The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-03-13
A BAD DISASTER /
NEARLY 1900 MEN MEET SUD
DEN DEATH IN A MINE.
Explosion Wrecks the Outlets
Fire Follows and Cuts of Min
=, ers From Rescue-Total
1898 Dead.


Paris, March 1O.-A mine catas-
trophe of incslcrlable horror and
magnitude has stricken the great
ceal center of Northern France.
An explosion Of FIRE damp at o.
clock this morning carried death
and destruction throughout thenet-1
work of coal mines centsred at cou-
rieres, and Ere followed the explo-
sion, making rescue difficult and
almost Impossible. s-. 81
The intense excitement and con-
fusion ID the vicinity prevented ear
" estimates Of the exact loss Of life,l
but q, dispatch received here at 4:35
o. %. gave. 1404 miners entombed
and probably lost. At 8:45 o'clock
this evening brief dispatch from
Lille announced the total of 1893
dead All France has been profound
ly shocked by the magnitude Of the
disaster, which Is said to be the
greatest in the history Of continen-
tai mining; President Fallieree
sent his secrettry accom- panied by
Minister of Public Works Gautier,
and Minister of the interior Dubiefs
on a special train. to the scene Of
Ithe disaster. The ministerial crisis
was temporarily forgotten, senators
and deputies joining in the un ive-
al public manifestations oi s errov
The. scene of the catastrop hets
the mountainous mining region
near Lens, in the departme ntss of
Pas de Calais. Here are huddled
small hamlets of the mineworkers
who operate the most productive
coal mines in France. The subter.
ranean chambers form series ol
tunnels. Six !. of the outlets are
near Lens.
The output Of these mines is par.
fticulariy combustible, and is large.
" used in the manufacture of gaE
aud In smelling. About 1000 min
ers work the group of mines, and
with their families make a popula
tion of from 5000 to 5000 souls.
The explosion took place shortly
after 1895 men had descended int
the mine this morning. There wa:
j a deafening explosion, which wal
followed by the cages and mining
apparatus being hurled from th'
mouth OF the Courrieres mine: Mel
and horses .nnear by outside tn
mine were either stunned or kill
ed. The roof of the mineofice wa
torn off.
Immediately after the explosion
flames burst from the mouth or tn
j pit, driving back those who sough
to enter, and booming those within
The. families of the entombe'
miners crowded the shaft seekin.
fathers or husbands, and threaten
ing, in their efforts to obtain de
tails, to force back the gendarme
who kept them from the mouth c
the pit. The populace of the dis
trict is appalled, by the disaster
which effects every household
Those persons who were rescue'
were terribly burned.
The latest estimates place thos
taken out at 591. Throughout th
afternoon the efforts were continu
ed, but nightfall brought conviction
that the entomb bed men had been sui
focated, and the dispatch from Lii
at S:45 p. %. announcing the mum
ber Of the dead at 1893 appears. i
remove the last hope that other
may be brought to the surface alive
The cages in which the miner
descended In to pits 2, and wer
at Z o'clock this morning hurle
about 80 feet from the mouth ofth
shaft. A miner working near th
mouth was killed and horse wa
blown into the air. Some of th
imprisoned miners sought to escap p
to the pits which remained intae
and several rescues were made.
The first cages came up at 10 c
!. clock with about a dozen and ha
| suffocated men, who were -promptl
| taken to the hospital.
| Toward noon wounded workme
| were brought in baskets and tt
bodies of two dead men were take
| from pit 10. It was feared the re
| mainder had been asphyxiated.
| Assistance reached Courier
| from all sections of the department
| and large force of volunteers toe
| part in the ffforts made to reset
] the entombed miners, recover tt
| bodies OF the killed and help in th
| work of the salvage.
| A state of ssupor and desolatio
prevails over the Courriere minin