The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-30
A COLLIERY HORROR
Scores Of Men and Women Per-
ish in a Belgian Mine.
Fire Follows an Explosion ano
Cuts Off All Escape.

An accident occurred a few days ago in the
Anderluis Colliery, near Charleroi, Belgium,
which resulted in great loss OF life. Two
hundred and thirty-sour men were working
in a gallery 400 feet below the surface, when
there was terrific explosion Of flre-damp.
Forty of the miners escaped by means of the
second shaft and sixteen others were rescued,
having received probably fatal injuries. The
cage and the ventilator at the mouth OF the
pit were shattered by the explosion. The de-
structlon of the ventiator added an element
of great danger to the situation.
TIE e1plo.ion occurred at o'clock in the
morning, The shock caused by it resembled
an earthquake. and the ground for large
area IN the region of the colliery rocked and
trembIed for several seconds Houses were
shaken to their foundations, windows were
smashed, and crockery and ct .er arti-
cies of household ware thrown about
and broken Almost before the
tremblings caused by the mighty explosion
had entirely died away the people began to
rush from their dwellings, and crowds Of
excited men, women and children focked to
the mouth Of the uit Almost every family
in the place had a relative or friend among
the men employed in the mine.
As soon as the deadly fumes which had
had been dissipated, and it was thought that
the pit could be entered with some degree Of
safety, a willing band OF hundreds Of brave
men volunteered to descend into the abyss
and begin the work of rescue.
The shock of the explosion detached hugs
masses Of rock and earth and the galleries
are so blocked with the debris that it was i'm
possible to approach nearer than one hum
6red yards to the place where the great body
of the miners were working. Besides the dirt
and rock the carcasses Of forty horses blocked
the approach to the lower gallery. and these
had to be cut up and removed before the
rescuers could proceed.
The cries and prayers Of the crowd were
redoubled as the men at the windlasses in
response to the signals OF the rescuers began
to haul up the limp and blackened forms of
from thirty to forty OF the miners. The vic
tins were either dead or badly injured and
the face of each was fearfully dis6gured.
great sheet of fame must have swept
through the mine, as the hair. boards and
eyelasheS of all the unfortunate men had
been completely burned of, and their bodies
were badly burned.
Among the bodies recovered is that OF
fourteen-year-old girl. That she suffered
lndescribable agony is shown by the young
face, which is 80 horribly distorted that 1t
cannot be recognized. The blackened fea-
lures are swollen almost beyond all SEM
blance to humanity.
After it was found that the fire was gain
ing in strength consultation was held be-
tween the mine owners and the engineers,
and it was decided that as there was not the
slightest doubt that everybody in
the mine was dead the only course
left open for them to follow II
they hoped to recover the bodies was to
food the mine. Preparations were being
made to carry out this plan, but before any
water could be pumped in cries Of "Firep
were heard on all sides, and at three
o'clock the flames assembled TO the pits
mouth and sparks were scattered in every
direction. A few minutes later an immense
column Of fame shot through the ventilat-
ing shaft, piercing the thick clouds Of smoke
that were overhanging the shaft The sight
was grandly magnificent as the mass
OF fire shot upward, but it meant certain
death for every person in the mine. This
fact was fully recognized by the onlookers,
and the wailing and shrieks Of those near
the pits mouth increased In violence as the
lurid fame tore their last faint hope from
them.
In the meantime water had been COM
menced to be thrown into the burning pit.
Before it had descended any distance it was
converted into steam and escaped with
tremendous roaring noise, which added to
the horror Of the situation.
The scene has seldom il ever been equalled
In the mining disasters Of Belgium. The de.
struction OF the buildings on the surface
proceeded without opposition, and by seven
O'clock only the walls were standing.
All the heavy machinery at the mouth OF
the pit was destroyed and fell crashing down
the shaft. This acted as damper against
the flames ascending the shaft to the sur
face and thereafter little fire could be seen,
but it could be heard roaring and seething
through the galleries far below the s!.-face.
The calamity has crushed the entire
Charleroi district. Nothing is heard save
lamentations for the dead. Many Of the
women who have lost their only support
have become hysterical through grief and
the doctors are busy attending to them. In
some cases all the surviving members OF
families still surround the blackened pits
mouth, attracted by the very horror that
has rendered them without head.
The Minister of Public Works has ordered
the distribution Of relief, and the work is
now being carried on.
By official computation OF the number OF
victims in the Anderlues tragedy, it appears
that there were 2S4 men and females in the
shaft, of whom 154 are dead, eighteen In