The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-04-22
ATROCITIES OF HUNS IN FRENCH
INDUSTRY ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE.

|
Special Dispatch to The IntelIigcnccr.
| WASHINGTON. d. C.. April "l.-
Frank II. Probert. consulting engineer
l.of the bureau Of mines. department of
| tho interior, and dean of the college or
| mining, University OF California mem
! Der of 4 special commission 10 inrcstl-
| cato the damage don" by the Germans
during the war TO The coal ana IRON
! mines and The steel works of France
| and Belgium. after Il personal InFcStga-
| ton has just returned 10 aShlnSton
! with first hand story OF the almost I'M
! believablc atrocities OF the Huns in the
| destruction and wrcckagc OF tn" indus
trial life Of France and Belgium. SO
! systematic and diabolical has been this
| destruction in one great coal mining re-
! gion, Mr. Irobert says. that 1t will take
| at least five years to rchabilitatc this
district. and it will be twelve 10 h1tcel
years before it gets back 10 normal pre-
war output. He predicts that with the
indomitablc spirit Of Franco, in spite OF
the fearful destruction to her steer
works, with the return OF .Alsacc ana
Lorraine to the mother land France Will
Eventually become tho dominant factor
in the future steel industry of Europe.
In preliminary report To Van II.
Manning, director Of the bureau OF
mines, Mr.. Probcrt says in part: PARRY
in the war the German hnrdrS swept
southwark through the iron basins ut
French Alsace and Lorraine, and Tor
nearly four years this renowned mining
area was held and exploited by the IN
vadcrs Many Of the employees were
made captiVcs and compelled 10 work IN
the mines under German direction. Fhc
international boundary between France
and Germany was drawn in 1871 to give
~, ENr~0p
control OF the iron fields but since that
| time scientific development. guided by
| better understanding Of tho local geo
logy, exposed for France n greater orc
| reserve at lower horizons than that OF
the Lorraine Annexcc.
| During the German occupation the
| iron mines were not intensiVely exploit
| ed because Of the necessity OF recruit
ing every able-bodied man into the Tcu-
TON army. and on account the largo
| accumulation Of war mlnerals In prcpA-
ration foe the war. The actual physical
| damage to the iron mines is compare
! lively small when compared TO the de-
struction Of the coal fields of northern
| France which is as reprchcnsiblc as it
, is complete Only in q fcw cases where
nillars have been robbed in the mines
is there any collapse of underground
! workings. but the equipment, both sur
face and underground. has been ms
used. and where ore has been mined tho
lack Of development will defer rsilIza-
ton Of capital until the exploratory
work is sufficiently advanced to ADMIT
of daily output approHinNing pro
conditions. The mines are not seriously
i crippled but what OF the steel plants
in which the iron ores arc smelted" In
NV opinion no such atrocity was ever
nrrpctrated against the industrial life
If any country. Magnificent plants.
comrarinr favornbly with anything We
have in the United States are now but
= tangled. twisted mass of structural
steel and broken stone. The wilful demo-
lition was scientifically planned and
Systematically carried out. This after
the removal Of all such mechanical and
electrical power units as could be USED
by Germany. The righteousness and
EFFICIENCY with which this crime against
French industry was carried out Is al
most unbelievable.
I'm the coal districts Of Pas dc Calais
and Nord. 4 sector fought over from the
beginning to tho end OF the war. chang
ing hands frequently. bombarded all the
time. all surface structures whether oil
town. village or mining enterprise have
Il been RACED. Perhaps this may be legits-
mate warfare, but 1t is horrible 10 look
,,~r.. now since the guns are Silenced
4 and inc frenzy Of combat is past. ArrnS
Douai. \Bethune, Bapaumc, Lens. !oos'
Courriere, centcrs OF coal mining activ-
ity but few years ago and the main
springs of French industrial life arc
zone, but the indomitable spirit OF
France survives and already plans are
laid for the future. Bruay. at the west
ern edge Of the known coal field, was
| not In the fighting zone. and It's OUTPUT
| has been steadily maintained, but golnG
eastward the fright1ulness IS more anc
more appalling. for the hate OF the itur
left its mark on the mines during MS
| forced retreat. The coal measures ar'
oyerlatn by water bearing strata nc
I cessitating special methods OF Snal
sinking and support to keep tho mine:
dry. The steel lining of the shafts wa:
dynarnited, letting in the duicksard'
and flooding the underground working!
for miles around In the entire Pas az
II Calais region II Is estimated that ~
II million cubic meters Of wafer must %
pumped before mining. operations ar
II resumed Having flooded the mines, tn
head frames and surface equipment wcr'
Systematically dynamited. the tW ste'
debris in many cases filling up the dc
molished shafts.
~The Saar coal fields were visited b!
II stfIldng contrast TO the mining district
H of France and Belgium. the coal lndus
Il try Is at its height German workmeI
H and German engineers are still employ
lI ed. but under the direction and super
H ! vision Of French officers. A spirit o
II unrest is apparent everywhere. the sus
| Deuse OF the peace negotiations. uncer
y tainty as TO indemnity to be eHacted ant
lack of food Is telling on the alread!
broken morale Of the German workncn
\ Unfortunately. the Saar coal docs no
) give a desirable meatllurgical coke Il
Franco. and the blast furnaces arc nov
working inefricicnuy. Wcstphalian Goa
Ia much desired, and n special commit
tee, of which GeorGr $. Rice Of the bu
reau Of mines, recognized authorst!
throughout the world on coal mining, Il
a member. has left for Cologne TO in
yestgate the possibilities Of early ship
n,ent from the Wesphalian field t
France"