The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-20
PENNED IN AUTO,
CHILDREN DROWN
UNCONTROLLED MACHINE RUNS
AWAY AND LANDS IN THE
RIVER SEINE.
WITNESSED BY CROWD
LITTLE ONES OF IsIDoRA DUNCAN,
AMERICAN DANCER, AND
THEIR COVERINGS ARE
VICTIMS.

PARIS. April la-The two chill
dren of Tsidora Duncan, the Ameri-
can dancer, Patrick, aged six years.
and his sister. Doudy aged three.
and the children's governess, Miss
Sim. an English woman. aged forty
were drowned today, when the auto
mobile In which they were riding,
just outside OF Paris. ran off bridge
into the Seine. Tho chauffeur. M.
Masserand. aged forty, escaped.
AZ about 3:45 o'clock this after
noon the automobile, which WAS
hired by tho month, came TO the Dun
cans villa Mt Neuilly. TO take tho
two children and the Roverness for
drive to Versailles. At the time
the mother of the children was en-
tertaining at tea. The usual chauf-
feur, NJ. Masserand. was driving He
is a man In whom Miss Duncan had
perfect confidence.
Car Is stopped.
The limousine. with tho children
and the governess in the tonneau.
turned n corner OF the Boulevard
Bourbon, when another automobile
coming towards 1t made Chauffeur
Masserand stop dead. When the
other machine had passed Masser-
and's motor had stopped. He de-
bCeItutd 1ANlil tIlG 1rAi anu f1S tlE tAI "a
ed the crank the car started spon-
taneously. The chauffeur bounded
after the car, which rushed for the
Seine. There was no barrier on the
bridge. and the car sunk into the
mud under water.
Masserand ran off crazed Two
mon on passing barge plunged into
tho water, but they were unable to
do anything toward rescutng the
children and the governess, who
were beneath the car and buried in
the mud.
NJ. DespouioIs famous autoboat
and other autoboats FASTENED TO the
scene and chains from the boats
were grappled on to the automobile
The boats however, were unable to
raise the machine. The fremen Of
Levallois and Neuilly arrived at the
bridge. but their means OF rescue
were insufficient Other firemen and
divers were summoned from Paris,
and after over an hours work the
cables hauled the car up till the top
appeared above water.
Little Patrick was extricated. and
for a moment hopes were entertained
that his life would be saved. The two
other bodies were taken out, but an
hours artificial respiration on the
three bodies proved without effect.
Mother Nearly Crazed.
The bodies were then placed in an
ambulance and taken to the Amer
lean hospital through the same street
on which the Duncans' villa Is stu
ated. and on which automobiles were
depositinR visitors. AS the bodies
we're carried past. the news of the
accident was broken to Raymond
Duncan, who made 1t his first care
to persuade his sister to go to d
bedroom OFF from the drawing room.
The drawing room has a large bay
window, and it commanded a view
of the immense crowd at the Neuilly
bridge watching the operations
When she realized what had happen
ed. the mothers grief was terrible,
and Il was feared that her reason
was gone,
The chauffeur OF the automobile
after wandering about the streets
surrendered himself to the police, de-
claring that he had stopped the car
before cranktng However. experts
have been appointed 10 examine the
automobile.
Mrs. Duncan has one child left.