Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-03-16
ESTIMATED THAT FULLY THAT
NUMBER OF PERSONS ARE
STILL ENTCMBED.
Troops PRESERVING ORDER
HOLDING IN CHECK THE CROWDS
OF DISTRACTED MoURNERs
AROUND THE SHAFT.

Paris, March 12.-The worst fears as
10 the enormity of the mine disaster
IN the Courrieres district of the Pas
de-Calais Saturday have been realized.
The death list numbers LOO and the
whole Of the region stands appalled,
at the terrible tragedy, which has
brought sorrow to 5000 fathers, moth
ers, wives and children.
| The vast mortuary camp is under
military guard, 400 soldiers having ar
cived there to assist in holding in
srs. 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 admis-
sion to see the bodies and even threat
aneG to break through the Gordon Of
troops, who had the greatest difficulty
IN keeping the crowds from the pit.
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have
received complete details of the
catastrophe from NJ. Lavaurs, the d.
rector OF the mine.
of 1900 miners who were down in
the pits when the explosion occurred"
ne said, "673 were working in pit
No. i; 1872 were in pit No. 3; 81 in
pit No. 2, and the remainder in pit
! NC. 10.
| 'FThose rescued were taken out as
| follows: From pit No. 4, 1870; from pit
No. :, Is escaped through pit No. II;
100 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 moment
~oVer 1000 men remain imprisoned"
Another director declared that the
! imprisoned men numbered LOO.
Mine Building Mortuary Chamber.
For the time being the mine build
Ing has been transformed into mort
nary chamber and all about in it lie
the carbonized and almost unrecog
nizable bodies of miners, which were
| taken there as they were brought up
| from the mine. Stricken relatives ar
rive at the mine building from time to
time searching for missing members
Of their families and indescribable
| scenes OF grief occur as women recOg-
0!Ze some loved one. There are heart
:ending scenes witnessed about the
| mouth of pit No. 4. where in the pres
ence of Ministers Dubief and Gauthier
The bands Of rescuers 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 line
through which the body-bearers pro-
| coed to the mortuary chamber. Some
times the burden consists of a mere
heap of burnt flesh, and in nearly
| every case the body is terribly
| .acerated.
Only one-half Of the bodies recov-
| cred have been Identified Despite
| the danger incurred, the volunteers,
who include a number of those who
were successful in escaping at the
lime Of the explosion, do not hesitate
to descend the shaft. Some Of them
have been down more than a dozen
times. One of them, after having
brought up fourteen bodies, was suffo-
Gated Oh his fifteenth attempt and it
is feared that other fatalities among
| the volunteers will follow, as the air
N the mines is still impregnated with
I*aoNicl;s gases.
The recovery of bodies is proceeding
very slowly. Only sixty were brought
up during the day, but in the evening
| the rescuers reported that 100 more
had been found.