The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-12
Heart Rending Scenes.

l1edIt-ReHQlnS scenes.
Hcart-rondcrng scenes. too, arc wit
messed about the mouth of the pit, No
!, when In the presence OF Ministers Du-
bicf and Gauthier, the bands OF rcscuers
are continually descending and render
ing with bodies. Tho women. with chill
dren in their arms. attempt to break
through the Gordon OF troops which form
lane through which the body-bearers
proceed To the mortuary chamber
Sometimes the burden consists of a
mere heap of burnt flesh. aud in nearly
every case the body is terribly liberated.
Only onc-half Of the bodies recovered
have been identified.
Despite the danger incurred. the voiun-
fcers. who include II number of those
who were successful in escaping at the
time of the explosion. do not hesitate
to descend the shaft. Some OF them have
e1cen down more than "A dozen times Ons
Of them. after having brought up four
teen bodies, was suffocated on his III
teenth attempt, and II is feared that 9TH
or fatalities among the volunteers VIII
follow, rs the air IN the mines is still I'M
prcgnated in noxious gases. A number OF
the men engaged In rescue work have
already been brought to the surface uu-
conscious. and as they were driven to
their homes IN closed carriages the wo-
men followed and broke The windows,
ried away.
Several miners have come UP from pit
IL. which Is connected with pit number
g. They effected their escape by means of
ladder. and as they came from the
mouth of the pit. they appeared 10 be bor-
dcring madness. All or them were
more or less injured. When asked about
their comrades. one OF them said: 1T il
horrible. All OF them are dead
young miner who escaped from pit
number 4. where about 800 men re-
main. said: II was working about fifty
feet From the shaft. Suddenly l felt "A
puff OF hot gas and started toward the
shaft. / was half suffocated. and was
unable to advance further because of the
fumes. Finally. however, | Succeeded in
reaching the cage, and came UP in II.
After the blast | neither heard, nor
saw more of my comrades. and / believe
that all in that gallery in which | WAS
working are dead
Another miner said: ut is Understandable.
Everything WAS demolished or has fallen
in. l saw bodies lying in piles. My son
Is below
One rescier has asserted that he heard
voices in the mine. and others found two
horses still living. This gives rise to
hope that some of the men are still
living.
Think All Are Dead.
Replying 10 an Inquiry as to whether
hope remained for the finding of more
men alive in the mine, an engineer who
had been down the shaft said:
1T is scarcely possible. Tho state of
the galleries Ia such that clearing them
will he n difficult task. while the flames
were so fierce that many of the victims
must have been reduced to ashes"
1t is thought hardly possible that many
bodies will be recovered tomorrow, ow-
ing to the difficulty of reaching the bot
tom pits, the runners on which the cages
descend being broken or bent.
The engincersarc cndeavoring to devise
means for locating the dangerous zone
In the mine and aeratins the galleries.
Tho shaft of pit No. 3 is completely
blocked. and the authorities arc consider
ing the ACCESSIBILITY of dropping heavy
mass of metal down.the shaft in order 10
clear 1t. and thus enable them to descend
and learn the worst