The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-11
HEAPS OF DEAD
< More Than 100 Persons Perish
in a Tunnel
or the Metropolitan Electric
Railway in Paris.
by FIRE AND SMOKE.
Trains Caught Fire and Scores
We're Suffocated.
Others We're Trampled to Death
in Rush to Escape.
BREAKDOWN OF TRAIN
Started the Trouble and Officials
Lost Their Heads.
Victims Are Found in Masses by
the Rescuers.
Trains Caught Fire and Scores
We're SuffOcated.
Others We're Trampled to Death
in Rush to Escape.
BREAKDOWN OF TRAIN
Started the Trouble and Officials
Lost Their Heads.
Victims Are Found in Masses by
the Rescuers.

Paris, Aug 11.-Eighty-four bodies
have been recovered and the death list
probably will exceed 100 in an under
ground railway disaster which occurred
here last night. The accident which oc-
fcurred on the Metropolitan electric rail
way assumed the proportions of an aw-
ful catastrophe during the early hours
today when more than four score bodies
of the burned and suffocated victims
were removed from the subterranean
passage. The work continues and in
dications are that the death list will.
4 perhaps, exceed five score.
The scenes a t the mouth of the tunnel
where the victims were brought forth
were of the most heart rending descrip
tion-crowds of weeping men, women
and children struggling forward in an
effort to recognize their missing rela
tives and friends. Most of the victims
are of the middle and working classes,
as the trains were carrying them home
4 from their work.
Although the accident occurred at s
o'clock last evening. the officials and
firemen were unable, until early this
morning. to descend into the tunnel
owing to the binding clouds of smoke
tempts were made by heroic volunteers
whom it was necessary to rescue, half
sufocated, and carry away to the hos
pitals
At 10 minutes after 3 o'clock Sergeant
4 Aherens, wearing a respirator. succeed
ed in making the descent. He remained
seven minutes and brought the first in
formation to the effect that corpses were
strewn all about the roadway of the
. Rn1l2nEa6
taken to the hospital.
Twenty minutes later fremen forced
their way down through the tunnel sta
tion at Menilmontant and returned soon
afterward with seven bodies-twO men,
\ two young boys and three women. These
persons had been asphyxiated as their
positions showed they had been CROP
ing through the smoke that filled the
tunnel, seeking way to escape, when
they were overcome.
The work of bringing up bodies went
on steadily after that. under the per-
sonal direction of Prefect of Police
Lepin who summoned a large reserve
force to hold back the surging crowd,
Including the relatives of the victims.
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
The catastrophe was caused py
train on the underground railway
breaking down at Menilmontant sta
ton which is in a poor and populous
section of the city. This train was
promptly emptied. and the train Whlcf
followed was ordered to push it to the
repairing sheds. On the way these tive
trains caught fire, but the employees
succeeded in escaping Meanwhile
> crowded train reached Les CharOnneS
the preceding station. and the officials
seeing smoke pouring out of the tunne
gave the alarm. A panic ensued, the
passengers struggling to escape. Amtc
the increasing smoke many attempted
TO return along the line toward Belle
willie and were suffocated. The officials
seem to have lost their heads, and are
IL hRrn
went
Long lines of ambulances were
brought into requisition and the bodies
were carried to the morgue and the
nearby military barracks. After day
light The crowds at the entrance of the
tunnel increased to enormous propor-
tions, obliging the police to form solic
Gordon through which were admitted
only those seeking to identify theil
relatives among the victims. The fail
IRE of many men, women and chldreI
to return home during the night gave
many the first news of the catastrophe
Fathers and mothers came hurrying t.
the mouths of the tunnel to try to fine
the absent ones.
found a great number of bodies masseC
near the ticket office of the station
where many had evidently been over
A come while seeking tickets. They haC
been surprised by the columns of smoke
and had sought to run back up th'
stone stairway leading to the street
A struggle had ensued and some
escaped. but the others had beer
trampled on. One woman had fleC
within the ticket office, where her body
was found The ticket seller hersel
succeeded in escaping.
At the station of Les Charonnes tn
same scenes of death and despair ha,
been enacted. The accident occurred
\ midway between the stations of Menil
! monta1t and Les Charonnes, so that thu
wcrk of salvage proceeded from botl
ends of the tunpel In addition to tn
binding smoke the tunnel belche'
forth a terrific heat. as one of the train
was slowly burning within The fire
men succeeded in throwing severa
streams of water in the direction of tn
wreck, while some Gremen and mill
tary engineers at great hazard pushed
on inside the tunnel They brought ou
two bodies and soon afterwards thre
more. The latter were laborers WHIT
had almost succeeded in reaching th
exit when they were overcome and suf
fOcateS
A MASS OF BODIES
Further on the firemen stumbled upor
a terrible mass of bodies. These weri
the passengers of the burned train
They had leaped from the coaches whel
lthe fire broke out and cropping through
the suffocating cloud of smoke sough
the exit at Charonnes station. Blu
the tunnel makes sharp turn near tn
scene ee aha disaster and At the angl