Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-15

Paris, Mar. IA terrible eXplo-
sion occurred Saturday in coal mine
in the Courrieres district of the Pas
deCalais, IS miles from Bethune. 1t
was learned that out of 1895 men who
descended into the pits to work, only
59l have come up, leaving l,20i men
in the three pits.
Rescue parties that have come to
the surface say that all further n
tempts at rescue are useless II rs
stated that smouldering fire broke
out Friday night in the Cecil pit OF
the CourriereS mines near Mericourt
at depth of 30 meters. NJ. Bauld
eret. chief engineer of the mines, de
scended for the purpose of investigat
ing the circumstances which led to
the fire This is all that is known
OF the terrible catastrophe. The
cages in which the miners descended
into the pits 2 3, and 4 were al about
Z o'clock Saturday morning hurled
80 feet from the mouth OF the shaft.
miner working near the mouth was
killed Some of the imprisoned min
ers sought to escape to the pits which
remained intact, and several rescues
were made. The first cages came up
at 10 o'clock with about a dozen and
half of suffocated men.
Towards noon wounded workmen
began to be brought up and the bod
les of two dead men were taken from
pit No TO- Assistance reached Cour.
reres from all sections of the coun.
try and large numbers of volunteers
took part in the efforts to rescue the
entombed miners and recover The
bodies of the killed.
Community DesoIated.
A state of stupor and desolation
prevails over tie Courrieres mining
region i he most agonizing scenes
are witnessed at the pit mouths an
gendarmes experienced the utmost
difficulty in restraining crowds of PEG
pie eager to ascertain the fate y
their relatives.
At Lille the estimates of the dead
are from 900 TO 200, which figures,
however are given under all reserve
until more exact details are obtain
able.
Gas Prevents Rescue Work,
Gas is pouring into pit No. ,, pre-
venting entrance, and 1t is impossible
no succor the men imprisoned there
In pit No. 3, the cages will not work,
having been damaged by the violence
of the explosion. Rescue work, there
fore, is proceeding mainly in pit 30.
4. Ten miners from pit No. II were
removed alive, but none Of the S5S
miners who entered pit No 1 have
yet been brought out.
Few Taken Out Alive.
OF 500 miners who descended thcra
Saturday morning, according to a !
dispatch from Lens, 3SS have been
brought ont, but the rescue Of the
others is impossible. In pit NO ;
only 13 men out of 443 have been res |
cued, and as the ladders are broken |
and cages jammad. the rescuers are /
despairing Of helping the others
Foreman Iecomte came up from the I
mine Saturday afternoon and reported /
a terrifying scene below The crowd |
surrounding the mouth OF the mine |
IS showing signs of impatience at |
what Il considers the slow progress
being made by the rescuers,
All France Shocked.
All France has been profoundly I
shocked by the magnitude of the dis
aster, which is said to be the great
est in the history Of continental min
ing.
President Fallieres sent his sacre
tary. accompanied by Minister OF
Public Works Gautier and Minister
of the Interior Dubief on a special
train to the scene Of the disaster
The scene Of the catastrophe is
the mountainous mining region near