The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-12
Has Seldom If Ever Had q
Parallel.
BODIES LIE IN PILES.
Stories of Miners Who Got Cat
in Time.
Investigation Is Hampered By
the Conditions Inside.

Paris. March 12.@The worst fears as
to the enormity of the mine disaster In
the Coorrieres district Of the Pas Ga
Calais Saturday morning have been re-
allied The death list numbers HOO
and the whole OF the region stands ap-
palled at the terrible tragedy which has
brought sorrow to six thousand fathers.
mothers, wives and children.
The last great mine disaster in
France occurred in 1885. when .29S per
sons were killed and so injured. bue
that and all others sink into insignifl-
canoe before Courrieres.
The vast mortuary camp is under
military guard 400 soldiers having ar
rived there to assist in holding In check
the crowds of distracted mourners-
For a time hope had been held out
to the people that the tapping on
pipes by the imprisoned men had been
heard. but gradually this hope van
ished and the people demanded ad-
mission to see the bodies and even
threatened to break through the cor
don of troops, who had the greatest
difficulty in keeping the crowds from
the pit One man named Sylvestre
succeeded In entering the mine, but
he never returned. 1t is believed he
groped about inside until he was over
EOA1E DF LllE gases anu D6IlEAEu. AE
IS reported that rescue party num-
bering forty has been cut of by the
caving in of one of the galleries.
Minister Of Public Works Gautier.
Minister Of the Interior Dubeief and
the secretary of President Fallieres re-
main on the ground endeavorfng to
comfort the distressed families Of the
miners. President Fallieres has given
81, 600 to aid in relief measures. The
ministry will add a further sum to this.
a hla1- Of n fs1e- Nil
asked to vote S1e0. 600 for the purpose
OF alleviating distress. Ministers eau
tier and Dubeief have received com
plete details Of the catastrophe from
NJ. Lavaures. the director of the mine.
"Of 1900 miners who were down in
the pits when the explosion occurred
he said, "613 were working in pit No.
4, 4S2 were in pit No. 3, 571 IN pit No.
2 and the remainder in pit No 1
Those rescued were taken out as
follows: From pit No. e. 1870: from pft
No. 3. Is escaped through Dit No II:
40 came up from pit No. ?. and -
were injured and some of them have
died since At the present moment
over 1000 men remain Imprisoned" q"
Another director declared that the
imprisoned men numbered 1 100 Minis
ter Dubeief inquired:
Have you stiu any hope? ?"
To this the director replied, mo.
believe all of them are dead
This was whispered into the ear OF the
minister, in order that his words might
not be overheard by the pale faced
miners who stood anxiously about the
mine building waiting for an official
view on the state Of affairs.
Then the ministers listened to a
graphic description of the scene in the
mine by Leon Cert, one of the men res
cued and who still is suffering from the
terrible effects of his experience.
II was working with a gang when
the explosion occurred - he said "The
foreman Immediately shouted for US to
follow him, and dashing into a recess IN
the gallery we were followed by a blast
of poisonous gases. which rushed by,
however, without affecting US. We re-
amined there for eight hours when,
feeling that suffocation was gradually
coming upon US, We attempted to escape.
We crawled in single file toward the
shaft but several of the men dropped
dead on the way, including my son and
the foreman I carried my nephew on
my back for 40 minutes and succeeded
in saving him. It took us four hours to
reach the shaft"
For the time being the mine building
has been transferred into a mortuary
chamber, and all about in It lie the car
BOMBED ard almost unrecoEnizable
bodies of miners which were taken there
as they were brought up from the mine
Stricken relatives arrive at the mine
building from time to time searching
for missing members Of their families
and indescribable scenes Of grief occur
as women recognize loved ones.