THE FRENCH COLLIERY DISASTER.

West Coast Times, Issue 13767, 13 March 1906, Page 2

THE FRENCH COLLIERY DISASTER.

Paris, March 11 The latest roll shows that 591 of the entombed miners have been rescued and 1,219 asphyxiated or crushed to death. Recent heavy rains in the north of France produced land-slips, and apparently these have affected the mines. The first accounts suggested tbt twenty were killed, but by late in the afttrnoon further attempts at rescue were abandoned and tbe disaster was fully realiied, though thkre were faint hopca that come bad refused in lateral galleries. Many of those rescued were frigbffully bu r nt. Carr, the ebief engineer, Urt a band of fifty rescuers. Ho decUrta tbe aceaee below were awful. A second re>cte party reached the 500 ft level and beard their mates in the 600 ft level, but tbe Utter were iaaeceraible. (Received March 13 at 12.45 a.m.) March 12 All the beads of State have condoled with the bereaved relative! of the victim! in the colliery disaster. President Fallieres also sent a repre* sentative to give expression to his sympathy. According to the latest estimate, there are upwards of 1100 deaths, which haa canned a profound impression io Paris. The ec*ne of the diaasttx haa been visited by the Minister of the Interior, also the Minister of Public Works. A relief fund for the widows and 1 orphans is being organised by the French 1 Government. In addition to the Government relief fund a press syndicate at Paris has '' initiated a mevement for collecting sub* ' scriplions from private charity. Tbe Prefect of Pas de Calais states > they are experiencing great difficulty in ' restraining the bewildered wives and 1 children of the miners who are still nnd«r 1 giound. Their tsrrible suspense is pain- ' cully evident. 1 In preventing tba wives and children | from approaching the flames which are 1 issuing from the pit's months with increas1 »ng volume snd intensity, force is being r resorted to. The vehicles conveying tbe corpses are " ' also being way-laid by ihe distracted wives I' «nd relatives with a view of ascertaining tht fate of their breadwinners. The Prefect bas|snmmoned reinforoe- „ ments of troops and gendar_ca to mamaa tain order. I The general excitement in ihe district Q is arousing a certain degree of appreheno sion. g The explosion projected three cages j. in which men were beiog lowered, de» .„ stroying the roofs over the montba of tbe pits. c Fonr men arrived at the anrfaej by c means of ladders after passing over tbe c bodies of men and hones prostrated by ;g tbe explosion. Tbe flames next iaaned k . from tbe shift. |8 A party of rweners, including doctors |t and engineers, descended other shafts aod rescued 350 who were working half a ,1 mile from the explosion. They were n brought to the surface and had not snft j fered severely, > B Later informations states three hundred |V were more ur leu seriously injured. ,f Tbe rescuers worked in relaya till night, d They made tbeir way six hundred yarda U from the bottom of tbe shaft Two b uiners were found alive at midnight. D . Tbe foreman after the explosion told ihem'to lie down and they weaned the ie first gust of poisonous air. They were i- imprisoned for eight hours. The foreman ;o said he felt himself dying and urged them 1- to escape. Three tried to vseape. The is foreman was missed, be having doubtless a fallen.