Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-04
FRENCH SAPPERS
BURIED ALIVE IN
A MINE CHAMBER
THREE SOLDIERS HAVE UNUSUAL
EXPERIENCE WHILE FIXING
TRAP FOR ENEMY.

Paris, March 3.-The story Of the
French sappers who were buried
alive for hours during the battle Of
Verdun and who finally dug their way
out to safety, is told In detail by one
of them who arrived in Paris on a
hospital train this morning. He said:
with my friends, Bernard and
Jean, / was posted in trench at the
edge Of the Vauche woods. The enemy
showed disposition to attack and,
according to orders, the three of us,
with a charge Of powder, fuses and
tools, started down a mine gallery to
fill the mine chamber to lay the wires
and to pack the gallery behind 1t. We
did this without difhculty and were
on our way back when heavy ex-
plosiOn shook us. Had our mine gone
of already? I hear stones falling"
said one Of my comrades. We rushed
forward, the gallery was full Of grav-
el. We realized the horrible truth
we were walled up. An enemy shell
had exploded above the gallery, caus-
ing the roof to fall in.
I'VE examined the walls in feverish
haste. We are done for" said Jean.
We were not afraid of death-it was
all part of the game-but, we did not
like to die there in the darkness.
How long can we stay here?' Jean
asked again. There 10 plenty Of air
and the gallery is roomy, but there is
nothing to eat,' l replied. Well
what's the good Of few hours more
or less?' he said why wait? for
one have already made up my MIND
He took out his revolver but ! stop
ped him and said, Don't be . fool. Let
tis wait 4 while, we may hit on some
way out n 4,
Wait sor Opening.
"The first horror having passed
over, we began to discuss ways and
means. Let us wait patiently for our
mine to explode If it makes q big
enough hole we can dig through into
It, I said.
Eve sat down in silence and could
hear all the sounds of battle above as,
for the earth Is a good conductor of
sound. We tried to distinguish the
character Of the various vibrations so
as not to miss the noise when our
mine exploded. Finally we heard it
and we rushed forward through a
wave of hot air. Hope strengthened
our arms and we piled our picks furi-
ously but our packing had been SO
well done that it took us two hours
before we got into the empty mine
chamber. listened but the sound of
firing seemed so Far off that Judged
there was a thick layer Of earth be-
tween us and the outer world. Then
drops fell upon us. Were we going
to be flooded? so much the better,
we shall die more quickly said Jean.
Taste Human Blood.
Something trickled down on my
lips and recognized the taste. 1t
was blood, and I realized that II blood
was coming through we could not be
far from the surface. With renewed
hope we set to work again but rather
clumsily, for we started a fall of
earth which nearly buried us. We
were all injured, Bernard's leg being
broken, Jeans head cut and my left
arm broken. Despite our pain we
continued our efforts and after a
while we came on number OF dead
bodies Of Germans which had rolled
to the bottom of the crater which the
mine explosion had made.
After an hour OF digging and crawl
ing among these bodies, we got out
into the air. Both my comrades were
so exhausted that they tainted.
watched over them, being sheltered
from shells and bullets by the steep
side Of the crater After eight hours
waiting, ambulance attendants found
us and by that time we had but little