COURRIERES DISASTER.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 May 1906, Page 1

COURRIERES DISASTER.

UNPRECEDENTED DEATH ROLL. OVER 1100 PERISH IN THE EXPLOSION. SURVIVORS’ THRILLING i NARRATIVES. Files to hand supply th o following details ;—■ The whole mining district of Northern Franco lias been plunged into mourning by an appalling disaster at the Courricres collieries, Pas de Calais, resulting, it is feared, in the loss of more than 1100 lives. Tho collcries consist of twelve pits, which communicate with each other by galleries. The fact that there is access from one to tho other, it might bo thought, would make for the saftoy of those engaged in them, but it seems to have been a source of danger, since lire and noxious gases travelled from one pit to tbo other. For several days a fire had boon smouldering in tho Cecilo, or No. 5, Pit and on Friday it broke out at about 7Goft below tho surface. M. Rasault. ono of tho leading otlieials connected with tho colliery, went down to superintend tho work of extinguishing it. A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.

A liltlo after six o’clock on Saturday morning, when there were about 1800 men working in the mine, a terrific explosion occurred in Pit No. 3, and almost simultaneously there wore explosions in Pits Nos. 4 and 5. the cages of Nos. 3 and 4 .pits being thrown high in tho air. It is stated by men who were standing near Pit No. 4 that one cage was thrown up 30 feet above the surface. IVhen it reached fhe ground it was found to contain a dying miner, whose skull had been fractured.

Tile buildings at the pi) head were damaged, the roof of one of the engine houses being canted away. Then three miners appeared at the surface, having clambered up the ladders from the workings. They were half-suffo-cated and terribly exhausted, but from Ibe disjointed account tbey gave of their struggle to reach the ladders, groping their way over the bodies of men and horses, in galleries strewn with fallen debris and choked with smoke and poisonous gases, it was evident that not much chance of life remained for their comrades below. FIRST EFFORTS AT RESCUE.

The mine otlieials were quickly on the scene, and effort, were made to let down tbe cages of llie Mericniil'f. pit. This was found impossible, as they had been thrown out of gear by (lie force of th(> explosion. M. Leon, the engineer in chief, and another ollicial were hi down slowly in a barrel. When they had descended about 150 yards—l lie mine is mere than twice that depth—they were stopped by a mass uf woodwork. They were drawn up again to the surface, and then relays of four men at a time wire let down In clear awav llie debris. WALKED OX HEARS OE CORPSES -Many hours then passed. At length towards 5 o'clock in the afternoon 12 miners were discovered crouching behind some woodwork. They had only suffered slightly. The hopes thus raised were soon dashed, for at that point (he rescuers walked npi u heaps of corpses. 'The poor fellows ware horribly disfigured, burnt and blackened. One bad been dicapilalcd, another had had both arms torn off, and another had lost, a leg. At Pit, No. 2 mil of 500 miners who went down, 388 were brought up by No. 10. Jt is feared that all the oilier* have in fished. THE DEATH ROLL,

According to an ollicial statement, issued by Hie Courricres Company, the number of killed in the disaster is 1150. '1 lieso figures, telegraph's Renter's correspondent in Lens, are the result of a complete roll-call. FA.MI LIES WIRED OUT. Throughout tho mining districts (says the Telegraph) the desolation is complete. One can scarcely realise the magnitude of the disaster. Whole families have been wiped out. Only weeping women are left. Not a mail Inis come hark to some rows of cottages. In certain dwellings, (hero are three, fear and five dead. Sal hi mi ties alone can count 400 to 500 victims. Ono survivor at a stroke has lost three brothers, live brothers-in-law, and four nephews. Another man loses four sons and a son-in-law. The cry of the widow and orphan is hitler iudecd, and with hundreds of hivad-win-urs gone to tin untimely end, tile extern of the assistance required can scarce!v he estimated.

HEARTRENDING SCENES AT THE THE PIT .MOUTH.

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the pit mouths, as thousands of orphans and widows stood in (he black slush and pelting rain, clamouring with agonised faces for news of father, son, husband, or brother; and the gendarmes had great difficulty in keeping them from breaking through the lines. On Sunday night the weary watchers were estimated at 25,000.

Countless deeds of heroism were performed throughout tho day by tho rescuers, of whom several miners and two engineers, Dinnire and Labile, lure brought to the surface half asphyxiated. AN ADDED HORROR.

The horror of the sit nut ion was increased hy the following cruol predicament: Of the throe jiils affected— Nos. 2, 3 ami tj—two and four were Idled with death dealing gases, and No. 5 was blocked. Now, three was the very pit hy which the ventilating tubes pass into the mine, driving out the impure air, through two and four, and the explosion had followed the path of the fresh air, driving the noxious gases beneath the opening of two and four. The work of rescue was continued all night with six-hour shifts. The 1 full extent; of (lie catastrophe is being withheld from the mourning friends and relatives, but they are beginning to realise it. Tim families in mourning number 1500. SIGNALS HEARD. Signals have been heard in Pit No. 3, and though they have now ceased hope lias not been abandoned of linding a few men still alive, as some of the rescuers who came up on Sunday evening state that two horses have been discovered still alive. The mining population is showing signs of restlessness under the terrible calamity which has taken place. The authorities are becoming anxious and the Prefect lias summoned reinforcements of troops and gendarmes to maintain order.

