Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-08-12
TALE OF PARIS ACCIDENT
Particulars of the Underground Horror In
Paris In which A Hundred Lives we're
Lost.

PaflS, aug. 1Z.-Elgnty-fOur DOO1eS
have been recovered and the death list
will probably exceed hundred in the
underground railway disaster which
occurred here during the night
The accident occurred on the Metro
politan Electric railway, which runs
mostly underground. One of the trains
broke down at Menilmontant station,
which is in a poor and populous quar-
ter OF Paris. This train was promptly
emptied and the train which followed
was ordered to push it to the repair
ing sheds. Gu the way these two
trains caught fire. but the employees
succeeded in escaping. Meanwhile
crowded train reached Les Charonnes,
the preceding station, and the officials,
seeing smoke pouring out of the tun-
mel, gave the alarm. A panic ensued.
the passengers struggling to escape
from the station. Amid the increasing
smoke many attempted to return along
the line toward Belleville and they
were suffocated.
Although the accident occurred at
s o'clock in the evening the officials
and firemen were unable until early
next morning to descend into the tun-
mel, owing to the
Binding Clouds Of Smoke
from the burning train. Frequent at
tempts were made by heroic volun-
teers, whom it was necessary to rescue,
half suffocated. and carry away to
the hospitals.
At $40 a. IN. Sergeant Ahrens,
wearing respirator, succeeded in
making the descent He remained
seven minutes and brought the infOr-
nation that corpses were strewn all
about the roadway of the tunnel. Then
he collapsed and was taken to the
hospital Twenty minutes later fire.
men forced their way down through
the tunnel station at MenilmOntant
and returned soon afterward with
seven bodies. two young boys and
three women. These persons had
been asphyxiated, as their positions
showed they had been cropping through
the smoke that filed the tunnel seek
ing way to escape, when they were
overcome.
The work of bringing up bodies
went on steadily after that, under the
personal direction of Prefect Of Police
Lepine, who summoned large re-
serve force to hold back the surglng
crowd, including the relatives OF the
victims.
The scenes at the mouth of the tun-
mel where the victims were brought
forth were of the most heartrendlng
description, crowds of weeping men,
women and children struggling for
ward in an effort to recognize their
missing relatives and friends. MOST
of the victims are from the
Middle and Working Glasses
as the trains were carrying them home
from their work.
Long lines of ambulances were
brought into requisition and the bodies
were carried to the morgue ana tne
nearby military barracks.
At the second descent the hremen
found a great number OF bodies masseo
near the ticket Office OF the station
where many had evidently been over
come while seeking tickets. lhey
had been surprised by the columns OF
smoke and had sought to run back vi
the stone stairway leading to the
street. A struggle had ensued ant
some escaped, but the others had beer
trampled on. =,
At the station of Les Charonnes TN
same scene of death and despair na'
been enacted. The accident occurre!
midway between the stations of Menil
montant and Les Charonnes. SO ina
the work of salvage proceeded iron
both ends of the tunnel. In addltlol
to the binding smoke the tunhe
belched forth a terrific heat, as one
the trains was slowly burning within
The firemen succeeded in throwin
several streams of water in the dire'
ton of the wreck. while some flreme
and military engines at great hazard
Pushed on Inside the Tunnel.
They brought out two bodies and 500
afterwards three more. The latse
were laborers who had almost succeed
ed in reaching the exit when the
were overcome and suffocated.
Further ON the firemen stumble
upon a terrible mass of bodies. Thes
were the passengers of the burne
train. They had leaped from IN
coaches when the fire broke out an,
cropping through the suffocating clouu
of smoke. sought the exit at Les Cha
Onnes station. Rut the tunnel MAKE