Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-05-03
KILLED AT THE FAIR
ACCIDENT AT THE PARIS
EXPOSITION.
Nine Persons Lose Their Lives and
Forty Others wore or Less In
HID Been Condemned ms Unsafe
Throws "A Pail over the Happiness
of en- Immense Crowd IA Had
Visited the Exposition - Disaster
Causes Much Comment.

Paris, April 30.-An accident within
the exposition grounds caused the
,eath eff hire persons and Injured about
forty others. 4 temporary bridge, I'M
able 10 withstand the Sunday crnwd,
troke. The accident threw a pall over
the happiness OF an immense throng
who had profited by the magnificent
weather to visit the exposition. Yes
terday's WAS probably the record at
tendance. Not only the interior OF the
grounds, bur the precincts Were
,rowded. a foothridge on which the
nishing touches were put yesterday
irosses the Avenue de Sufren. connect
lag the side show. the Celestial Globe,
with the exposition. 1t was con
structed of wood with a stucco facade
and with a plaster made tower at each
md. Strangely enough the bridge had
been condemned only that morning as
unsafe by the exposition authorities.
hhe public vas therefore not allowed
TO 90 upon the structure, and in this
way a disaster w more terrible h
That which occurred was averted. The
ray crowd was passing along the ave-
Tue and some hundred or more persons
were walking beneath the bridge when
Ilddenly an ominous crash was heard.
Before those underneath could turn
aside the structure fell with IL fearful
lrash. buying nearly fifty. A shout
Of horror rose from the spectators,
mingled with the cries OF the victims.
For a moment nothing could be dis
tinguished but n cloud of dust and
plaster. A scene OF the greatest ex-
element and
Confusion Followed.
But this was only for a few seconds.
Almost Immediately the crowd at
lacked the debris in efforts to release
those lying beneath. The workmen
within the grounds who had witnessed
The accident. the police and the repub-
lean guards. together with quite a
number OF soldiers joined in the rescue
work. The promenaders forgot their
5endav attire and covered themselves
with dirt and dust and CRIME in tear
Ing away tie rubbish with their hands.
Wooden beams and poles were brought
from the half-finished buildings near
by and were used as levers TO raise
The debris. The injured were found
FIRST. the dead being found later under
the corner structure. Messengers were
dispatched 10 bring hremen II sap
hers with their equipments and the
first body was found after a quarter OF
nm hours frantic labor. 1t was that Of
4 little girl about seven years of age.
whose head was horribly crushed. Vie
tim after victim was brought TO light,
until a row of nine mutilated coroses
had been placed upon the sidewalk and
yearly forty other persons. some badly
injured. had been carried in ambu-
lances or driven TO the hospitals.
The disas.er was the leading topic Of
conversation in the cafes and ut the
otEer Paris resorts last evening, and
strong criticisms were leveled against
the exposition authorities for allowing
cn unsafe structure to jeopardize the
lives of citizens. fears being expressed
that the incomplete state of the build
lngs in the exposition grounds them
.elves might lead TO an accident.