The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-05
WAS RESCUED
HALF Mad
Another Victim of COurrieres
Disaster Alive.
BERT0N LOST rs DAYS
Lens Miner Caught by Explosion
Tried 10 End SuIlerings by
Suicide.

LENS, France April J.-Onc more
victim Of the terrible Couriercs niue
disaster has come forth from the mine
alive. lie is Augu,tc Berton thirty
five years old. and lac was brought in
by rescue party in pit No. 4 of the
Sallaumincs vein after suffering the
most eXcrucinting fortunes for twenty
five days
Wandering alone among hundreds of
dead companions and facing horrors.
he at one time gave up hope aud tried
suicide 10y opening his veins
While he subsistcd ON scraps of food
he found he suffered much from cold
and was forced To take garments and
shoes from the dead TO keep himself
warm
The man lost all track of time, he
computing that he had been entoubed
only eight days. lie had very little
sleep
The condition OF Bertou is piuful m
the extreme lie is on the verge of
madness as a result of his terrible OK.
perience The greatest care is being
used ia giving him food.
One of the salvage corps was work
ing in distant bore when ne felt what
he thought was "A dead mans hand
touch his shoulder 4 voice whispered.
Il am saved and the workman called
to his fellows They carried the man
out lie was covered from head to foot
with a thick layer of dust. Ills beard
was matted with It, After stmuant
he recovered and in the hospital re.
counted the story Of his experience.
II was working with my cousin. he
said, when the explosion occurred
My cousin ran AWAY. aud never saw
him again There were others. but
they, 100, ran away and were lost to
me met several men as / tried to
get ont OF the shaft Ii was closed M.
and far above it was all aiirc The
bores We're all changed aud fallen ia.
and bad great trouble in getting
through them Then went into am
other working pit No Of the Sallau-
mines.
u kept failing over the bodies of 1
dead men I met several miners short /
iy after the explosion nll frightened /
md running ia every direction When /
became hungry | found the lunch |
bundles that lay beside some of the /
dead men, These kept me alive.
II suffered much from thirst ana /
drank the oil from the lamps. ! had no
and had to grope my way. 1t /
grew very cold, and found more dead .
men and took from them their clothing
and from one pair of shoes.
II lost all reckoning Of the time.
remember that | counted mp to eight
days slept only ten times before
was afraid. I thought that once was
going mad. and then | took my knife
and cut place iu my arm TO Kill INV
self 1t did not bleed much though"
The physicians believe that Berton
became delirious for a time and that
the rigors of starvation brought him
again into sanity.
The news of his rescue spread rapid
y, and IN few minutes thopit mouth
was surrounded by throngs. mostly
women who fought boldly against the
-eudwmes and deiled them to use
their hayouets
one OF the engineers. Deon. was sur
'ounded and attacked a woman lead
ng the mob, and was only saved by
he Intervention of troops
Violence is expected any moment. for
he temper of the miners is at "a dam
gerou> heat Cries of XIII the muir
lcrers" greet such of the officials MS
nave the temerity to walk abroad.
Few of them dare TO venture ont The
miners declare that there are many
more of their fellows in the bores and
hat the company is to blame for their
lcathS