Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-12
1 THOUSAND MINERS ARE DEAD
The Worst Mine Horror That France
 Has Ever Known.

 ton throughout the network of coal mines centered at Courrieres, and fire followed the explosion, making res cues almost impossible.
 The intense excitement and confu- sion in the vicinity prevented early es- inmates of the exact loss of life. but dispatch received here gives total of of 1,404 miners entombed and proba- bly, lost. Later brief dispatch from Lille announced the total of 1,219 Gead.
 All France has been profoundly shocked by the magnitude of the dis aster, which is said to be the greatest in the history of continental mining.
 President FaIlieres sent his secreta- ", accompanied by NJ. Ganthier, the
 minister of public works, and M., Du-
 bief. the minister of the interior, on q special train to the scene of the dis aSter.
 The ministerial crisis was temporari- Iy forgotten. senators and deputies Joining in the general public manifesta tions of sorrow.
 The scene of the catastrophe is the mountainous mining region near Lens. in the department of Pas de Calais.
 Here are huddled small hamlets of the
 mine workers, who operate the most productive coal mines ill France. The subterranean chambers form a series of tunnels. Six of the outlets are near Lens, and others are at Courrieres, yerGlun and many other points. The catastrophe took place. shortly after 1,795 men had descended into the | mine. There was deafening explo- sion, which was followed by the cages and mining apparatus being hurled from the mouth of the Courrieres mine. l Men and horses nearby outside the mine were either stunned or killed. The ! roof of the mine office was torn on. Immediately following the explosion | flames burst from the mouth of the pit, driving back those without who sought to enter and doonhng those within.
 The last great mine disaster in France occurred in 1885, when 293 per sons were killed and eighty injured, but that and ali others sink into insig- nificance before this present one at Courrieres.
 The work of attempting to rescue the | imprisoned miners was hastily begun by officials, engineers and miners from ! the surrounding mines. who formed parties and made heroic efforts 10 pen citrate the smoke and foulsgases and
 bring out the imprisoned men. A vast mortuary camp is now under military guard. 400 soldiers having ar rived there to assist in holding in check the crowds of distracted mourn CTS. 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 vanish ed, and the people demanded admis- sion to see the bodies and even threat ened to break through the cordon of I troops, who had the greatest difficulty in keeping the crowds from the pit. | One man named Sylvestre succeeded in entering the mine. but he never re-
 turned. It is believed he groped about inside until he was overcome by the
 gases and perished. It is reported that
 rescue party numbering forty has been cut off by the caying in of one of the galleries.
 Minister of Public Works Gautier. Minister of the Interior Dubief and the secretary of President Fallleres re-
 main on the ground endeayoring to comfort the distressed families of the
 miners. President Fallieres has given S2.OOO to aid in relief measures. The
 ministry will add further sum to this.
 and the chamber of deputies will be
 asked to vote Sl00,000 for the purpose
 of alleviating distress.
 Ministers Gautier and Dubief have
 received complete details of the cata-
 strophe from NJ. Layaurs. the director of the mine. His voice was choked
 with emotion ss he spoke.
 ''Of 1.s00 miners who were down in the pits when the explosion occurred" he said. "T69 were rescued. A num-
 her of these were injured. and some
 of them have died since. At the pres
 ent moment over 1000 men remain i'm.
 prisoned.''
 Another director declared that the imprisoned men numbered HOO.
 Minister Dubief inquired. Have you
 still any hopeyr To this the director
 replied. No. I believe all of them arc dead"
 Then the ministers listened to . graphic picture of the scene in the mine by Leon Cerf. one of the men
 rescued and who still is suffering from
 the terrible effects of his experience.
 T was working with gang when
 the explosion occurred. The foreman immediately shouted for us to follow
 him. and. dashing into . recess in the gallery. we were followed by a blast
 of poisonous gases. which rushed by. { however. without affecting us. We re- mained there for eight hours. when. feeling that suffoestion was gradually
 coming upon us. we attempted to es- cape. We erawIed In single file to-
 ward the shaft. but several of the
 men dropped dead on the way. inelud-
 ing my son and the foreman. car
 ried my nephew on my hack for for ty minutes and succeeded in saving him It took us four hours to reach the shaff.-
 Another miner said. Tt is iRsie@crihs-
 ble. Everything was demolished CT
 has fallen in- I @w bcfie< lying in
 piles. NJ 500 is below.-