Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-22
PARIS SUBWAY HORROR
Stories of Electric Railway Ac-
cident Told by Eyewitnesses.
PASSENGERS REFUSED TO LEAVE.

Chief Guard of One OF the Trains
Says They Waited While Motor
Burned, Demanded Return of Their
Fares TILL Lights Went Out, and
Then "a Panic Ensued-A Newspaper
Mans Experience.
Chedal, chief guard Of train No. 4S,
which was enveloped at the Charonnes
station by smoke caused by the burn
ing of train No. 43, made the 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
up at the Barbes station the passengers
who had been made to get out of train
No. 43, in which the carriage contain
ing the motor caught fire. At Cha
ronnes station we were stopped by sig
nails. AS the waiting became tedious,
some passengers jocOsely shouted out,
Tout lie monde descend" These words
had been used by the railway servants
in telling them to get out of train No
43 at the Barbes station.
"A few passengers got angry over
as n laughing matter and cracked
jokes about it. Suddenly 1 noticed
dense smoke coming from the direction
of Menilmontant. Realizing the dam
ger, l 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
off Immediately. Meantime the guards
were begging the passengers to get out
of the train, but the passengers re-
fused. we were 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, l 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.
They used threats and l received sew
eral blows. 4 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. a fearful crush followed In
the darkness. Piercing shrieks re-
sounded during a few seconds, but the
suffocating smoke speedily silenced ev-
cry voice. 1 tried to light some wax
matches, but the fumes of the smoke
extinguished them instantaneOusly.
Then 1 CROPPED my way along to the
wall. knew that the exit is at the left
extremity of the platform, so l adj
vanced in that direction, keeping
against the wall. AS l was cropping
along 1 touched somebody whose arms
were beating like windmills. 1 caught
hold of an arm and dragged this per
son along with me.
when we reached the exit staircase
felt that the person 1 was dragging
was about to faint I was half suffo-
Gated myself and my head was whirl-
ing. I made a supreme effort to get
up few steps. On reaching the upper
floor of the station 1 fell with the per
son, a woman, whom 1 had dragged
along in the darkness. Fortunately
help was soon at hand. Rescuers
picked us up and conveyed us to
chemists shop"