The Irish standard., 1903-08-15
TERRIBLE DISASTER IN PARIS
Underground Railway Cars Burned
in a Tunnel.
Passengers Are Suffocntcd by Smoke
NiActy-Four Bodies Have
Been Recovered.

been recovered.
Paris, Aug. 12.-Nine,yfour bodies
have been recovered ana the death list
probably will exceed 100 in the under
ground railway disaster which occurred
here Monday night.
The accident. which occurred on the
Metropolitan electric railway, assumed
the proportions of an awful catastrophe
during the early hours Tuesday when
more than four score bodies of the
burned and suftocated victims were re-
moved from the subterranean passage.
The work continues and indications are
that the death list will, perhaps, exceed
five score.
The scenes at the mouth of the tun-
mel where the victims were brought
forth were Of the most heart-rending de-
scription-crowds of weeping men,
women and children struggling forward
In an effort 10 recognize their missing
relatives and friends. Most of the VIC
Tins are from the middle and working
classes. as the trains were carrying them
home from their work.
NliuouS lllt dttIutul "tuI1pu at
eight o'clock Monday evening. the Off
Gals and tiremen were unable until
early Tuesday morning, to descend into
the tunnel owing to the binding clouds
of smoke from the burning train. Ere
quent attempts were made by heroic vol
unteers whom it was necessary to res
cue. half suffocated and carried away to
the hospitals.
Cause of the Accident.
The causes of the accident are engag-
ing the attention of the officials Sew
eral versions of the disaster are given
but the main facts which have been es-
tahlished are the following:
Train No. As. which caused the acct
dent. came from Porte Dauphine at the
entrance to the Bots de Boulogne. in the
western part of Paris. and passing UNI
der the Place de L'Itoile circled the
northerly quarter of the city. In this
northern quartcr-a manufacturing sec
tion-the train picked up numbers OF
wOrllmen, who. after their days work
We're returning to their homes in the
populOns eastern ACCOMPLISHMENTS Of
the city. In reaching the ncighbmhood
of the cemetery of Pcre La Chaise the
electrical motor failed to act properly
and the train waited at the station of
Les Conronnes until the arrival ofh sec
ond train which pushed the crippled
train forward. making a total of 16
coaches
After proceeding about 200 yards to-
wards MDni1 t,0 MI n etc ho do
aged dynamo set fire TO the engine of
the first train. The fire burned ficrcely.
raising quantities of smoke. Stimuli
taneously the electric lights on the
trains went out. leaving the passengers
in total darkness, except for the light of
the burning engine far ahead This i'm
pcded the progress of the trains toward
Menilmontant. The terror-strickcn pas
scngers got out and tried to grope their
way back. The powerful electrical eur
rent. which continued in the rails. is be-
lieved to have stunned or killed many
A number of tho passengers managed to
reach Les Couronnes station. but the
main body of the passengers was over
come by the heat and smoke
Awful Horror Increased.
A terrible panic occurred among them
behind and the horror of the situation
was increased by a third train crashing
into the fiery mass and adding another
crowd of panic-stricken passengers to
those seeking an outlet. The officials at
the stations were the first to become
aware of the disaster by the clouds of
cn,nt;n ricipr from, tha I
staggering forms of few of the strong-
err men and two women who had been
able to make their way through the
dense smoke. Those who got out we're
unable to give any information concern
ing the others left behind. hut they told
Of stumbling over dead people all along
the tracks. The cars continued to burn
until 20 were consumed The burning
debris gave forth a fierce heat which
puffcd out of the months of the stations
of Les Cour0nnes and McnilmOntant
Most of the trainmen escaped, but the
conductor Of the train causing the acct
dent was seriously injured The escape
of the trainmcn is attributed not to their
lack of attention to the passengers, but
to their superior knowledge of the sub
terranean passage which enabled them
to hasten forward in spite of the OBJ
security. Several soldiers were among
those who effected their escape They
were slightly injured however, and were
taken TO hospital. Two women who
escaped were partially asphyxiatcd
A number of heroic incidents occurred
One of the employees of the road nearly
lost his life in seeking to make his way
through the smoke to aid the victims
and is now in the hospital. Several SOL
diers and firemen risked their lives in
attempting to succor the passengers
One Killed In Wreck.
Bloomington, ILL.,, Aug. 1.-THE de-
of q Waha CHI "a Cd La.