The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-12
HORRORS OF MINE
DISASTER APPAL
Total Dead i'm the French Col
liery Is Now Estimated
at 100.
TROOPS SENT TO AID IN
RECOVERING THE BODIES
COrpseS Taken Out Horribly
Mutilated and Burned Be-
yOnd Recognition.

PARIS March 1.-THE worst fears as TO
the normity OF the mine disaster in the
Courrieres district OF the Pas do Calais
Saturday morning have been realized.
The death list numbers 40 and the whole
OF the region stands appalled, at the ter
rible tragedy, which has brought sorrow
to six thousand feathers. mothers. wives
and children.
The last great mine disaster in France
occurred in 1855. when &o persons were
killed and so injured, but that and all
others sink into insignincance before
Courrlcres.
The vast cortuary camp Is under mill
tary guard. four hundred soldiers having
arrived there to assist In holding In check
the crowds distracted mourncrs,
Hopes Dashed Away.
For a time hope had been held out to
the people TINT tappings on pipes by the
imprisoned men had been heard. but grad
ually this hope vanished. and the people
demanded admission TO see the bodies.
and even threatened to break their way
through the Gordon of troops, who had
the greatest difficulty in keeping the
crowds from the pit.
One man named Sylvestrc succeeded in
entering the mine but he never returned.
1t Is believed he groped about inside until
he WAS overcome by the gases and per-
| ishcd-
| 1t is reported that a rescue party num-
bering forty has been cut of by the cav
| Ing IN OF one of the galleries.
President Sends Personal Aid.
Minister OF Public Works Gauthicr.
| Minister OF the Interior Dubef and the
secretary of President Falliercs remain
! on the ground endeavoring TO comfort tho
| distressed families of the miners.
| President Fallieres has given 5000 TO
aid in relief measures. The ministry Will
| add a further sum TO this, and the Cham-
J bcr OF Deputies will be asked 10 vote
| 100000 for the purpose OF alleviatins dis
! tress.
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have re-
| ceived complete details OF the catastrophe
! from NJ. Lavaures, the director OF tho
| mine.
Those Rescued.
"Of 1sCo miners who were down in the
! pits when the explosion occurred, ne
| said. '672 were working in pit NO. 4. 4sD
were In pit No 3 5Tl In pit No. 2. and
the remainder in pit No. l. Those rescued
! were taken out as follows
! From pit No. 4. 100; from pit No 8, ID
| escaped through pit No. IL, 1870 came up
from pit No 2 and "a from pit NO
| number OF these were injured and some
! of them have died since. At the present
moment over 1000 men remain Inn
| priSoncds'
100 Lives Given UP.
Another director declared that the i'm
prIsoned men numbered llO1. Minister Bu-
bief inquired.
| Have YOU still any hopc7'
To this the director replied: NO, be-
lieve all OF them are dead
This was whispered into the ear of the
| Minister In order that his words might
not be overheard by the palc-faced miners
| who stood anXlouSy about the mine
building waiting for an official view on
| tho state OF affairs
description Of the scene I'm the mine by
Leon Cert. one OF the men rescued, and
| who still is suffering from the terrible
| effects of his experience.
Miners Tell Of Disaster
II was working with a gang when the
explos,on occurred The foreman imme-
diatcly shouted for us TO follow MIN,
and dashinR into recess in the gallery
gases. which rushed by. however, with
out affecting us We remained there foc
eight hours when, feeling that surfoca-
ton was gradually coming upon u.s. at
We crawled in single flo toward the
shaft but several OF the men dropped
dead on the way, including my son and
II carried my nephew on my back for
forty minutes and succeeded In saving
him. IT took US four hours TO reach the
shaft"
Mine Building a Morgue.
For tho time being the mine building
has been transformed into a mortuary
chamber and all about In II lie the car
BOMBED and almost unrecognizable bodies
of miners which were taken there as
they were brought up from the mine
Stricken relatives arrive at the mlno
building from time to time searching tor
missing members of their families. and
inde escribable scenes Of grief occur as
women recognize loved ones,
Heart-rending scenes, too. are Witneseeh
about the mouth OF pit No. :, where, In
the presence OF Ministers Dublcf and
Gauthisr. the bands Of rcscuers are con-
tnually descending and returning Win
bodies.
Bodies Terribly Mutilated.
The women, with children In their arms:
| attempt to break through the Gordon or
| tYoops which forms q lane through which
| the body-bearers proceed to the mortuarN
Chamber Sometimes the burden consists
OF a mere heap OF burned flesh and In
nearly every case the body Is terribly
iacerated Only one-half Of the bodies re-
! covered have been Identified
Despite the danger incurred the Noluh-
teors who include q number OF those VINO
were successful in escaping at the time
OF the explosion. do not hesitate TO de-
sccnd the shaft. Some OF them nave
teen down more than a dozen times. one
OF them after having brought up four
| teen bodies was suffoc1ted on his M
tecnth attempt and II Is feared that other
fatalities among the volunteers Viii fol-
low as the air I'm the mine is still I'M
pregnated with noNiouS gases
a number OF the men eng@Ecd IN rescue
work have already been brought to the
surface unconscious and as they We're
driven to their homes In closed carriages
the women followed and broke the win