Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-12
MANGLED MINERS
TAKEN FROM HOLE
FRANCES HORROR GROWING
IN ENORMITY
Death List Numbers 100 and 6oU0
Are Bereaved-Presiden Fall
Heres Personally Directs
Work of Rescue
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press
PARIS, March 1.-THE worst fears
as to the enormity Of the mine disas-
ter in the Courrieres district of the Pas
de Calais Saturday morning have been
realized. The death list numbers HOO
and the whole of the region stands
appalled, at the terrible tragedy which
has brought sorrow to 5000 fathers,
mothes, wives and children.
The last great mine disaster in
France occurred in 1885, when 293 per-
sons were killed and eighty injured,
but that and all others sink into in
significance before Courrieres.
The vast mortuary camp is under
military guard, 400 soldiers having ar
rived there to assist in holding in check
the crowds of distracted mourners.
For a 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 their way through the Gordon
of troops, who had the greatest diff
Guilty in keeping the crowds from the
pit. One man named Sylvester sue
ceeded in entering the mine, but he
never returned.
1t is believed he groped about inside
Until he was overcome by the gases.
1t is reported that a rescue party
numbering forty has been cut off by
the caving in of one of the galleries.
Minister of Public Works Gauthier
Minister of the Interior Dubief and the
secretary of President Fallieries remain
on the ground endeavoring to comfort
the distressed families of the miners.
President Fallieries has given $4,000 to
aid in relief measures. The ministry
will add further sum to this and
the chamber of deputies will be asked
to vote 100000 for the purpose of all
leviating distress.
Ministers Gauther and Dubief have
received complete details of the catas-
trophe from M. Lavoures, 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. /.
Those rescued were taken out as
follows:
"From pit No. 4, 1870; from pit No.
8, Is escaped through pit No. IL: 400
came up from pit No. 2 and IA from
pit No. 1. A number of these were in
jured and some of them have died
since. At the present moment over
1000 men remain imprisoned"
Another director declared that the
imprisoned men numbered HOO.
Minister Dubief inquired:
"Have you still any hope?"
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
official view on the state of affairs.
Then the ministers listened to a
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.
IT was working with a gang when
the explosion occurred. The foreman
Immediately shouted for us to follow
him and, dashing into a recess in the
gallery we were followed by blast
of poisonous gases which rushed by.
however without affecting us. We re-
mained there for eight hours, when,
feeling that suffocation was gradually
coming upon us, we attempted to es-
cape. We crawled in single file toward
the shaft but several of the men
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