The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-06-20
TELLS OF RUIN WROUGHT u
HUNS


In1Aea othtfh mintuH EA#HH4 -
Yestieates Coal and Iron lines i
France
Frank II. Probert, consulting en-
Einesr of the bureau OF mines. depart
menl of the interior, and dean u IHs
College OF Mining. University Of Cal
Ifornia, member OF a special commits
sion to investigate the damage done
b. the Germans during the var -
The coal and iron mines and TIE steel
works of France and Belgium. altar !
personal investigation, has Just r.
turned to Washington with FRI
hand story OF the almost unbelievable
lie of France and Belgium. %
atrocities OF the Huns in the destruez
ton and wreckage Of the Industrial
life Of France and Belgium 80
systematic and dlabolical .haa hoen
this destruction In one great coal
mining region. Mr.. Proberl ~.
thai Il Will take At least i've year.
10 rehabiIltate this district and i
viii be tweyc 20 fifteen years before
Il gelz back 60 normal. pre-sar ont
put. lie predicts that with Ii N
domltable spirit OF France. n splIs
Of the fearfal destruction 70 her HIssl
works, with the return Of AlHaee I'D
Lorraine TO the mother land. Franco
vii eventually become the dominant
factor in tho future steel industry q
Europe.
IN \ preliminary report n Han Il.
Manning, director OF the bureau q
mines, Mr.. Probert says IN par.
Early IN the war the German hor1sz
swept southwark through the ron
basins of French Aisace and EaE@
raIne. and for nearly four years tlEla
renowned mining area was held I'D
exploited by the invaders. Many d
he employees were made eapIIx.z
and compelled to work In he mine
under German direction. The IHIer=
national boundary between franee
and Germany was drawn IN Is7I. u
give the victor OF the Franeo=prn.=
sian war control Of the iroa field.
but since that time scientific Develop
ment. guided by q better under
standing Of The local geology. -
posed for France a greater ore r.
AerYe 1t lower horizons than thaI q
the Lorraine annexee.
The actual physical damage =
the iron mines Is comparatively
small when compared TO the deHIrne.
ton of the coal fields Of northern
France. which Is as reprehensI1le y
i Is complete. Only In n few eaHea
where pillars have been r0l6nd =
the mines, Is there any collapse o
underground workings. bnt The eanIp.
ment, both surface and underground
has been misused and where ore b
! been mined. The lack Of development
vii defer realization on capital N.
I'll The exploratory work i I'll
eienliy advanced 10 admit Of daII.
output approximating pre-Nar eon.
Editions. The mines are not seriously
/ crippled. but what of the steel plant
IN which the iron ores are smeIIed
IN my opinion no such atroelIY -
ever perpetrated against The induz.
trial life Of any country. MaknI1.
cent plants, comparing faYoTa1ls
With anything We have III the uaIIea
States. are now but a tangled. IxIaI.
broken stone. The willful delI.II.
ton was scientifically planned M
cd mass Of structural steel ~
Isystematlcally carried out. ThIa II.
ter the removal OF all such mechanical
and electrical power units ~ loaIl
be used by Germany. The m.
IIIeIonaness and efficiency with wnIeI
this crime against French Industry
waa carried out is almost unbelIex-
able.
In the coal districts OF Pa Il
Calais and Nord, sector fought lxel
from the beginning to the end d II.
war. changing hands frequently
Dombarded all the time. all surface
structures whether of town. FIlIaE.
OF mining enterprise hava DeeT
razed Arras, Douai. Bethune. h
pauine, Lens. I,oos, CourTIere. cen
tiers Of coal-mining activity but fes
years ago and the maineprings D
French industrial life are gone. b
the indomitaEle spirit Of France sur
] wives and already plans are lad =
the future. Bruay, at the western
edge of the known coal field. Was 10
! IN the lighting zone and it onInl
has been steadily maintained. 1u
going eastward the frightfnIneaH i
more and more appalling, Tor the haIl
oT the Hun left It's mark On the me
] during his forced retreat The e0a
measures are overlain By water
bearing strata. necessltaIing speeIa
methods OF shaft sinking and gnn
port to keep the mines dry. n
steel lining Of tho shafts VS. aYna
mifad. letting in the unIeksandz -
flooding the underground TorEInz
lor miles around In the entire =
IL Calais region It is estimated -
ii 900 900 cubic meters d We
! must be pumped before mining -
erations are resumed Having Ilood
!. I'd the mines, the head frames -
Iaurface equipment were HgzI1mz
IIoally dynamited. the twisted dA1TI
n many cases filling up the, Idem0IIzH
! ed shafts.