The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-03-15
mine HORROR
LOO ARE DEAL
Army Of Miners Face Death
In . Wrecked French
Shaft
RESULT OF EXPLOSION
Heroic Work Of Rescuins Those Wh
Arc Yet Living Is Going on-At
Scene Of Accident Thousands
Are Weeping and Waiting.

Paris, March 13.-The worst fears an
to the enormity OF the mine disaster
in the Courriere district OF the Pas de
Calai Saturday morning have been
realized. The death list numbers LOO,
and the whole OF the region stands ap-
palled at the terrible tragedy which has
brought sorrow to 5000 fathers, moth
ers, Wtvessand children. The last great
mine disaster occurred in France In 1885
when 293 persons were killed and eighty
injured, but that and all others sink
into insigniticance before Courrieres.
-Four hundred soldiers have arrived
at the mine. to assist in holding in
check thescrowds of distracted mourn
ers. ForSa time hope had been held
out to the people that tappings on pipes
by the imprisoned men had been heard.
but gradually this hope vanished and
the peoplesdemanded admission to see
the bodies and ave threatened to break
through the Gordon Of troops, who had
the greatest difficulty in keeping the
crowds fron1the pit. !,
One,rnansnamed Sylvester succeeded;
in enterlng&the mine, but he never res
turned, Itsis believed he groped about
inside until he was overcome by the
gases and persisted.
1t Is reported that a rescuing party
numbering forty have been cut Off by
the caying An Of n OF the galleries.
Relief Fund lie Started.
Minister OF Public Works Gauthier.
Minister-of the Interior Dubief and the,
secretary of President Fallferes remain
on the ground endeavorfng to comfort
the distressed families Of the miners.
president Fallieres has given $1,000 to
aid in the relief measures. The min
1stry Will d n further sum to this and
the chamber will be asked to vote $780,
1000.
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have
received complete details Of the catas-
tropheHfrom M. Lavauers, the director
of the mine.
/. "of, 1900 miners who were down
In the pits when the explosion oc-
I'm pit NO. 4, 1872 We're in pit No. 5.
!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. 8
40 escaped through pit No. II, 400 came
up from pit No. 2, and "a from pit
NO. 10. A number of these were In
jured n some Of them have died
since. At the present moment over
1000 men remain imprisoned"
Another director declared that the
imprisoned men numbered 100. Min
lister Dubief inquired: Have you still
any hope?"
Holds Out No Hope.
To this the director replied: mo,
l believe all Of them are dead"
This was whispered into the ear Of
the minister that his words might not;
be overheard by the pale faced miners
who stood anXiously about the mine
building for an official view of the state
Of affairs.
Then the ministers listened to a
graphic description of the mine by
Leon Cert, one OF the men rescued,
and who still is suffering from the
4 prrjhla pTfapts ne hiS cynortn,no Tia r
said:
Il was working with q gang when
the explosion occurred. The foreman
Immediately shouted to us to follow
him, and dashing into o recess in the
gallery we were followed by a blast OF
poisonous gases. which rushed by,
however, without affecting us. We re-
manned there for eight hours, when,
feeling that suffocation was gradually
coming upon us, we attempted to es-
We crawled in single file to-
ward the shaft, but several of the men
dropped dead on the way, including my
son and the foreman. l carried my
nephew on my back for forty minutes
and succeeded in saving him. 1t took
four hours to reach the shaft"
Paris. March 1O.-A terrible catas-
trophe occurred at the coal mine In
the Caurriercs district, Pas de Wala1s.
miles from Bethume.
An explosion Of gas killed many min
ers. Three chambers of the mines are
on fire. The number of victims is not
known, but 1900 miners descended in
to the pit this morning.
The explosion occurred at Z O'clock
this morning. The first reports which
reached the ministry Of public works
announced it was impossible to calcu-
late even approximately the number of
Victims but it was hoped that most OF
the miners had sought refuge In the
galleries.
In the three chambers in which the
explosion took place the violent fire
was such that flames issued from the
mouth of the pit.
Stricken Families Weep.
A dispatch from Lens says a runaor
Is circulating there hat over 1000 men
nave been killed, but there Is nothing
10 indicate the number Is correct.
Not a single miner has yet been talk
Ell from the pits.
The spectacle surrounding the scene
IS fearful. Great crowds of weepine
women and children have gathered to
If the male members Of their
families are safe.