The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-03-16
AWFUL DISASTER
In FRENCH NINE
Nearly 1900 Hen Reported Killed By
An Explosion.
A NUMBER WERE BROUGHT OUT.
But Majority OF the I,705 Are Believed Dead
Explosion Occurred us Feet Under Ground
and Flames Belched From the Mouths OF the
Pits BuraiBg Many to Death-SceDe in the
Chamber of Death lndescribabIe.


Pits Burning Many to Death-Sceue in the
Chamber of Death lndescribabIe.
Paris, (By Cable "A mining catas-
trophe of ir1calculable horror and magni-
tude has stricken the great coal center OF
Northern France. An explosion of fire
damp at ? o'clock carried death and de-
struction throughout the network of coal
mines conferred at Courrieres, and tlre
followed the explosion, making rescue
almost impossible.
The intense excitement and confusion
in the vicinity pevented early estimates
of the exact loss of life, but dispatch
received here at 435 P. M. gave I,4o4
miners entombed and probably lost At
845 P. M. brief dispatch from Lille
announced the total of 1913 dead.
All France has been profoundly shock
ed by the magnitude of the disaster,
which is said to be the greatest in the
history of Continental mining.
President Fallieres sent his secretary,
accompanied by Minister of Public
Works Gautier and Minister of the In
terror Dubief on a special train to the
scene of the disaster.
The ministerial crisis was temporarily
forgotten, Senators and Deputies join
ing in the universal public manifesto
tions of sorrow
The scene of the catastrophe is the
mountainous mining region near Lens,
In the department of Pas de Calais.
There are huddled small hamlets of the
mineworkers, who operate the most pro-
ductive coal mines in France. The sub
terranean chambers form a series of I'M
nels. Six of the outlets are near Lens
and others are at Courrieres, Verdun and
many other points The output of these
mines is PARTICULARLY combustible and is
used largely in the manufacture OF gas
and in smelling. About 1000 miners
work the group of mines and, with their
families, make population OF from oooo
to 5000 souls.
The catastrophe occurred shortly after
I,7o5 men had descended into the mine.
There was deafening explosion, which
was followed by the cages and mining
apparatus being hurled from the mouth
of the Courrieres mine Men and horses
near by outside the mine were either
killed or stunned The roof of the
mine office was torn off. Later the CALLER
les caved in, and further attempt at res
cue was useless.
Immediately following the explosion
flames burst from the mouth of the pit,
driving back those outside who sought
to enter and booming those within.
The work of attempting to rescue the
imprisoned miners was hastily begun by
officials, engineers and miners from the
surrounding mines, who formed par
ties and made heroic efforts to penetrate
the smoke and foul gases and bring out
the imprisoned men.
The families of the entombed miners
crowded about the shaft, seeking faith
ers or husbands and threatening, in their
efforts to obtain details, to force back
the gendarmes who kept them from the
mouth of the pit.
The populace of the district is appalled,
by the disaster, which affects every
household
Those persons who were rescued were
terribly burned The latest estimates
place those taken out at sol.
Throughout the afternoon the heroic
effOrtS al rescue were COHlHlucd, ppt
nightfall brought the conviction that the
entombed men had been suffocated and
the dispatch from Lille at 8.45 P. NJ,
announcing the number of dead at 1893,
seems to remove the last hope that others
may be brought to the surface alive
During the evening dispatch was re-
ceived from Lille which seemed to give
some clue to the origin of the explosion.
1t was stated that smoldering fire broke
out in the Cecil pit of the Courriere
Mines, near Mericourt, at a depth of
about 725 feet, where masonary works
were proceeding. The cages in which
the miners descended into pits 2, 8 and a
were hurled 80 feet from the mouth of
the shaft. A miner working near the
mouth was killed and horse was blown
into the air. Some of the imprisoned
miners sought to escape to the pits which
remained intact and several rescues were
made. The first cages came up at 10
o'clock with about a dozen half-suffo-
Gated men, who were pomptly taken to
the hospital Among them was M. Vol
sin, an engineer, who had attempted TO
organize succor.