AWFUL DISASTER PREVENTED
By the Condemnation of the Bridge.
Several Soldiers Injured-Au-
thOrities Not Responsible.

PARIS, April CAN accident within
the exposition grounds caused the
death Of 1--WE persons and injured many.
Atemporary bridge, unable to Withstand
the Sunday crowd, broke.
1t Is now known that six persons
we're killed and about forty others
wounded.
The accident threw pail over the
happiness Of an immense throng. who
had proated by the magnificent weather
to visit the exposition. To-dny's was
probably the record attendance. Not
merely the interior Of the grounds, but
the precincts also were crowded, and
the concourse was particularly great
along the Avenue de suffron, which
forms the northern boundary Of the
grounds.
Here is situted big side show, the
celestial globe. A foot-bridge, on
which the finishing touches were being
put to-day, crosses the Avenue de suf-
from, connecting the slde-show with the
exposition. II was constructed OF
wood with a stucco facade, and with a
plaster made tower at each end.
Bridge Was Condemned.
Strangely enough, the bridge had
been condemned only this morning as
unsafe by the exposition. The people,
therefore, were not allowed to go upon
the structure, and in this way u dlsas-
ter more terrible than occurred was
prevented.
A crowd was passing along the ave-
nue., and some hundred or more per-
sons were walking beneath the bridge,
when suddenly an Omlnous sound was
heard. Before those underneath could
turn aside the structure fell, with L
fearful crash, burying nearly fifty.
A shout of horror rose from the spec
tators, mingled with the cries Of the
victims. For a moment nothing could
be distinguished but cloud OF dust and
plaster. A scene of the greatest ex-
citement and confusion followed. Blu;
this was only for few seconds. Al
most Immediately the crowd attacked
the iebris5 In an effort to relpase thoss
lying beneath.
The workmen within the grounds who
had witnessed the accident the police
men and the republican guards, TO-
gether with quite a number OF soldiers,
Joined in the rescue work. The prom
enaders forgot their Sunday attire, and
covered themselves with dirt and grlmu
in tearing away the rubbish with their
hands. Wooden beams and poles were
brought from the half finished buildings
nearby, and were used as levers to raise
the fallen mass.
Terrible Death of Victims.
The victims first recovered were most
ly only the injured, the dead being
found later beneath the centre Of the
structure. Messengers were dispatched
to bring firemen and sappers with their
equipments, and the first body was
found after quarter OF an hours fran
tic labor. It was that OF u little girl
about seven years old, whose head was
horribly crushed. Victim after victim
was brought to light, until a row Of SIX
mutilated corPses had been placed upon
the walk, and nearly forty other per-
sons, some badly and others less seri-
ously injured. had been carried in am
balances or driven to the hospitals.
A family, composed of father mother
and two girls, narrowly escaped de-
structlon. The parents, who happened
to be a little ahead. had gone under the
bridge, the children following Just at
the moment OF the collapse. The par
ents were killed, but the children
sprang back, and escaped with Few
scratches. A eycllst had his wheel
smashed. but himself escaped unhurt.
The dead are three men, two women
and one child.
Plaster Towers Responsible.
Tho welghty plaster towers seem to
have been responsible for the fall of
the structure. Commissioner General
Picard and other officials Of the expo
sltlon arrived shortly after the accI-
dent, and superlntended the work Of re-
lief. President Loubet sent an officer
Of his household for information.
Several soldiers were among the In
jurod, and many Of their comrades
were foremost in giving assistance.
The disaster was the leading topic Of
discussion in the cafes and at the other
Paris resorts this evening, and strong
criticism was levolled against the eX-
position authorities for allowing an un-
finished structure to jeopardlze the lives
Of citizens, fears being expressed that
the Incomplete state of the works with
in the exposition grounds themselves
might lead to u similar accident.
It might be said, however. that the
exposition authorities arc not respon-
slble for the defective construction of
the foot bridge. which was erected By
the management OF the celestial globe.
As n result OF the accident NJ. Le-
pine, project of police, has ordered the
closing OF several slde-shows, the strue-
turalsnrrangements Of which are con-
sldercd dangerous.