The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-12
PARIS HORROR GROWS
THOUGH ONE TRAIN is STILL BURN
FIRE SWEPT TUNNEL.
WORK OF RESCUE CONTINUED
THOUGH ONE TRAM is STILL BURN
ING IN TUNNEL.

Bodies Found In Masses-Wedged
Together in Effort to Escape Had
So Died-Dead Mothers Found
with Babies stilI in Arms-Vic-
Tins Found with Handlxerchiefs
stuffed in Mouth--Accident Caused
by Electric Motor setting Fire to
Train,-N0 Americans Among the
Dead.
Paris, Aug. Eighty-four bodies
have been recovered and the death list
probably will exceed one hundred in
the underground railway disaster which
occurred here last night.
The accident, which occurred on the
Metropolitan Electric Railway, assunl-
ed the proportions of an awful catas-
trophe during the early hours to-day
when more than four score bodies of
the burned and suffocated victims
were removed from the subterranean
passage. The work continues and in
dications are that the death list will
perhaps exceed five score.
Long lines Of ambulances were
brought into requisition and the bodies
were carried to the morgue and the
near by military barracks.
Hunting Relatives.
After daylight the crowds at the en-
frances to the tunnel increased to enor-
nous proportions, obliging the police
to form a solid Gordon through which
were admitted only those seeking to
identify their relatives among the VIC
Tins. The failure of many men, worli-
en- and children to return home during
the night gave many the first news Of
the catastrophe. Fathers and mothers
came hurrying to the mouths of the
tunnel to try and find the absent ones.
The firemen found a great number
of bodies nassed near the ticket office
Of the station, where many had evil
IDENTIFY been overcome while seeking
tickets They had been surprised by
the columns 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 9th
ers had been trampled on. One woman
had fed within the ticket Office, where
her body was found. The ticket seller,
herself, succeeded in escaping.
Death and Despair Everywhere.
I: At the station of Les Couronnes,
the same scenes of death and despair
had been enacted. The accident &C.
Cured midway between the stations of
Menilmonant and Les Couronnes.
The work of salvage proceeded from
both ends of the tunnel. In addition
to the binding smoke, the tunnel
belched forth terrific heat. as one of
the trains was slowly burning within.
The firemen succeeded in throwing
several streams of water in the direc-
tion of the wreck, while some firemen
and military engineers at great haz-
ard pushed on inside the tunnel.
Further on, the firemen stumbled
upon a terrible mass Of bodies. These
were the passengers of the burned
train. They had fed from the coaches
when the fire broke out and cropping
through the suffocating clouds OF
smoke, sought the exit at Les Couran-
mes station.
But the tunnel makes a sharp turn
near the scene of the disaster and
at the angle the entire mass of hui
manity apparently became tightly
wedged. The panic which took place
at this point within this dark subter-
ranean passage must have been ter
rible.
Dead Children in Arms.
M. Lepine, project of police, summon
ed a, large force of doctors and munic-
ipal officials who superintendent the re-
Inoval of the bodies. The number of
corpses brought up from the angie
where the mass was wedRed was 50
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.
muse Oh ACCI0enI.
Several versions of the disaster are
given, but the main facts which have
been established are the following:
Train No. AZ, which caused the ac-
cident, came from Porte Dauphins, at
the entrance to the Bots De Bologne,
in the western part of Paris, and pass
ing under the Place De L'Etoile, Cir
cled the northerly quarter of the city.
In this northern quarter-a nnanufact-
kSing section-ehe train picked up
numbers of workmen, who, after their
days work, we're returning TO their
homes in the populous eastern Arron-
easements of the city.
On reaching the neighborhood OF the
Cemetery of Pere La Chaise, the cleo
trical meter failed to act properly and
the train waited at the station Of Les
Couronnes until the arrival of the sec
ond train, which pushed the crippled
train forward, making a total of six
teen coaches.
After proceeding about two hundred
yards towards Menilmontant station
the damaged dynamo set fire to the
engine of the first train. The engine
burned fiercely, raising quantities of
smoke. simultaneously the electric
lights on the trains went out, leaving
the passengers in total darkness, ex-
cept for the light Of the burning en-
CINE far ahead. This inpeded the prog
ress of the trains toward Menilmon-
tant.
The terror-stricken passengers got
out and tried to grope their way back
to Les Couronnes. The powerful cleo
trio current which continued IN the
rails, is believed TO have stunned or
killed many. A number Of the passen-
Z