The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-08-15
ONE HUNDRED VICTIMS OF
PARIS RAILWAY. HORROR

n AR1S, Aug. -Eighty-four bodies
have been recovered and the deatf
list will probably exceed one han
| ored in the underground railway disaS-
/ ter which occurred here last night
The accident, which occurred on the
Metropolitan ELECTRIC railway, assumed
| The proportions of an awful catastrophe
during the early hours today when
more than FOUR score of bodies and
suffocated victims were removed from
| the subterranean passage. The work
continues and indications are that the
death list viii perhaps exceed five
scores. -F
The scenes at the mouth. of the tun-
mel where the victims were brought
forth were of the most heartrending
description-crowds of weeping men,
women and children struggling for-
word in an effort to recognize their
missing relatives and friends.
Heroic Rescues.
Most of the victims are from the
middle and working classes as the
trains were carrying them home from
their work Although the accident oc
Cured at o'clock last evening the
officials and firemen were unable to
descend into the tunnel this morning,
owing to the binding cloud of smoke
from the burning train. Frequent at
tempts were made by heroic volunteers
whom it was necessary to rescue, half
suffocated, and carry away TO the
hospital.
At ten minutes after 3 o'clock
Sergeant Ahrens. wearing a respirator,
succeeded in making the descent, He
remained seven minutes and brought
the first information to the effect that
cOrpses were strewn all about the road
way of the tunnel. Then he collapsed
and was taken to the hospital. Twenty
minutes later firemen forced their way
down through the tunnel station at
Menilmontant and returned soon after
word with seven bodies-three men,
two young boys and two young women.
These persons had been asphyXiated as
their positions showed they had been
cropping their way through the smoke
that filed the tunnel, seeking way to
escape when they were overcome.
Bringing Up Bodies.
The work of bringing up bodies went
on steadily after that, under the per-
sonal direction of Prefect of Police
Lepine. who summoned large reserve
force to hold back the surging crowd,
including the relatives of the victims.
Long lines of ambulances were
brought into requisition and the bodies
were carried to the morgue and the
nearby military barra clSs. After day
light the crowds at the entrance of the |
tunnel increased to enormous proper
lions, obliging the police to form a
solid Gordon through which were ad- |
nitted only those seeking to identify |
heir relatives among the Victims The |
failure of many men, women and chill !
iren to return home during the night |
gave many the first news of the catas- !
-rophe Fathers and mothers came |
lurrying to the mouths of the tunnel |
% try and find the absent ones
At the second descent the firemen
ound a great number of bodies massed
lear the ticket office of the station |
where many had evidently been aver
'ome while seeking tickets They had
'een surprised by the columns of smoke
IND had sought to run back uo The
tone stairway, leading to the street. A
truggle had ensued and some escaped
lut the others had been tramoIsd on.
)ne woman had fled within the ticket |
ffice where her body was found.
The ticket seller himself succeeded in
scaping.
Pitiable Scenes.
At the station of Les Couronnes the
anne scenes Of death and despair mad
een enacted. The accident occurred
Midway between the stations of MenfI-
1ontant and Les Couronnes, so that
he work Of salvage proceeded from
9th ends of the tunnel. In addition
the binding smoke the tunnel
elched forth terrific heat. as one
the trains was slowly burning with
/. The f1remen succeeded in throwing !
everal streams of water in the direc-
on of the wreck, while some firemen
nd military engineers at great hazard.
ushed on inside the tunnel. They
rought out two bodies and soon after
ards three more. The latter we've Ia
orers who had almost succeeded in
the exit when they were ever
1me and suffocated.
further on the firemen stumbled
pom terrible mass of bodies. These
ere the passengers of the burned =,
ain. They had leaped from the
'aches when the fire broke out ana :
'oping through the suffocating clouds .
smoke sought the exit at Les Cou- ;
'nnes station. But the tunnel makes )
sharp turn near the scene Of lge dis
steF ana at the angle the entire mass
humanity apparently became tightly
edged in The panic which took place
thls point within the dark subter-
mean passage must have been terri :
e. c
The corpses from this death angle q
on swelled the list until at $50 a. N. ?
reject Lepine placed the number of !.
ctims at forty-five already recov-
ed, while the steady file of firemen :
lnging up bodies continued.
Nj. Iepine summoned a large force of :
'ctors and municipal officials who su-
the moving of the bodies. :.
he number of eorpses brought up from '
G angle where the mass was wedged
as so large that four and eight bodies
ere placed in each ambulance. Many
the victims had handkerchiefs Z
uffed in their mouths, they having II
identity tried to keep out the asphyxi- .
ing smoke. The faces of the dead II
ere red and congested. Some women W
Id their children tightly in their p
ms.
Agonizing Cries Went Up. Il
AS the firemen brought out the bodies q
cries went up from women r.
d children who recognized their dead =
islands and fathers. The clothing =
the victims indicated that they were =
most entirely second-class passen- -
RS. There were several first-class :,
aches on the trains and it is believed "
at their occupants were also among
e victims. The body of one woman
Is handsomely dressed, while two r
hong the male victims were evidently
rsons of Importance.