The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-04-05
MINERS WEREAL|VE:
Remarkable Escape Of Men
Thought. to Be Dead.
SAVED BY OWN EFFORTS
Entor1oed in Explosion-Wreckcd Pit
Twenty Days, They Lived on
Decomposed Horse Meat, Hay
ard Bark.

Fourteen of the 1000 miners who
were eltombed in the coal mines at
Courrieres, France, March 2, were
taken from the mine alive and we'll,
friday. :,E -
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 i'm
prisoned men caused stupefaction. A
gang 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 a re-
mote part of pit No. 2. The strong
est in the party said they had broken
out of distant gallery, where they
had been entombed since the disaster.
The rescued men were taken up the
elevator, but were unable to see, CIV
ing to the dazzling daylight. Tho
mine officials were deeply affected as
the weeping survivors were taken to
a hospital. :. f,
The men were able to talk fee5ly,
but sensibly. They all asked sor 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 strong police
force and detachments of troops to
maintain order.
It 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 tha: for the first eight days the
party ate bark off the timbering OF
the mine. Later they found the d.
composed body of horse which they
cut up and ate with hay. The sur
Yivors brought portions Of the decom-
ncsed horse meat. Nemy, who was
the most lucid of the miners who es-
caped. described their imprisonment
as follows: - =. s.s--
After the explosion I groped my
vey about, stumbling over bodies anu
seeking refuge from the gases. !
found scme comrades sheltered in 4
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 AMI
ate with the hay and bark.
owe suffered for want OF water
Finally we got desperate and separaI-
Cd into parties and communicated with
each other by shouts. Last night we
felt a draft of fresh air, which final
" guided us to an opening"
A survivor named Martin said: 1--WE
suffered intensely from cold. inc
chamber above us was burning, but
it did not temper the cold in the lower
gallery"
The doctors have forbidden the sur
yivors to do any further talking. vast
crowds of people surround the nos
pital where the escaped men are De-
slg treated.
The families of miners are intensely
indignant. They claim that salvage
operations were never undertaken on
the part of the mine from which Mem?
and his companions escaped, and dis
orders are expected. The most Sc
we're repressive measures have beea
taken Crowds of women denounce
tho directors and foreigners, crying:
"1f vou had given us tools we woul1
, ,l o,,r oun husbands"