The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-12
ONE HUNDRED VICTIMS OF
PARIS RAILWAY HORROR
! Pitiable Scenes at Both Ends of the Tunnel While
the Bodies Were Being Taken Out
Most of the UnOrtunate Belonged The Working Classes and
Were on Their Way Home.

" ARTS, Aug. -Eighty-four bodies
have been recovered and the death
list viii probably exceed one hum
Gred 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
moro than -FOUR score of bodies ana
suffOcated victims were removed from
the subterranean passage The work
continues and Indications are that the
death list w.ll perhaps exceed five
scores.
The scenes at the mouth of the tun-
mel where the victims were brought
forth were OF the most heartrending
uescription-crowds of weeping men,
women and children struggling fJr-
word I'm an effort 20 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 al s O'Clock last evening the
officials and firemen were unable 10
descend into the tunnel this morning,
from the burning train. Frequent at
temrts were made by heroic volunteers
whom it was necessary to rescue, half
sunocated. and carry away to the
hospital.
At ten minutes after 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 We're st-ewn all about the road
way OF the tunnel. Then he collapsed
and was taken 10 the hospital. Twenty
minutes later fremen 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 a way TO
escape wnen they were overcome.
Bringing Up Bodies.
The work OF bringing up bodies went
on steadily after that under the per
sunal direction of Project Of Police
Lepine, who summoned a large reserve
force 10 hold back the sUrging crowd,
including the relatives of the victims
Long lines OF ambulances We're
brought into requisition and the bodies
nearby military barracks. After day
light the crowds at the entrance of the
tunnel increased to enormous proper
lions, obiging the police to form a
solid Gordon through which were adj
mitted only those seeking to identify
their relatives among the victims. The
failure of many men. women and chill
dren 90 return home during the night
gave many the first news of the catas-
trophe- Fathers and mothers came
hurrying to the mouths of the tunnel
TO try and find the absent ones.
At tho second descent the firemen
found a great number of bodies niassed
near the ticket Office of the station
where many had evidently been over
come while seeking tickets. They had
been surprised by the columns of smoke
and had sought to run back 40 the
stone stairway. leading to the street. A
struggle had ensued and some escaped
} but the others had been tramolad on.
one woman had fed within the ticket
Office where her body was found.