Mexico Missouri message., 1906-03-22
SIX Thousand Fathers, Mothers
wives and children In and Around
Courrieres, Bereaved By the
Terrible Calamity.
An Explosion OF Firedamp Carried
Death and Destruction, and OF
1890 Men In the workings
400 Lest Their Lives.

AhbAAAhtl knAAANu hHANh al hGeNAASbAoh
throughout the network Of coal mines
centered at Courrieres, and fire fol-
lowed the explosion, making rescue diff
ficult and almost impossible.
The intense excitement and confu
sion in the vicinity prevented early es.
Inmates of the exact loss of life, but
the worst fears as to the enormity OF
the disaster have been realized. The
death list numbers LOO, and the whole
Of the region stands appalled, at the ter
Tible tragedy which has drought sor-
row to 5000 fathers, mothers, wives
and children.
The Worst in French History.
The last great mine disaster in France
occurred In 1886, when 293 persons were
killed and 80 injured, but that and all
others sink into insigni6cance before
Courrieres.
The vast mortuary camp is unde,
military guard, 400 soldiers having ar
river there to assist in holding in check
the crowds Of distracted mourners. For
q 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
people demanded admission to see the
bodies, and even threatened to break
through the Gordon of troops, who had
the greatest difficulty in keeping the
crowds from the pit On man named
Sylvester succeeded in entering the
mine, but he never returned. 1t is be-
lieved he CROPPED about INSIDE until he
was overcome by the gases and per-
ished. 1t is reported that a rescue
party numbering 40 had been cut of
by the caving in of one Of the galleries
Ministers At the Scene.
Minister of Public Works Gauthier
Minister of the Interior Dubief and the
secretary Of President Failleries are on
the ground endeavoring to comfort the
distressed families of the miners. Pres
ident Failleries has given $1,000 to aid
in relief measures. The ministry will
add q further sum to this, and the
chamber Of deputies will be asked to
vote 500. 900 for the purpose of allevi
atiug distress,
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have
received complete details Of the catas-
trophe from NJ Lavaurs, the director
of the mine.
"Of 1900 miners who were down in
the pits when the explosion occurred"
he said, 1913 were working in Pit No
4, 4S2 were in Pit No. 3, 571 in pit No
2 and the remainder in pit No. TO-"
The Number Rescued.
Those rescued were taken out as fol.
lows:
From pit No. 4, 1870; from pit No. 8,
16, escaped through pit No. IL; 400
came mp from pit No. 2 and "A from
pit No. TO- A number of these were in
iured and some of them have died since.
At the present moment over 1000
men remain imprisoned.
Another director declared that the
imprisoned men numbered 100.
Minister Dubief inquired "Have you
still any hopper" To this the director
replied: mo. believe 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 pale
faced miners who stood anxiously about
the mine building waiting for an ON.
cial view Of the state OF affairs.
An TmpROvised MOFgUe.
For the time being the mine build.
ing has been transformed into NOR
tuary chamber and all about in 1t, lie
the carbondzed and almost unreeogniza'
BILE bodies OF miners which were taken
there as they we're brought up from the
mine. Stricken relatives arrive at the
mine building from time to time, search
ing for missing members OF their fam
lilies, and INDISPENSABLE scenes Of grief
occur SIS women recognize loved ones.
HeaFtreRding Scenes.
Heartrending scenes, too, are wit
messed about the mouth Of pit No. 4
where, in the presence of Ministers
Dubief and Gauthier the bands OF res
cuers are continually descending and re-
turning with bodies Women with chill.
dren In their arms attempt to breal
through the Gordon OF troops which
forms lane through which the body
bearers proceed TO the mortuary cham
Der. Sometimes the burden consists o.
mere heap Of burnt flesh, and In near
~ every case the body is terribly LAGER
ated. Only one half Of the bodies re-
covered have been identified
Heroic Reseue workers.
Despite the danger incurred, the vol
unteers, who include a number Of thoss
who we're successful In escaping at the
time OF the explosion. do not hesitate
20 descend the shaft. Some OF them
have been down more than dozen
times. One OF them, after having
brought UP IA bodies. was suffocated
on bis ffteenth attempt. and II is feared
that other fatalities among the yolun,
teers win follow, as the air In the mines
stili impregnated with noxious gases. a
number Of men engaged IN rescue work
have already been brought to the sur
face unconscious.