The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-04-06
MINERSCHEAT
GRIM REAPER
Entombed Men, thought Long Dead
KjracuIousIy Escape.
BURIED FOR TWENTY DAYS
In Total Darkness, They Existed Sole
lY on DecaYed Horse Meat, Hay
and Bark Since March2.

Fourteen of the 1900 miners who
were entombed In the coal mines at
Courrieres, France, March 2, were
taken from the mine alive and well,
Friday.
They had lived on hay found in one
of the underground stables and the
morsels of food which they took into
the mine with them nearly three
weeks ago. All attempts to rescue
the entombed men had been abandon
ed more than two weeks ago.
The sudden appearance of the inn
prisoned men caused stupefaction. A
sang of salVagers had just completed
their nights work when they were
startled to see a group of miners,
terribly haggard and exhausted and
with sunken eyes appear from re-
mote part of pit No. 2. The strong
est in the party said they had broken
out of a distant gallery, where they
had been entombed since the disaster
The rescued men were taken up the
elevator, but were unable to see, ow-
ing to the dazzling daylight. The
mine officials were deeply affected as
the weeping survivors were taken to
hospital
The men were able to talk feebly,
but sensibly. They all asked for news
of relatives or friends and wished to
go home Immediately The doctors,
however, prevented them with diff.
Guilty from SO doing. Later crowds be-
Sieged the mine in the hope of hear
ing OF further escapes, necessitating
the employment of a strong police
force and attachments of troops to
maintain order.
Ii is said that others of the en-
tombed miners are alive, their signals
having been heard One of the men
rescued Friday, a man named Nemy,
said that for the first eight days the
party ate bark off the timbering Of
the mine. Later they found the de-
composed body of a horse which they
cut up and ate with hay. The sur
viyors brought portions Of the decom-
posed horse meat. Nemy, who was
the most lucid Of the miners who es-
capped, described their imprisonment
as follows
after the explosion | CROPPED my
way about, stumbling over bodies and
seeking refuge from the gases. I
found some comrades sheltered in a
remote niche We ate earth and bark
for eight days, and then the proYis-
ions gave cut.
eve continued to grope among the
bodies, seeking for an outlet from our
prison. but were forced back time and
again. We found some hay which we
ate, and two days afterwards we found
dead horse which we cut up and
ate with the hay and bark.
eve suffered for want Of water
Finally we got desperate and separat-
cd into parties and communicated with
each other by shouts. Last night we
felt draft Of fresh air. which final
ly guided us to an opening"
A survivor named Martin said eve
suffered intensely from cold. The
chamber above us was burning, but
it did not temper the cold in the lower
gallery"
The doctors have forbidden the sur
vivors to do any further talking. Vast
crowds of people surround the hos
pital where the escaped men are be-
ing treated.
The families of miners are intensely
indignant. They claim that salvage
operations were never undertaken on
the part of the mine from which NemY
and his companions escaped, and dis
orders are expected. The most Sc
we're repressive measures have been
taken. Crowds Of women denounce
the directors and foreigners, crying:
IF you had given us tools we would
have saved our own husbands"