The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-05-04
Three Weeks in a Mine and FL
nally Rescued
GIVEN UP ASDEAD
Thirteen Miners Came Out OF the Earth
Like Ghosts. Entombed Men Ate
Bark, Hay, Oats and Pieces
OF Decomposed Horse
Flesh.

Flesh.
Thirteen men were brought up
alive on March 20 from the Oourriers
coal mines, in France In which twen-
ty days previous terrible explosion
Of gases ontombed and destroyed near.
ly 1900 miners. Five days later
another, who had been alone in bis
underground captivity came out.
For twenty days the thirteen en-
dured horrible tufferings, supporting
life by gnawing the bark from tim
ber supports, eating bits Of food that
bad been left by their dead comrades.
hay, oeta and Il partially decompos'
ed carcass Of q alCrse. FlOm the lack
OF water they were duced to shock
ing extrsmites. Tie intense cold
ded to their sufferlr gs.
They came to the surface haggard,
eyes sunken, terribly exhausted, bare
ly able to walk and with hardly
enough strength left to describe their
experiences, yet with the exception OF
one In surprisingly good health. Grot-
ing In the dark day after day, stumb
ling over bodies OF their fellow work
men, never giving UP hope and sup.
porting their courage by the belief
that the mine authorities were work
Ing for their rescue, they made their
wey finally to an open shaft In re-
mote part Of pit No. g.
A salvage party was at work In pit
2 when the thirteen mon broke
through q distant gallery and stag
gered toward them, The superstit
ious miners, believing 1T impossible
that the thirteen could be live mon,
were terribly frightened. Some OF
them threw down their tools and ran.
Others recovering their nerve, went
quickly to the help OF the thirteen,
who were weeping and laughing from
the JOY OF their escape. ~,
Ssps WI Ii, yIrHsJoY " &;
Ghereacuad men were brought to
the surface in the elevator. 1T was
difficult for the mine authorities even
with the assistance Of the gendarmes
that had been summoned to help IL
preserving order to restrain the crowd
and attt MI pit, d to embrace them and
force food and drink into their mouth.
The mems eyes had been SO long &C
ouBtomed to the gloom Of the mines
that they were blinded temporarily
by the glare of the sunlight. They
were eager to ok, and every one OF
the survivors had his own story to
toll Of the sufferings they endured.
They all declared that they oweo
their lives to one Cf their party, a
miner named Nemy, who from the
first took charge OF the party. Nemy
told the story Of the twenty days I'M
prisOnment mOdestly.
When the explosion occurred he
said, he sought refuge In No. gal
lery, believing that he would have o
fair chance there of escaping the gas
es. He wes without light ard otter
stumbled over co1pses as he groped
his way to the gallery Once he re-
mt mbers he scrambled bhrcugh at
least fifty budies. Finally he reached
the end OF the working and hearo
voices. He went in the direction Of
the voices and came upon party Of
his comrades that were sheltered In o
remote niche. There were twenty
Of them. at the time. Later on sew
en- wandered Cff, and nothing more
was heard from them.
THEY FIND A DEAD HORSE.
Nemy, from mere force Of character
took the leadership. He got the par.
ty finally to q sort OF stable where the
mules OF the mine had been kept
While they were making their way II
that stable they had nothing to eat
save the drY bark they tore from the
timber supports In the galleries
When they reached the stable they
found D quantity Of oats, measure
OF carrots and portions Of food that
had been intended for the lunches o.
mule men who had perihhed In the
explosion. There were thirteen
mouths to feed and oven the resource
2ul Nemy found 1t difficult to restrain
his famished followers. The decom
posing body OF o horse was found neh
the stable, and 1T was cut to pieces
Some of the men ate 1t. Others coult
not.
There were times when some OF tn
party bocame nearly insane from SUI
fering but in every case, the mel
said, NomY calmed them, encourage
them and infused into them some
thing OF his own dauntless spirit
They had only little water at tn
very first, al d the little was SoCn e1
hausted. 1t vas the lack Of wat6
that 40 intensified their 8ufferinge. Il
relieve their thirst they were compel
led to resort to measures which car
not be described. They had plent
OF matches but curlously enough the
did not attempt TO make q ligh
and endured the darkness all til
while.
RESCUED AT LAST,
Nenny said that he WAS contiden
all tho time that efforts we're bein
made to rescue them, but they wei
doing all they could for themselve
Nenny had O. general idea where tile
were and gradually led the party TO
gallery, near pit No. q Ihey bfoi
through this gallery, and 1t was Mem
himself who first appeared 10 the a
tonished salvage men In the pit, shou
ing, II am bringing twelve VIII
nool''
Nenny was taken to the hospi6a
and his wife came to tho bed VINE
he was lying. She was dressed In de'
mourning, having given him up Il
dead for two weeks. Nemy looked