Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-12
itAKS THE RECORD OF SUCH DISASTERS
Troops Called Out to Keep Back the Dis
traoted Friends Of Unfortunate Miners.
LIEF RESCUE PARTY HAS ptMsH1O
Members of Cabinet on the Scene Directing
the Work of Recovery.
BODIES OF DEAD ARE TERRIBLY BURNED
PitifuI Scenes Witnessed in the line
prOvised MOrEues NJ Relatives
search for the Bodies OF
Their Loved Ones.

Their Loved Ones.
PARIS, March 1.-THE worst fears as
to the onormity of the mine disaster in
the Courrieres district of the Pas de Calais
Saturday morning have been realized. The
death list numbers 1.1OO and the whole of
the region stands appalled, at the terrible
tragedy, which has brought sorrow to 5000
fathers, mothers, wives and children. Tho
last great mine disaster in France occurred
in 1885, when 293 persons were killed and
eighty injured, but that and all others sink
into insignihcance before Courrieres. -Four
hundred soldiers have arrived at the mine
to assist in holding in check the crowds
OF distracted mourners. For a time hope
had been held out to the people that
tappings on pipes by the imprisoned men
had been heard. but gradually this hope
vanished and the people demanded admis-
sion TO the bodies and even threatened
to break through the Gordon Of troops,
who had the greatest difficulty in keeping
the crowds from the pit. A man named
Sylvestre succeeded In entering the mine,
but he never returned 1t Is believed he
CROPPED about inside until overcome by the
gases and perished, II Is reported that
rescue party numbering forty has been cut
of by the caving in OF one Of the galleries.
Minister of the Interior Dubief and the
secretary Of President Fallieres remain on
the ground endeavoring to comfort the dis
tressed Families OF the miners President
Falieres has given S2OOO to aid In relief
measures. The ministry will add further
sum to this and the chamber will be asked
to vote 100000.
OmciaI Report of Disaster.
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have re-
ceived complete details OF the catastrophe
from NJ Lavaurs. the director Of the mine.
''Of 1850 miners who were down in the
pits when the explosion occurred" he said,
'673 were working in pit No. 4. 4S2 were
in pit No. 3, 571 in pit No and the
mainder in pit No. 10.
Those rescued were taken out as fol-
lows From No. 1SO from no. fifteen
escaped through pit No. IL. 49O came up
from pit No. . and seventy-four from pit
y No 10 A number Of these were injured
and some of them have died since. At the
present moment over 1,oO0 men remain Inn
prsoned.'
Another director declared that the i'm
prisoned men numbered LOO
Minister Dubief inquired; Have you
still any hope?"
To this the director replied: mo, / be-
iieve all Of them dead"
This was whispered into the ear of tho
minister in order that his words might not
be overheard by the pale-faced miners who
! stood anxiously about the mine buidine
waiting for an ofiicial view on the stats q
affairs.
story of Survivors.
Then the ministers listened to graphic
description of the scene In the mine by
Leon Cert, one OF the men rescued and
= who still is suffering from the terrible ef-
/, ! Of bfe
) Il was working with a gang when the ex-
plosion occurrec. The foreman imme-
diately shouted for us to FOLLOW him, and,
dashing into a recess In the gallery, we
were followed by blast of poisonous
gases, which rushed by, however, without
affecting We remained there for eight
hours when. seeling that sufocation was
gradually coming upon us, we attempted
to escape We crawled IN single file to-
ward the shaft. but several of the men
dropped dead on the way. including my
son and the foreman. l carried my nephew
on my back for forty minutes ana
ceeded in saving him. II took US four
hours to reach the shaft"
For the time being the mine building
has been transformed into mortuary
chamber and all about In II lie the car
bonzed and almost unrecognizable bodies
? Of miners which were taken there they
+; relatives arrive at the mine building srom
e time to time searching for missing mem
! bers of their families. and indescribable
scenes of grief occur women recognize
loved ones.
Heartrending scenes. too, are witnessed
about the mouth of pit No. T. where, I'm
! the presence of Ministers Dubief and Gau-
, thier, the bands of rescuers are continn-
a ally descending and returning with bod
mi. et4f1 d. tN.fva
arms, attempt to break through the cor
don of troops which forms a lane through
which the body-bearers proceed TO the
mortuary chamber. Sometimes the bur
den consists of a mere heap OF burned
u flesh and In nearly every case the body
e is terribly laceTated. Only one-hah of the
: bodies recovered have been Identified
Rescuers Brave Death.
Despite the danger incurred the volun-
: teers. who include number Of those who
were successful in escaping AT the time Of
. the explosion, did not hesitate to descend
the shaft Some OF them nave been down
more than a dozen times. one OF them.
! after having brought up fourteen bodies,
was suffocated his fifteenth attempt
. and II Is feared that other fatalities among
. the volunteers will follow. as the air In the
: mines Is still impregnated with noxious
gases number Of tho men engaged IN
rescue work have already been brought TO
the surface unconscious and as they were
driven to their homes in closed carriages
q the women followed and broke the win
! dows, suspecting that bodies were being
. hurried away.
A Several miners have come up from pit
n No. II, which is connected with pit No. g.
!, They affected their rescue by means Of
n ladder and as they came from the mouth
,. Of the pit they appeared 10 be bordering on
II madness. All OF them were more or less
h injured. when asked about their COM
rades, one OF them said: