The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-12
FRENCH DISASTER
IS UNPARALLELED.
Whole Region Stands
Appalled, at En7ormity
of the Tragedy.
DEATH LIST NUMBERS
ELEVEN HUNDRED ! I
Six Thousand Fathers, Mothers
and Children Are. sorrowing.
Mortuary Court Under
Military Guard, Who
Hold Mourners 8
in Check.

(By Associated Press.)

10Y A5Soclateu t,TeSE.)
PARIS. March 1.-THE worst fears as
to the enormity OF the mine disaster in
the Courrieres district OF the pas-de-
Calais Saturday morning have been real
lied. The death list numbers 100, and
the whole OF the region stands appalled,
Z at the terrible tragedy, which has brought
sorrow to 5000 fathers, mothers, wiycs
and children
The last great mine. disaster in France
occurred In 1885. when 29a persons were
killed and so injured: bat that all others
sink into inslgnifcance before courrieres.
The vast mortuary camp Is under mill
tary guard, four hundred soldiers having
arrived there to assist in holding in check
the crowds of distracted rnourners. For
a time hope had been held out to the
people that tappings on pipes BY the i'm
prisoned men had been heard, but grad
ually this hope vanished, and the people
demanded admission to see the bodies.
and even threatened to tbreak through
the Gordon of troops. who had the great
est difficulty In keeping the crowds from
the pit. One man named Sylyestre Sue
ceeded in entering the mine, but he never
returned. 1t is believed he groped about
inside until he was overcome by the gases
and perished. 1t Is I reported that a
rescue party numbering forty has been
cut off by the caMng In of one OF the
galleries.
Minister of Public Works Gautier. Min
lister of the Interior Dubief and the secre-
tary of President Fallieres remain on
the ground. endeavorfng to comfort the
distressed families OF the miners. Presi-
relief measures. The ministry will add a
further sum to this. and the Chamber OF
Deputies will be asked to vote 10000
for the purpose OF alternating distress.
Details Of Disaster.
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have re-
ceived complete details OF the catas-
trophe from NJ. Lavhu,s. the director of
the mine.
"of 1880 miners who were down in
the pits whe nthe explosion occurred. .
he said. ''673 were working in pit num-
Der 4; 1872 were In pit number 8; ST. In pit
number 2, and the remainder In pit num-
ber TO-
Those rescued were taken out as fol-
lows: from pit number Z. 1870. from pit
number 3. Is escaped through pit number
H.. 490 came up from pit number 2. and n
from pit number 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 I'M
prisoned men numbered 1,100.q
Minister Dubief inquired: Have you
still any hope?" The director replied:
NO, 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 build
ing waiting for an official view on the
state OF affairs
Scene in the Mine.
Then the ministers listened to graphic
description OF the scene in the mine by
Leon Cert, one of the men rescued. and
who still is suffering from the terrible
effects of his experience:
was working with n gang when the
,, explosion occurred. The foreman imme-
diately shouted for us to follow him,
and. dashng into a recess in the gallery.
we were followed by blast of poisonous
gases, which rushed by, however, with
eight hours, when, feeling that suffoca-
ton was gradually coming upon us. we
attempted to escape. We crawled in
single file toward the shaft. but several
of the men dropped dead on the way. in
cluding my son and the foreman. car
ried my nephew on my back for forty
minutes and succeeded in saving him. It
took us four hours to reach the shaft"
The mine building has been transformed
into a mortuary chamber. and all about in
1t lie the carbonized and almost unrecog-
nizable bodies OF miners which were taken
there as they were brought up from the
mine. Stricken relatives arrive at the
mine building from time to time. search
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