The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-08-15

TAI OF sixteen COacleS.
After proceeding about 200 yards to-
ward MenilmoTtant station the dam
aged motor set fire to the engine of the
first train. The fire burned fiercely.
| simultaneously the electric lights on
: The trains went out, leaving the pas
sengers in 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 ouo and tried
TO Grope their way lack. The power
full electrical current which continued
in the rails is believed to have stunned
or killed many. A number Of the pas
sengers managed TO reach Les Cou-
ronnes station, but the main body of
the passengers was overcome by the
heat and smoke
Terrible Panic.
A terrible panic occurred among
those behind and the horror of the sit
uatlon was increased by third train
crashing into the fiery mass and add
| ing another crowd of panic-stricken
passengers to those seeking an outlet
The cars continued to burn until
twenty were consumed. The burning
debris gave forth fierce heat which
! puffed out of the mouths Of the sta
tlons of Les Couronnes and Menilmon-
tant The escape of most of the train
| men was due to their superior know
| ledge of the subterranean passage.
A number of heroic incidents oc-
CURED. Several soldiers, ftemen and
| employees of the road nearly lost their
lives in seeking to aid the victims
The catastrophe has caused great
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,
visited the morgue and Premier
Combes went to the scene of the dis
aster. M. Hurteaux procureur of the
republic, and Judge Jolliot of the
Seine tribunal, have proceeded to Les
Couronnes station to open a judicial
investigation into the affair.
Engineer Was Careless.
The chief statienmaster at Les Cou-
rohnes M. Didier, says he saw the
names running along the gear of the |
cars when the first train passed
through the station, and called out to
the engineer to stop. saying there was
not time to reach the next station, but f,
the engineer declared he had ample |
time and proceeded. = few minutes |
later large blue flame flashed through |
the tunnel. followed by violent deto-
nation. Looking into the mouth of the |
tunnel. M. Didier could see flashes
from the burning cars.
Premier Combes descended into the
tunnel and made personal inspection.
He asked the chief OF police for a re-
port of the causes of the disaster and
d list of victims, and announced his
intention of proposing at a council of
ministers measures for the relief of the
poor families of the victims The flag
over the Hotel de Vile has been low
cred to half-mast rs sign of the cftys
mourning.
Exit Was Closed.
NJ. Gauthier. the magistrate for the
distict, says one of the main causes of
the loss of life was that those escaping
took the wrong exit, one passage let
ting out to the street while the otheri
was barred and it was used for admit
ting passengers Many of the victims
sought the barred exit and were found
massed against the wall where they
had slowly been suffccsted +
The firemen have gathered a large
collection of torn clothing. battered
hats, twisted umbrellas and blood
stained handkerchiefs showing how
desperate was the underground strug-
gle. {
At the American consulate it was
learned that there We're no Americans !
among the victims. The prefecture of
police confirms this.
President Lo0bet has telegraphed to !
the president of the municipal council
saying he shares the profound grief Z
into which the city has been plunged.
Story of a Survivor. {
Eugene Olliever, cne of the few sur 7
1ivors, described the terrible panic )
which occurred in the darkness. The r
people, he says, rushed and fought e
With one another, madly seeking to get 7
away. He was sick. but. nerved to T I
by the situation, managed :.
o get through the struggling mass. As II
le went, he passed over the bodies of I
hose VINO had fallen exhausted, but it q
vas Impossible TO render them aid. ! {
The names and occupations OF the
'ictims. give pathetic evidence of their
tumble condition. The names arc
of the French working =
lasses, and the occupations are given T
Is painter, mason. plumber. tailor, b
eamstress. locksmith, etc. Outside the z
about every third name is .
hat of woman. Pitiful scenes we're :,
/
lay as the relatives gathered seeking
o identify the bodies. which were
anged in long lines on white marble
labs. The clothing Of many of the 81
ictims is torn, showing the fierceness v
t the struggle.
/. Struggle Was Terrific.
Another survivor named Jules Bouat
-ascribes the struggle during the panic =
4 the tunnel as terrible. Women were
creaming Save me. save me-" An old
nan fell suffocated at his feet. The
Tomen screamed until they fell as $
hyxiated \
NJ. Bienvenu, the chief engineer of f
he Metropolitan railroad, says that a
rom the technical view every precau- G
ion to avoid danger had been taken. n
he chiei misfortune was that the en- b
loyes did not organize assistance with v
efficient rapidty to permit the pas t
engers being quickly drawn out. 4 O
lrge force of mounted guards is AT the h
louths of the tunnel. al
COURTS MUST DECIDE. d