Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-03-13
FEARS ARE REALIZED
IN MINE DISASTER
Death List From Explosion
Reaches Eleven Hundred.
REGION APPALLED, BY TRAGEDY
Troops Rushed to Scene To Keep In
Check Crowds of Distracted Mourn
ers Who Wish To Go After the I'M
prlsoned Miners.

Paris, March 12-The worst fears
as to the enormity of the mine dis
aster in the Courrieres district Of the
Pas-deCalats Saturday morning have
been realized. The dead list num-
bers LOO, and the whole of the re-
gion stands appalled, at the tragedy
which has brought sorrow to 5000
fathers, mothers, wives and children.
The last great mine disaster in
France occurred in 1885, when 293
persons were killed and 80 injured.
But that and all others sink into in
significance before Courrieres.
For time hope had been held out
to the people that tappings on pipes
by the imprisoned men had been
heard, but gradually this hope van
ished and the people demanded ad-
mission to see the bodies, and even
threatened to break through the cor
don of troops, who had the greatest
difficulty in keeping the crowds from
the pit
One man named Sylvester succeed
ed in entering the mine, but he never
returned. 1t is believed he groped
about inside until he was overcome
by the gases, and perlshed 1t is re-
ported that rescue party numbering
forty has been cut off by the caving
in of one of the galleries.
Minister of Public Works Gautier,
Minister Of the Interior Dubief and
the secretary of President Fallieres
remain on the ground endeavoring to
comfort the distressed families of the
miners. President FalIieres has given
$4,000 to aid in relief measures. The
ministry will add a further sum to
this and the chamber Of deputies will
be asked to vote 100000 for the pur-
pose Of alleviating distress.
Ministers Gautier and Dubief have
received complete details of the cat
astrophe from M Lavaurs, the direc-
tor of the mine
"Of 1900 miners who were down
in the pits when the explosion oc-
cured" he said, 1913 were working
in pit No 4 1872 were in pit No. 8;
571 in pit No. 2, and the remainder
in pit No. 10.
"Those rescued were taken out as
follows: From pit No. 4, 100; from
pit No. 3, Is escaped through pit No
II; 400 came up from pit No. 2, and
"a from pit No. 10. A number of
these were injured, and some of them
have died since. At the present mo-
ment over 1000 men remain impris-
oned."
Another director declared that the
imprisoned men numbered LOO.
Minister Dubief inquired: Have
you still any hope?"
The director replied: mo, I be-
lieve all of them are dead"
The mine building has been trans
formed into mortuary chamber and
all about in 1t lie the carbonized and
almost unrecognizable bodies Of min
ers which were taken there as they
were brought up from the mine
Stricken relatives arrive at the mine
building from time to time search
ing for missing meanbers of their
families, and indescribable scenes of
grief occur as women recognize loved
ones.
Heartrending scenes, too, are wit
messed about the mouth of pit No. 4,
where in the presence of Ministers
Dubief and Bauthier the bands of res
cuers are continually descending and
returning with bodies. The women
with children in their arms attempt
to break through the Gordon of troops
which form a lane through which the
body bearers proceed to the mortu-
ary chamber. Sometimes the burden
consists of mere heap Of burnt flesh
and in nearly every case the body is
terribly lacerated. Only one-half of
the bodies recovered have been iden-
tilted.
Despite the danger incurred, the
volunteers who include a number of
those who were successful in escap-
ing at the time of the explosion,
do not hesitate to descend the shaft.
Some of them have been down more
than dozen times.
One of them after having brought
up fourteen bodies was suffocated
on his fifteenth attempt, and it Is
feared that other fatalities among the
volunteers will follow, as the air in
the mines is still impregnated with
noxious gasses. A number of the
men engaged in rescue work have
| already been brought to the surface
unconscious, and as they were driven
to their homes in closed carriages the
women followed and broke the win
dows, suspecting that bodies were be-
ing hurried away
The engineers are endeavoring to
devise means for locating the dan
gerous zone in the mine and aerating
the galleries. The shaft of pit No.
is completely blocked and the au.
thorities are considering the advis-
ability of dropping a heavy mass of
metal down the shaft in order to clear
1t, and thus enable them to descend
| and learn the worst.
Statehood Legislation Discussed.
Washington, March 12-Statehood
legislation formed one of the topics
of discussion at the White House on
Monday 1t developed from the calls
on the president of Sneaker Cannon