Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-11
OVER 100 KILLED
Honifjing Disaster in
a Paris Subway,
TRAINS CAUGHT FIRE
People Became Panic Stricken
in Tunnel.
BUT FEW ESCAPED
TERRIBLE FIGHT FOR LIFE IN UN-
DERGRoUND RAILWAY.
Many Trampled to Death, but the Most
Of the Dead Were
Asphyxiated.
BUT FEW ESCAPED
FIGHT FOR LIFE IN UN-
DERGRoUND RAILWAY.

PARIS. August 11.-Eighty- bodies
have been recovered and the death list
probably will exceed one hundred In the
underground railway disaster which oc-
CURED here last night.
The accident, which occurred on the Met
tropoltan electric railway during the early
hours today, has assumed the proportions
of awful catastrophe. More than four
score bodies of the burned and suffocated
victims were removed from the subter-
ranean passage. The work continues, and
indications are that the death list will,
perhaps, exceed 100.
Many Heartrending Scenes.
The scenes at the mouth of the tunnel
where the victims were brought forth were
of the most heartrending description
crowds of weeping men. women and chill
dren struggling forward in an effort to
recognize their missing relatives and
friends. Most of the victims are from the
middle and working classes. as the trains
We're carrying them home from their work.
Although the accident occurred at 8
o'clock last evening, the officials and fire.
men were unable until early this morning
to descend into the tunnel owing to the
binding clouds of smoke from the burning
train. Frequent attempts were made by
heroic volunteers whom it was necessary to
rescue, half suffocated, and carry away to
the hospitals. s',,-.. -s-.---
At 3:10 an Sergeant Ahrens wearing a
respiratOr. succeeded in making the descent.
He. remained seven minutes and brought
the first information DO the effect that
CorpSeS were Strewn all about the roadway
of the tunnel. Then he collapsed and was
taken to the hospital. Twenty minutes
later fremen forced their way down
through the tunnel station at Menilmonta
and returned soon afterward with seven
bodies two men, two young boys and three
women. These persons had been, asphyxi-
ated their positions showed they had
been cropping through, the smoke that filled
the tunnel, seeking way to escape, when
they were overcome.
The work of bringing UP bodies went on
steadily after that. under the personal di-
rection of Prefect of Police Lepine, who
summoned a large reserve force to hold
back the surging crowd, including the rela-
tives of the victims.
Long Lines Of Ambulances.
Long lines of ambuances were brought
into requisition and the bodies were carried
to the morgue and the nearby military bar
racks. After daylight the crowds at the
entrances to the tunnel increased to enor-
nous proportions, obliging the police to
form solid Gordon. through which were
their relatives among the victims. The
failure of many men, women and children
to return home during the night gave many
the first news of the catastrophe Father
and mothers came hurrying to the mouths
of the tunnel to try and find the absent
ones.
At the second descent the firemen found
great number of bodies massed near the
ticket office of the station where m1ny hdd
evidently been overcome while seeking tick
otc haV hnH he. IL
umns of smoke and had sought to run back
up the stone stairway leading to the street.
A struggle had ensued and some escaped.
but the others had been trampled on. One
woman had fled within the ticket office.
where her body found The TICKET
seller herself succeeded in escaping.
At the station OF Les Charonnes the same
scenes of death and despair had been en-
acted. The accident occurred midway be-
tween the stations of Menilmontant and
Les Charonnes. so that the work of sal
wage proceeded from both ends of the tun-
nel. In addition to the binding smoke the
tunnel beiched forth a terrific heat one
of the trains was slowly burning wi:hin.
The firemen succeeded in throwing several
streams of water in the direction of the
wreck. while some firemen and military en-
gineers at great hazard pushed on inside
the tunnel. They brought out two bodies
and soon afterw3rd three more The latter
were laborers. who had almost succeeded
In reaching the exit when they were over
come and suffecated O..
Mass of Bodies Found.
Further on the firemen stumbled upon a
terrible mass of bodies These were the
passengers of the burned train. They had
fled from the coaches when the fire broke
out and cropping through the suffocating
clouds of smoke. sought the exit at Les
Charonnes station. But the tunnel makes
a sharp turn near the scene of the disaster,
and at the angle the entire of hu-
manity apparently became tightly wedged.
The panic which took place at this point
within this dark subterranean passage
must have been terrible.
The corpses from this death angle soon
swelled the list until at $50 am. Prefect
Lepine placed the number of victims at
forty-five already recovered. while the
steady file of fremen bringing up bodies
continued.
NJ. Lepine summoned a large force of
doctors and municipal officials, who su-
perintended the removal of the bodies The
number of corpses brought up from the
angle where the mass was wedged was SO
large that four and eight bodies were
placed in each ambulance. Many of. the
victims had handkerchiefs stuffed in their
mouths. they having evidently tried to keep
out the asphyxiating smoke. The faces of
the dead were red and, congested. Some
women held their children tightly In their
arms. .-r-.s-s -, 49,
As the firemen brought out the bodies
agonizang cries went up from women and
children who recognized their dead hus-
! bands and fathers
The clothing of the victims Indicated that
they were almost entirely second-class pas
sengers. There were several frst-class
coaches on the trains, and IL ID believed
that Their occupants we've also among the
Victims. The body Of one of the women
was handsomely dressed. while two among