FIRE IN AN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXV, Issue 180, 13 August 1903, Page 3

FIRE IN AN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.

GKE IT J.OS3 OF LIFJS. Per Press Association. Paris, August 11. A fire originated on an electric locomotive near Menilmontant on the Pa-is undxr ground rail-vay. r lhe canvases ignited, then three other trains re.n in o the conflagration and the tunnel became choked with smoke. One hundred deaths occurred, most of the victims being asphyxiated. There were heartrending scenes when the bodies were brought to the Morgue for identification. . DETAILS OF THE DISASTER. A SECOND OUTBREAK. t Beceived 13 0,5 a.m. Pabis, August 12. Seventy-three bodies, mostly of the Working classes, have been identified. I There are many faces quite black, and some of them bore traces of pain, Numerous messages of sympathy have been received, including one frcm King Edward. The funerals will be at the city's expense. The wreckage pres-mts a mass of twisted iron, broken and fused electric wires. Parisians are indignant at the neglect of the officials in merely extinguishing the original fire with hand grenades, and transferring the passengers to a train standing near. They were using the second train when a furtusr breakdown occurred while passing the first train. The passengers, meanwhile, were transferred to a third train containing 350 people, The three trains ran alocg together, finally coming to a standsti ! l at Sourraunes station, which is between Belleville and the Bistille. As the smoke increased the guard nrged the pissengers to escape, but they, unaware of ihe danger, refused to set on the warning, demanded repayment of lliMr f.u'e-, assaulted the guard, and blocked tbe «f>y of the ccccpints of the m r c-tni'ges. Du-ing the dispute, hj) failed. The mj.nity of the bodies wera fennd on CouiTOces platform, the others being saved by th-)'r pre-enc? of mind. Knowing that, by the light beirg ou', • he j-lecuic current hid been cut, :hfy walked along ihe rails to Bellville. A fresh and similar fir* occurred at another part of the line last tight, but was extinguished,