I'm watching the rescue effort in Utah on TV right now. I hope these men are alive and can stay that way until the rescuers can reach them. I can't imagine what this is like for their families.

CNN Story on Trapped Miners

I just heard someone say they put a microphone down there and there is no sign that any of them are alive.

I was so afraid of that.

That is so sad. Just reading that they probably aren't alive just gave me a punch in the gut. These men do this work because of the money, knowing the risks. I don't think I could handle that. I can only imagine what their families go through every day when they leave the house to go to work.

However an air sample that was taken indicated there was enough oxygen to breathe in the chamber and rescuers promised to keep digging toward them.

Although an air sample did not pick up carbon dioxide, they are saying that it was a quick sample where you don't always get a true reading.

I only hope and pray that the reason for no sound is because they are extremely exhausted but still alive.

This is sad. Really sad. I can't even begin to imagine how the families of those miners are feeling.


It's quite possible that these miners are exhausted, maybe even in the pre-stages of shock, but still alive.

Well, they said that the mine is only about 58 degrees, and they didn't have much in the way of insulation, no blankets or anything. They may be still, or huddled together for warmth. Also, there is no light at all where they are, as their helmets have burned out. They probably have no idea if it's night or day IF they're still alive, which I pray they are.

Now a coal mine accident in Indiana has killed 3.

(CNN) -- Three people have died in an accident at a coal mine in Princeton, Indiana, police said Friday.

Authorities told CNN that it's unknown how many miners were in the mine at the time or how the incident occurred.

"At this point we have people trying to retrieve the bodies and we know there was no explosion," said Mike Hurt of the Princeton police.

Hurt said the accident occurred at about 11 a.m. and authorities weren't sure if the cause was an equipment problem or something else.

Princeton is located in southwestern Indiana north of Evansville.

Unbelievable. What the hell is going on?

How sad!! That's just unbelievable.

It seems ever since that one tragic mining accident that got so much press last year, the press has been all over ANY story regarding a mining accident.

That's not a criticism, just an observation. It's sad and tragic, nonetheless.

Tragic news

And now it turns out they may have drilled into the wrong site.

Get the fock out of here!

A narrow hole drilled into a Utah mine may have missed a cavity where six miners are trapped, a federal official said Friday.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/10/mine.utah/index.html

It gets worse?

My hubby has family that works in the coal mines in Kentucky. I worry about them all the time. You just never know when an accident will happen.

I will be praying for the families and the miners in Utah and in Indiana.

There are a lot of ex-miners in the North East of England where i live. We used to be a massive coal mining area but all the pits are shut now!
The UK gets all its coal from China apparently!

These stories are of particular interest to me as my family, after arriving in the USA and settling in PA, worked for decades in coal mines. My grandfather during winter would often only see the sun on Sundays, the one day he didn't work, because he would go into the mines before dawn and emerge after dusk. He worked as a breaker boy when he was 8-9 years old. My dad has a late 19th century photo of him when he was about ten after he retuned from work. I will try to get a copy and scan it in the Godfather Era Picture Thread.

My prayers and thoughts go out these miners and their families.

It gets worse. The news just reported that there has been a cave in during the rescue effort and 3 rescuers may have been killed in the cave in. The rescue effort had to be suspended.

It sure doesn't look good. God be with them.

I can not imagine what the families are going through. How horrible. Do they really believe that it's possible that some of these miners from the first collapse are still alive???? It seems way to long to survive something like this.


TIS

There was a sample test taken yesterday and they found an area down there where there was plenty of Oxygen. They also heard some sounds. They think that it just may be possible that these trapped Miners may have passed through that oxygenated area and are moving on to try and find a way out.

Now this shit happens and they have to suspend the search.