Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-05-03
TRAGIC MISHAP At
PARIS EXPOSITION
Nine Persons Killed and Nine 9th
ers Badly Hurt in an Acct
dent Sunday.
TEMPORARY BRIDGE coLLApses
Structure Gives Way Suddenly of
Its ow" Weight, Burying
Several Persons in
the Ruins.

Paris, May IAN accident Sunday
within the exposition grounds caused
the death of nine persons and injured
about nine others. n temporary
bridge broke. burying fifty people be-
meath the debris.
The accident threw a pail over the
happiness of an immense throng who
had protitcd by the magnificent wealth
err to visit the exposition.
Yesterday was probably the record
attendance. The concourse was partic-
ularly great along the Avenue de SUI
fren, which forms the northern boun-
Diary of the grounds.
Here is situated a big side show, the
celestial globe. \ foot bridge, on
which the finishing touches We're be-
ing put, crosses the Avenue dc
Sufrcn, connecting the side show with
the exposition. 1t was constructed of
wood, with a stucco facade and with IL
plaster made tower at each end.
Strangely enough the bridge had been
condemned only Saturday morning as
unsafe by the exposition authorities.
The public was therefore not allowed
TO go upon the structure, and i'm this
way a disaster even more terrible than
that which occurred was averted
The gay crowd was passing along
the avenue, and some hundred or more.
persons were walking beneath the
bridge, when suddenly am ominous
crash was heard. Before those under
meath could turn aside the structure
fell with fearful crash, b,rying near
ly fifty. A shout of horror rose from
the spectators, mingled With the cries
OF the victims. Almost Immediately
the crowd attacked the debris i'm the
effort to release those lying beneath.
The worl1men within the grounds.
the police and the republican guards,
together with quite ii number of SOL
dlers, Joined in the rescue work. The
Promenaders forgot their Sunday at
tire. and covered themselves with dirt
and Crime i'm tearing away the rubbish
with their hands. Messengers weres
dispatched to bring tircmcn and sap
pers with their equipments, and the
first body was found after quarter
OF an hours frantic labor. 1t was that
OF a little girl about years old, whose
head was horribly crushed. Victim
after victim was brought TO light,
until row of six mutilatcd corpscs
had been placed on the sidewalk,
and nearly forty other persons. some
badly and others less seriously in
iured, had been carried in ambuances
or driven to the hospital.
family. composed of father. moth
err and two girls, narrowly escaped de-
struction. The parents who happen
ed to be n little ahead, had gone under
just at the moment of the collapse
The parents were killed, but the chill
dren sprang back and escaped with Il
few scratches.
The dead are three men, two wo-
men and one child.
The weghtv plaster towers seem To
be responsible for the fall of the
structure Several soldiers were among
he injured, and many of their com
rades We're foremost in giving assist
ancc. Tonight strong criticism is
lcvelcd against the exposition autliori-
ties for allowing an unfinished struc-
tnrc to icopardize the lives of citizens,
fears being expressed that the in
complete state of the works within
the exhibition grounds themselves
might lead to similar accident.
1t should be said however. hat the
exposition authorities are not re-
sponsible for the defective construc-
tion of the foot bridge. which was
erected 10y the management of the ce-
lestial globe.
As a result of the accident NJ Lc-
pine. project of police, has ordered the
closing of several of the shows. the
structural ARRANGEMENTS of (which are
considered dangerous. !,
Some of the victims have since died
at the hospital, so that revised lists
show nine were killed and nine in
jnred. the injuries being mostly com
pound fractures of the leg. One wom-
an and the child are still unidentified