Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-05-04
DEADLY CRASH.
sIGHTsEERs MEET DEATH in PARIS
EXPOSITION.
NINE KILLED, NINE INJURED.
Temporary Footbridge Gives Way at Big
Celestial Globe" observation-disclosures
Had Been Condemned, Else the Mortar
ity Would Have Been Far Greater-eas's
Gloom Over Assemblage.

Paris, (By Cable. )-An accident within tne
exposition grounds caused the death OF nine
persons and nine others were injured. A
temporary bridge which was unable to with
stand the Sunday crowd broke The acci-
dent threw a pail over the happiness OF an
immense throng who had psofited by 'no
magnificent weather to visit the exposition.
Sundays was probably the record attend
ance. Not merely the interior OF the GROUNDS,
but the precincts also were crowded, ana inc
concourse was particularly great along the
Avenue de Suffren, which forms the north
ern boundary OF the grounds.
Here is situated big sideshow-the celes-
tial globe. A footbridge, on when the III
ishing touches were being put, crosses the
Avenue de Suffren, connecting the sidesnow
with the exhibition. 1t was constructed OF
wood, with a stucco facade, and with
plaster-made tower at each end.
Strangely enough, the bridge had been
condemned as unsafe by the eXhlbltioh
authorities. The public was, therefore. not
allowed to go upon the structure, and III THIS
way disaster even more terrible than mat
which occurred was ayerted.
The gay crowd was passing along the ave-
nue., and some hundred or moro persons were
walking beneath the bridge, when suddenly
an ominous cracking was heard. BEFORE
those underneath could turn aside the stfuc-
ture fell with fearful crash, burylng near
ly 80.
A shout OF horror rose from the spectators,
mingled with the cries Of the victims. For
a moment nothing could be distinguished
but cloud of dust and plaster. A scene Oh
the greatest excitement and confusion 1ol-
lowed. But this was only for few seconds
Almost Immediately the crowd attacked the
debris In an effort to release those lying pc
meath.
The workmen within the grounds who had
witnessed the accident, the police and the
republican guards, together with quite q
number of soldiers, joined in the rescue
work. The promenaders forgot their Sun
day attire and covered themselves with dirt
and CRIME In tearing away the rubbish with
their hands. Wooden beams and poles were
brought from the half-fnished buildings
nearby and were used as levers to raise the
fallen mass.
The victims first recovered were mostly
only the injured, the dead being found later
beneath the centre of the structure. Mes
sengers we're dispatched to bring fremen and
sappers, with their equipments, and the nrst
body was found after quarter OF an hour
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 mutilated corpses
had been placed upon the sidewalk, ana
nearly 40 other persons, some badly and
others less seriously injured, had been car
ried in ambulances or driven to the hos
pitfalls.
A family composed of father, mother and
two girls narrowly escaped destruction.
The parents, who happened to be little
ahead, had gone under the bridge, the chill
dren following, just at the moment OF the
collapse. The parents were killed, but the
children sprang back and escaped with
few scratches. A cycist had his wheel
smashed, but himself escaped unhurt.
The weighty plaster towers seem to have
been responsible for the fall of the structure.
Commissioner-Ge General Picard and other high
officials of the exposition arrived shortly
after the accident and superintendent the
work OF relief. President Loubet sent an
officer of his household for information.
Several soldiers were among the injured,
and many OF their comrades were foremost
in giving assistance.