The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-12
OUT FROM A DEATH PIT.
Were Taken Mangled and Bruised
Bodies.
E COLLlERY EXPLOSION.
a Frightful Catastrophe I'm Belgium
Fire Added Horror to the Disaster
The Dead are Es imated at a0O-wom-
en- Mad with Grief.

BRUSSELS, March 12.-An accident oc-
Cured yesterday in a colliery near Char
leroi, which it is feared will result in a
great loss of life. The explosion was at
the Anderluis collicry.
1t was very heavy, and the ground for
a large area rocked and trembled for sew
eral seconds afterward. Houses were
shaken TO their foundations, windows
were loudly ratified and smashed, and
crockery and other articles were thrown
about and broken.
The residents OF the place were at first
paralyzed with fear, but soon realized
the nature of the trouble. Almost before
the tremblings ceased, the inhabitants
began TO rush from their dwellings, and
crowds OF excited men, women and chill
dren, the faces of all blanched with hor-
ror, tiocked to the mouth of the fatal pit.
Almost every family in the place had
relative or friend among the men employ
ed i'm the emine.
The scene around the pit soon became
one of great excitement and anguish.
Piteous shrieks and Cries
resounded on every side, as it was at first
thought everyone in the mine had been
killed. The women in the surging
crowd were especially loud in their la
mentations, as they realized that the ex-
plosion would likely bereave them OF
husbands, sons, fathers, brothers or
sweethearts.
Just as soon as the deadly fumes which
had been rushing up the shaft in sitting
volumes had been dissipated and ii was
thought the pit could be entered with
some safety, hundreds OF brave men vol
unteered to descend and rescue survivors
or bring out dead bodies.
Arrangements were quickly completed
for making thorough search OF all the
chambers and galleries in the mine, and
the first batch OF rescuers were lowered
down the shaft amid a chorus OF prayers
from the women that their efforts might
result in restoring the imprisoned men
safe TO their families. The searchers had
| TO proceed with much caution, as
Huge Piles Of Debris
which continually barred their passage
had to be removed before any advance
could be made and their own lives we're
raenaced by the possible fall of immense
masses of coal from the roof and walls.
There was a long interval of painful
suspense before a signal was received
| from below by the watchers at the mouth
of the pit that the rescuers had reached
! hoisted up. The cries, prayers and
| shrieas OF the anguished crowd were re-
doubled as the limp and black forms OF
thirty to forty poor men were brought to
the surface.
All the victims were either dead or bad
| ly injured, and the face of each were fear
| fully disfgured. Their conntenances were
| smeared with blood and were completely
black from smoke and dust and were
swollen out OF all proportion. A great
| sheet of flame must have swept through
| the mine, as the hair, beard and eyelashes
of all the unfortunate men
Had Been Burned on.
and besides the cruel cuts and bruises
they had received, their bodies were hor-
ribly burned.
Kind hands bore the victims from the
place, and the wounded men, groaning
| pitifully at every step, and followed by
| sorrowing friends, were conveyed TO the
infirmary. A large staff of doctors and
nurses had already arrived at the infirm-
| ary, all necessary medicine and instru-
ments were at hand and everything pos
sible was done for the relief OF the VIC
| Tins.
The large force of gend'armes which
had been hurried to the scene were al
most unable to cope with the crowd, and
| il was only with the greatest difficulty
1
through the mass for men bearing a
stretcher containing the mangled forms.
The
Crowd Was Mad with Grief
and women, young and old, sobbing and
shrieking in the most heartrending man
der, struggled with all the energy of des-
pair to force their way TO the narrow hu-
man lane and catch glimpse Of the men
as each successive batch OF blackened
bodies was carried through. When some
| bleeding form was recognized, shrek
more piercing than the others, would rend
| the air and in many instances women
| tainted away.
OF the men thus far brought out of the
mine alive only few are likely to recov-
err In every instance the men were dread
fully bruised, torn and burned and were
| also prostrated by inhaling the choke
damp, which poured in volumes through
the mine.
The noxious gases which still prevail in
the mine, owing to the ventilator being
| destroyed by the explosion, greatly re-
tards the work OF the rescuing parties, as
il is impossible to safely breathe the
heavy air for any length OF time and there
is constant danger of another explosion.
Owing to the condition of the mine
hardly a shadow of hope is entertained
that any OF the miners still eDtombed
can survive. The latest official estimate
places the number OF dead at 200.
The ministers OF husbandry and public
works are at the scene and are personally
directing the operations OF the rescuers.I
FIGHTING. FOR OFFICE