The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-08-14

O'Clock this morning Prefect Lepine
placed number of victims at 45 al
ready recovered, while the steady file
OF nremen bringing up bodies contin-
ued
Prefect Lepine summoned a large
force OF, doctors and municipal offi.
cials. who superintended the remov.
al OF the 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 stuff.
ed In their mouths, having evidently
tried to keep out the asphyxiatinR
smoke. Some women held their chil.
dren tightly in their, arms.
As the firemen brought out the
bodies agonizing CRIES went up from
women and children who recognised
their dead husbands and fathers. The
clothing OF the victims indicated that
they were almost entirely second-class
passengers. There were several first-
class coaches on the train, and Il ID
believed that their occupants were also
among the victims. The body OF one
OF the women was handsomely dress.
| ed, while two among the malefvictims
were evidently persons of'importance.
About Z o'clock In the morning the
bodies Of ten women were brought
| out In bunch. They had evidently
been together In the female depart.
ment and had sought to escape in com.
pany when they were overcome.
| Of
three infants were found clinging to
their mothers. Many poor people
claimed the bodies of the children and
relatives tried to take them home, but
the police gently, but firmly insisted
on the bodies being taken to the mos>
que and barracks in order that the
magnitude Of the catastrophe might bc
determined.
At the Hotel De Vile. the president
OF the municipal council announced
that the cit yof Paris would bear the
entire expense Of the funerals OF tho
| victims.
BY $3.50 o'clock this morning the to-
tel OF the bodies lying at the morgus
had reached 40, and the total at the
barracks Of the municipal guard A,
| making toll Of 81 bodies.
| AT o'clock the number ofb odies
was unofficially estimated at above
100.
Cause Of the Accident.
The causes of the accident are en-.
gaging the attention of the officials.
Several versions of the disaster are
given, but the main facts which have
been established are the following:
Train No. 43 which caused the acci.
dent came from Porte Dauphine at the
entrance to the Bois de Boulogne. in
the western part Of Paris and passing
under the Place de L'Etoile circled
the rortherly quarter Of the city. In
this northern quarters manufacture
Ing section-the train picked up nun.
bcsr of workmen, who, after their
days work, were returning to their
homes in the populous eastern arron.
easements of the citysn In reachins
the neighborhood of the cemetery of
| PYero La Chaise the electric motor
failed to act properly and the train
waited at the station of Les Charonnes
until the arrival OF a second train,
which pushed the crippled train for.
Il
ward. making total Of 18 coaches.
After proceeding about 200 yards tc.
ward Menilmontant station, the dam.
aged dynamo set fire to the engine of
the first train. The fire burned fierce.
ly. raising quantities of smoke. 81.
multaneously the electric lights on the
train went out, leaving the passengers
In tctal darkness, except for the light
of the burning engine far ahead This
impeded the progress OF the trains to-
ward Menilmontant The terror.
stricken passengers got out and tried
to grope their way back The DOW.
erful electric current which continued
in tho rails Is believed to have stunned
or killed many. number OF the
passengers managed to reach Les Char
onnes station, but the main body OF
the passengers was overcome by the
heat and smoke.
| A terrible panic occurred among
them behind, and the horror of the sit.
uation was increased by a third train
crashing into the fierce mass and add.
ing another crowd of panic.stricken
passengers to those seeking an outlet.
L ~