The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-09-02

GFaAaaI CHEZ guard tol Train NO. 10,
which was enveloped at the Charonnes
station by smoke caused by the burn
ing of train No A. made tho following
statement about the recent accident in
the Paris Metropolitan Underground
railway, says the New York Herald:
"My train was packed. 1t contained
AT least $50 passengers. We had picked
ND at the Barbes station the passengers
who had been made to get out of train
40. 43. in which the carriage contain
ing the motor caught fire. At Cha
Eonnes station we were stopped by sig
mails. AS the waiting became tedious,
come passengers loosely shouted out
Tout lie monde descend? These words
had been used by the railway servants
IN telling them to get out of train No
A8 at the Barbes station.
"a few passengers got angry over
the delay, but the majority regarded it
as a laughing matter and cracked
Sokes about 1t. Suddenly | noticed
dense smoke coming from the direction
OF Menilmontant. Realizing the dan
ger, / shouted to the passengers to get
out of the train, at the same time run
ming to the telephone to request the
,Belleville station TO cut off the electric
current. But the telephone was not in
working order.
Il called an employee named Latige
and asked him to run to the BelleVille
station via the boulevard. He started
81 40
were begging the passengers to get out
of the train, but the passengers re-
fused. We We're made to get out at the
Barbes station they said, and we have
had enough of it All this time the
smoke was steadily approaching, be-
coming denser and denser. 1t was like
a wall advancing Seeing the smoke
enveloping us, finally took by the
arms some passengers who were stand
ing at the carriage door, shouting to
them, DO get out!
'These passengers then surrounded
me and demanded that the cost of their
tickets be refunded l replied: The
money will be refunded later on. Run
away" But they would not heed me.
1ItN lScl I'LL ctilb anu 4CNCANCNA t'NN
eral blows. A crowd gathered around
me and prevented the passengers who
had been in the end carriages from
reaching the exit staircase up which
most of the other passengers had made
their escape.
"Then the electric light suddenly
went out \ fearful crush followed in
the darkness. Piercing shrieks re-
sounded during a few seconds, but the
.suffocating smoke speedily silenced ev-
cry voice. | tried to light some wax
matches. but the fumes of the smoke
extinguished them inStantaneOuSly.
Then l CROPPED my way along to the
wall knew that the exit is at the left
extremity of the platform. so l ad-
vanced in that direction, keeping
against the wall. As / was cropping
along l touched somebody whose arms
were beating like windmiils. l caught
hold of an arm and dragged this per
son along with me.
when we reached the exit staircase
] felt that the person l vas dragging
was about to faint. | was half suffo
Gated myself and my head was whirl
ing. l made a supreme effort to get
up a few steps. On reaching the upper
floor of the station l fell with the per
son. a woman, whom ] had dragged
along in the darkness. Fortunately
help was soon at hand Rescuers
picked us up and conveyed US to a
chemists shop"
NJ. Alfred Martin. correspondent Of
the Gazette de Charleroi. who with his
wife was in one of the trains burned.
gives his impressions of the disaster as
follows:
my wife and took the Metropolitan
at the Place Clichy about O'Clock.
We intended to go TO the Bastille in
order to take a train for Chennevieres
at the Care de Vincennes. When we
arrived at the Boulevard Barbes we
were told to alight. as the floor of the
carriage containing the motor had
caught fire The flames were eXtin-
guished with hand grenades. Then the
train started slowly on its way to the
work shops at the Place de la Nation.
1--WE, with other passengers, were
crowded into the following train and
started off again, but when we had ar
rived between the Rue d'Allemagne
c+o tiops had an