Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-03-15

Paris, Mar. IA terrible explo-
sion occurred Saturday in a coal mine
in the Courrieres district of the Pas
deCalais, Is miles from Bethune. 1t
was learned that out of 1,795 men who
descended into the pits to work, only
591 have come up, leaving 1,204 men
in the three pits.
Rescue parties that have come to
the surface say that all further at.
stated that a smouldering fire broke
out Friday night in the Cecil pit OF
the Courrieres mines near Mericourt
at a depth of 270 meters. M. Bauld.
eret, chief engineer of the mines, de-
scended for the purpose of investigat
ing the circumstances which led to
the fire. This is all that is known
of the terrible catastrophe The
cages in which the miners descended
into the pits 2 8, and 4 were at about
Z o'clock Saturday morning hurled
80 feet from the mouth of the shaft
A miner working near the mouth was
killed. Some of the imprisoned MN
ers 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 and
a half of suffocated men.
Towards noon wounded workmen
began to be brought UP and the bod
les of two dead men were taken from
pit No. 10. Assistance reached Cour-
rieres from all sections of the coun.
try and large numbers of volunteers
took part in the efforts tG rescue the
entombed miners and recover the
bodies OF the killed.
Community Desolated.
A state of stupor and desolation
prevails over the Courrieres mining
region. The most agonizing scenes
are witnessed at the pit mouths AMI
gendarmes experienced the utmost
difficulty in restraining crowds of peo-
pie eager to ascertain the fate OF
their relatives.
At Lille the estimates of the dead
are from 1000 to 1000, which figures,
however, are given under all reserve
until more exact details are obtain
able
Gas Prevents Rescue Work.
Gas is pouring into pit No. 2, pre-
venting entrance, and it is impossible
to succor the men imprisoned there
In pit No. 8, the cages will not work,
having been damaged by the violence
of the explosion. Rescue work, there,
fore, is proceeding mainly in pit NO.
4. Ten miners from pit No. IL were
removed alive, but none of the S5s
miners who entered pit No. have
yet been brought out.
Few Taken Out Alive.
OF 500 miners who descended there
Saturday morning, according to a
dispatch from Lens, 3SS have been
brought out, but the rescue of the
others is impossible. In pit No. 3
only 10 men out of 443 have been res
cued, and as the ladders are broken
and cages damned, the rescuers are
despairing of helping the others.
Foreman Lecomte came UP from the
mine Saturday afternoon and reported
q terrifying scene below. The crowd
surrounding the mouth of the mine
is showing signs of impotence at
what it considers the slow progress
being made by the rescuers.
All France Shocked.
All France has been profoundly
shocked by the magnitude of the dis
aster, which is said to be the great
est in the history of continental min
ing
President Fallieres sent his secre-
tary, accompanied by Minister of
Public Works Gautier and Minister
If the Interior Dubief on a special
train to the scene of the disaster.
The scene of the catastrophe is
the mountainous mining region near