Apparently the disaster was due to insufficient precautions being taken by the engineers of the mine to circumscribe a fire which had been smouldering for several days. The work of rescue was carried on with great difficulty owing to the noxious gases. The rescuers had to be replaced tit short intervals, but it was recognised that haste was imperative, as the decomposing bodies, especially those of the horses, would soon render the atmosphere below unbreathable.

Numberless heroic deeds have been formed by the devoted rescuers. One man made 14 journeys down the shaft returning each time with a body, but on his fifteenth journey ho succumbed at the foot of the. shaft. Many, of (ho volunteers wore only brought to tho surface in tho nick of time to escape death from suffocation. < Tho scenes, below were of tho most awful description. Bodies wore found lying in heaps, and groans issuing from these ghastly mounds showed that living men were there. By 6 on Sunday evening 400 men had been rescued. It was 'then' found impossible to proceed further, the galleries having fallen in, and the work of rescue was reluctantly abandoned. The extent of tho disaster may be gimaotl by tjio fact that in some districts not a man has escaped unifl*

jureil. '1 ho mining companies arc going to take a census of tho mining villages in order to ascertain exactly tho number of men missing. DRIVEN MAD BY FEAR One of the survivors, Augustus Bren an, who was taken from Pit No. 5. says the Chronicle correspondent, tells n heartrending story. \\ ilh live comrades Brouau was working at the 300-metro level. There was suddenly a terrific explosion, which immediately stunned (he whole party. When they recovered they made a rush for the nearest shaft, only to liml their progress barred by the fallen timbers, and the air each moment becoming more difficult to breathe. They turned about and sought for another exit. Four of tho men fell over dead bodies, and their lamps went out, leaving them in total darkness. Brouau did not see them again. Finally Brouau and his solitary companion, after seven and half hears’ wandering in the blackness, gained Hie the bottom of No. 5 shaft, and so succeeded in reaching (he surface. Of another parly, two. overcome by termr, went mad, threw themselves on the ground, and refused to proceed further. Tho demented men raved and sheafed. and their comrades, finding it impossible to help them, tied with their fingers in their ears to shut out the maniacal cries of (heir despairing comrades.

MARVELLOUS ESCAPES. A Lens correspondent relates some marvellous-escapes of men who were in (ho workings at the time of the explosion. Two youths of 15 and a man of 40 wore in pit No. 2. and fled together towards the shaft. Tho man collapsed, but the youth pressed on, and finally found themselves in safety at the bottom of shaft No. 10. A miner named Rez.ot tells a moving story of how ho and his son fought their way to life. "We were at work as usual,” he said. “ when all at once we were enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke, that nearly blinded and choked us. 1 knew in a moment what had happened. Wo ran as hard as we could for the cage, but though wo had not more than 40 yards to go, the fumes were so overpowering that wo were choked and fell gasping and my hoy became, unconscious. I managed ii» pul mv sen on mv hack, and, crawling on my hands and knees, I tried to reach (he cage with him. When I got (o it 1 collapsed. I remember no more until I found myself, thank God alive and safe above ground with my boy.”

SWED TO BE MUTILATED AND . DIE. . | A youth who was brought up alive was so overjoyed that ho waved his anus as the cage came io the surface. One arm was caught in the machinery and crushed so badly that it had to be amputated. He died two hours hitei from the effects of the shock of the disaster and his injury. Several men brought to the surface alive went mad in the reaction after their terrible experiences underground. A HERO. Pierre Dasson, one of the rescued miners, states that he was about 280 yards away from the pit’s month at the time of the explosion. The air was at once charged with poisonous vapors. He nislied towards lit 2, but on the way found several of his males who had fallen from exhaustion. lie managed to place them on a waggon, and push them as far as Pit No?~i0. They were all rescued. SYMPATHY AND RELIEF FUNDSAlready liberal contributions are being made for the relief of the families which have been deprived of their breadwinners. . . President Fallieres, who is deeply touched by the news of the disaster, lias sent a message of condolence to the mining population of tjho stricken

districts. . . The President has received messages from King Edward, tho King of Italy, Hie King of Portugal, the German Emperor, and tho President of tho Swiss Confederation, expressing condolence on tho occasion of the disaster, while on behalf of the British Government Sir Edwjirc} Grey, Foremu Secretary, has also sent a lo.lefn'ain of sympathy. In short, tho catastrophe has evoked world-wide sympathy and expressions of condolence. 1 A TRAIN LOAD OF COFFINS. On Sunday tho work was commenced of placing tho bodies of the victLins in coffins. A special train brought several hundreds of coffins to Die scene. These were of white wood with a black ci'oss on each. Tho mournful sight was met with a cry of horror from tho crowd. . Many of tho miners engaged in the cruosomo work Minted. Throe priests encouraged tho workers, and at length tlio task was accomplished.