El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-23
Ether Starts
Gas Panic, 90
Die In Crush
Paris Crowd Thinks 1t Ger
man Gas; Theater Crowd
Sings AS Bombs Burst.

Paris France. april 23.-CCorres-
pondence of The Associated Press.)-
Fumes Of a bottle Of ether used to
revive a fainting woman. mistaken
for asphyxiating gas from a bomb
dropped by a German air raider.
caused the panic at the Metropolitan
subway station in which so or more
women and children were crushed to
death or smothered during the raid
last month.
The crowd had remained outside
the subway station waiting to hear
the German bomb explode before tax
ing to cover. A woman IN the crowd
feeling i'll, her husband held a flask
OF ether 20 her nose
What a smell" said someone The
remark. Overh card back in the crowd
was taken to suggest gas From tnat
step TO "asphyXiating gas was easy
In less time than II requires to tell II
that the last bomb that exploded
nearby was a gas bomb. That caused
a mad rush of the crowd down the
stairs of the subway station against
doors opening outward. In the press
the doors couldn't be opened until
en- persisted.
False Reports Circulated.
False lists of places where bombs
fell were circulated. these presuma-
bly, by agents Of the enemy. 10 work
upon the morale Of each different
quarter. Fantastic stories were spread
about the German aviatOrs flying low
enough at certain points to fire with
their machine guns upon the fleeing
people. The fact is that not single
German machine could be seen clearly
enough TO identify II, yet the story
worked upon the minds of impression
able persons
The conduct of the audiences in the
different places Of amusement may be
taken as Indicative Of the attitude Of
Paris toward the raiders Few spec
tators left their seats when the last
raid was anBounced toward the mid
die Of the performance.
Sylvan, playing the role Of the old
wine grower in the "NOces COrin-
themes" at the Coincide Franchise
interrupted himself long enough TO
say simply. 4 am told they are sound
ing the alarm" then went on with
his mOuOlOgue. Between the acts the
spectators went TO the cellar. but i'm
mediately after inspected the fine COL
lection Of busts that had been taken
there for safety.
Audience Sings as Bombs Burst.
At tue NAAET DEF re the NEEMEEAIa
played different one of the national
anthems Of the allies after the report
Of each explosion and the audience
sang those they knew. At the Folies
Marigny, on the Champs Elysees. a
piece in which the atrocities Of the
Huns is represented euthused the Z
crowd by reason Of the comparison I.
with the work of the raiders
At the vaudeville. Galipaux, the
Merle" OF Chantecler. continued his /
after announcing the raid, Z
hen passed the hat for the benefit o. 4
he victims
Throughout the raid there were /
people in the streets in every quarter /
n Paris There were more than 100 /
IN the Place d lOpega. just outside
he entrance to one Of the subway q
shelters. At every corner people I
,aught away from their homes. dis I
iaining offered shelters and cropping
heir way homeward as well as they
'ould, exchanged information as to I
where they we're. unable to perceive /
inything IN the pitch darkness.
All persons abroad had the right to I
inter the first building they came TO /
IND doors were opened at the first i
summons. but the wayfarer in most I
'ases simply wanted to know where I
he was.
Hundreds felt their way through |
he heaps Of broken glass and climbed I
lVer debris at points where bombs I
.ad Just fallen. giving them the SEN
alton OF scramblinE over a battle \
ield- Paris had become a part Of "the I
ront"