New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-12
ELEVEN HUNDRED DEAD.
FRENCH MINE DISASTER.
Rescue Party Reported Lost Fran
tic Crospds at Shafts.

Paris March 1.-The worst fears Of the
rnorunty OF the disaster In the Courrieres min
az district Of Pas de Calais have been realized
rhe death list stands at eleven hundred, and the
whole region stands appalled, at the tragedy
which has brought sorrow TO SIX thousand
fathers mothers. wives and children. The last
great mine disaster IN France occurred in 1885.
when 2sS persons were killed and eighty injured:
but that and all others sink into insigniacance
before Courrzeres
The vast mortuary- camp is under military
guard. four hundred soldiers having arrived
there 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
Ahe imprisoned men had been heard. but gradu
ally this hope vanished. The people demanded
admission to see the bodies. and even threatened
no break through the Gordon OF troops. who had
The greatest difficulty in keeping the crowds
from the pit One man named Sylvestre s,,c-
ceeded In entering the mine, but he never "a
surneo- II is believed he CROPPED about until he
was overcome by the gases and perished It is
reported that a rescue party numbering forty
persons has been cut of by the cavins in or oro
OF the galleries
The Minister OF Public Works NJ. gauthier.
the Minister OF the Interior. NJ Dubief and tbe
secretary Of President FaIlieres remain on the
ground endeavoring 10 comfort the d,strassoa
FAMILIES President Fallieres has given $4,000 for
selief measures The ministry viii add a fur
ther sum TO this, and the Chamber Of IDENTITIES
sfil be asked TO vote 100000
Ministers Gauthier and Dubief have received
complete details OF the catastrophe from NJ
1avsurs. the director of the mine. His voice
was ehoked with emotion as he spoke He
raid:
& ot LSoo miners who were down in the pits
Nhen the explosion occurred 673 were working
IN Pit No 4. 4s2 were in Pit No. 3 571 IN Pii
No and the remainder in Pit No, 10
T,-oro %. rescued Were taken out as follows:
through PIT No. II, 490 came up from PIT No ,
and a from Pit No. 10 A number OF these
We're injured and some OF them have died since
AT the present moment over one thousand re
main imprisoned.
Another director said that the imprisoned men
numbered LOO
Minister Duhief inquired Have you stm any
shope7" The director replied: NO; I believe an
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 about the mine building waiting for
Official news
Then the ministers listened IN a sra,,b,c ,5a-
'scription OF the scene in the mine by Leon CERT
who is stin suffering from his terrible experi-
enoe He said:
I was working with a gang when The .v-
Hl0sion occurred. The foreman in,n,eSistaIv
shouted for 10 follow him. and. dashfne into
a recess In the gallery. We were followed by a
blast ~ poisonous gases. which rushed bv how
ever. without affecting Us. We remained thers
Tor eight hours. when. feeling that suffocation
escape Ne craWled IN single hle toward the
shaft bat several OF the men dropped dead on
carried my nephew on my back for forty min
ntes, anc succeeded in saving him. II took ms
toar hours 70 reach the shaft
For The time being the mine building has been
transformed into mortuarv chamber. and al
about in it lie the almost un-ecognIzable bodies
of miners which were taken there after they
Nere brought up from the mine Stricken rels-
iives arrive al the minc building from time n
iime. searching for missing members of their
families and indescribablo scenes of grtsg occur
a. women recognize ioveG ones
Heartrendirg scenes. TOO. are witnessed about
The mouth Of PIT :. where in the pressr,e
Of Ministers Dubief ana Gouthier. parties oe
rescuers are continually descending and rar,.-,-
ing with BODIES. TIE women uia children in
cOnti3aeJ On sceona paxa