The Colorado statesman., 1906-04-07
ANOTHER RESCUE.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM THE
coURRIEREs MINE.
IMMURED TWENTY-FIVE DAYS
Auguste Serton Found Alive in the
Pit and Brought Out to Greet His
Wife as One Arisen From the Dead.

Odl " vi CCh iilo
Wife as One Arisen From the Dead.
Lens, France.-Another living sur
vivor OF the mine disaster at Cour-
rieres March 10th, was discovered this
"wednesday morning and brought out
of the pit.
The man was found in pit four, of
the Sallau mine. He was in good con-
dition. According to his first state
ments, this man, Auguste Berton, suf-
fered less than the preceding rescued
men.
One of party of salvage men was
working in the mine this morning
when he felt the touch of a hand on his
shoulder and man who turned out to
be Berton, said:
81 am saved"
An affecting meeting occurred be-
tween Berton and his wife. Berton,
who was covered with layer of coal
dust, described his experience as fol-
lows:
81 was working with my cousin
when an explosion occurred, and we
became separated. Afterward alone,
l groped about in the darkness, trying
to find an outlet. l first found dead
horse, but was unable to eat any of its
flesh.
Later | found some lunch bags
which had belonged to men who had
been killed by the explosion, and
lived on the food | found in them.
suffered from the cold and took cloth
ing and shoes from the dead. | also
found three watches and "a sous. At
one time | gave up hope and tried to
commit suicide by opening a vein. |
slept ten times and tried to count the
days, estimating that eight days had
passed since the explosion"
AS the news spread through the re-
gion it caused extreme evaporation
against the engineers who have been
directing the salvage work. NJ. Leon,
the state engineer, when he arrived at
the pit, was surrounded by crowd of
people, who cursed and swore at him.
One woman went so far as to strike
the engineer.
When the engineers came up from
the Courrieres pits at noon to-day they
were attacked by crowd of women,
crying: Death to thu murderers!"
They were rescued by a squadron of
dragons. The people are intensely
excited. They believed that there are
other men alive in the mine and Sc
rious disorders are threatened.
A thousanad women are thronging
about the pit mouth and are forcing
the barriers. The troops and gen
darmes are trying to control the situa
tion.
Five search parties went down this
morning to explore pit four, but up
to 10:30 p m. they had not discovered
any more survivors. Other parties are
searching the mines and the chief en-
gineer will remain below all night.
The crowd several times during the
day broke through the Gordon of troops
surrounding pit No. A, eXcitedly ques'
tioning the salvagers, who stated that
no further traces of survivors had
been found.
Several bodies of miners, with the
appearance of not having been long
dead and living horse were discov,
cred. The latter was in good condi-
ton The crowds dispersed at mid
night except for few women, who re-
fused to leave the vicinity of the pit
head.
In pursuance of Premier Sarrien's
instructions, judicial inquiry was be-
gun against the state engineers, who,
it is alleged, took over the superin-
tendence of the salvage work from
the company's engineers. Should this
examination establish a lack of celer-
ity, neglect of duty or incapacity on
the part of the state engineers, prose
cution will ensue on the charge of in
voluntary homicide, the penalty OF
which may be two years imprison-
ment