The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-11

the entire mass of humanity apparently
became tightly wedged. The panic
which took place at this point within
this dark passage must have been terri
Bile.
The corpses from this dark angle soon
swelled the list until at $50 a. m Pre-
feet Lepine placed the number of VIC
Tins at As already recovered while the
steady file of firemen bringing up bodies
continued.
NJ. Lepfne summoned a large force of
doctors and municipal officials who su-
pcrintended the removal of bodies. The
number of cOrpseS brought up from the
angle where the mass was Wedged was
so large that four and eight bodies were
placed in each ambulance. Many of the
victims had handkerchiefs stuffed in
their mouths they having evidently tried
10 keen out the asphyxiating smoke.
The faces of the dead were red and
congested. Some women held their
children tightly in their arms
AS the firemen brought out the bodies
agonizing cries went up from women
and children who recognized their dead
husband and fathers. The clothing of
the victims indicated that they were al
most entirely second class passengers.
There were several first class coaches on
the trains and it is believed that their
occupants were also among the victims.
The body of one of the women was
handsomely dressed while two among
the male victims were evidently persons
of Importance.
PEOPLE CLAIM THEIR DEAD.
About Z a. m. the bodies of ten women
were brought out in bunch. The
bodies of two little girls and three in
fants were found with them clinging
to their mothers.
MANY poor people claimed the bodies
of their children and relatives and tried
to take them home but the police gently
but firmly insisted on the bodies being
ia ken to the morgue and barracks in or
=
phe might be determined. At the Hotel
De Vile. the president of the municipal
council announced that the city of Paris
would bear the entire expense of the
funerals of the victims.
BY $50 a. m. the total of the bodies
lying at the morgue had reached 40 and
the total at the barracks of the muni-
cipal guard A. making S4 altogether
At 8 o'clock the number of bodies was
unofficially estimated at above 100.
Several versions of the disaster are
given but the main facts which have
been established are the following:
TWENTY CARS BURNED.
The train which caused the accident
came from Porte Dauphine at the en-
trance to the Rois De Boulogne. in the
western part of Paris. After eircling the
northern quarter of the city, where num-
bers of workmen were picked up, the
train reached the neighborhood of the
cemetery of Pierre La Chaise, where the
electrical motor failed to act properly.
The train then waited at the station of
Les Charonnes until the arrival of a
second train which pushed the crippled
train forward, making a total of 16
coaches.
After proceeding about 200 yards tow
ards Menilmontant station. the damaged
dynamo set fire to the engine of the
first train. The fire burned fiercely
simultaneously the electric lights on the
trains went out leaving the passengers
in darkness except for the light of the
burning engine far ahead. This impeded
the progress of the trains toward Menil-
montant The terror stricken passengers
got out and tried to grope their way
back. The powerful electrical current
which continued in the rails is believed
to have stunned or killed many. A num-
ber of the passengers managed to reach
Les CharOnnes station but the main
! body of the passengers was overcome by
the heat and smoke. terrible panic
occurred among those behind and the
horror of the situation was increased by
third train crashing into the fire, ad-
| ding another crowd of panic stricken
passengers to those seeking an outlet.
| The cars continued to burn until 20
were consumed The burning debris
gave forth a fierce heat which puffed out
of the mouths of stations of Les Char
onnes and Menilmontant- The escape of
most of the trainmen was due to their
superior knowledge of the subterranean
passage.
| A number of heroic incidents occurred.
! Several soldiers, firemen and employees
of the road nearly lost their lives in
seeking to aid the victims.
The catastrophe has caused intense
excitement throughout the city, even
the Humbert trial being forgotten in
the widespread feeling of horror and
grief At noon Colonel Meaux st. Mar
con, on behalf of President Loubet, Wis
tied the morgue and Premier Combes
went to the scene of the disaster. M.
Heautux and Judge Jolliot of the Seine
tribunal have proceeded to Les Char
/ onnes station to open a judicial inves-
tigation into the affair. The chief sta
/ tion master at Les Charonnes, NJ. Did
ier, says he saw the flames running
I along the gear of the cars when the first
train passed through the station. and
called out to the engineer to stop, say
ing there was not time to reach the
next station. but the engineer declared
he had ample time and proceeded. A
few minutes later a long blue flame
flashed through the tunnel followed by
a violent detonation- Looking into the
mouth of the tunnel M Didier could
see flashes from the burning cars.
HAcuICQ H0MC