Posted on 08/19/2007 1:07:29 PM PDT by Sunshine55
HUNTINGTON, Utah — Officials extinguished nearly all hope of finding any of the six miners alive on Sunday, nearly two weeks after the men were trapped in a violent collapse deep with a mine.
The latest results from a fourth hole drilled more than 1,500 feet into the mountainside found the air quality could not sustain life, said a top executive of the company that co-owns the Crandall Canyon Mine.
"It's likely these miners may not be found," said Rob Moore, vice president of Murray Energy Corp.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
every ceo’s nightmare.
every ceo’s nightmare.
Surely, you jest.
It’s a nightmare alright, but for the victims and the victims’ families and friends.
Whatever befalls the CEO, it is nothing comparatively speaking.
Dwight Yoakam wrote a song which captures perfectly the coal miners life.
When the whistle blows each morning
And I walk down in that cold, dark mine
I say a prayer to my dear Savior
Please let me see the sunshine one more time
(Chorus:)
When oh when will it be over
When will I lay these burdens down
And when I die, dear Lord in heaven
Please take my soul from ‘neath that cold dark ground
I still grieve for my poor brother
And I still hear my dear old mother cry
When late that night they came and told her
He’d lost his life down in the Big Shoal Mine
(Chorus:)
When oh when will it be over
When will I lay these burdens down
And when I die, dear Lord in heaven
Please take my soul from ‘neath that cold dark ground
I have no shame, I feel no sorrow
If on this earth not much I own
I have the love of my sweet children
An old plow mule, a shovel and a hoe
(Chorus:)
When oh when will it be over
When will I lay these burdens down
And when I die, dear Lord in heaven
Please take my soul from ‘neath that cold dark ground
Yeah, when I die, dear Lord in heaven
Please take my soul from ‘neath that cold dark ground
How horrible for the families. Lord, please comfort them.
The lead of this company was out front and doing his best. It is a very dangerous job and he knows it. My prayers go to the families of these providers.
Stats: 47 miners killed last year. 47 people were killed by lightening.
I’ve come to believe that “miner” ranks right up there with “farmer/rancher” and perhaps “commercial fisherman” when it comes to influencing Junior to pack his bags and seek his fortune in the Big City doing something *other* than that.
Bush needs to issue an executive order rescinding the clintoon coal lock up and designating the coal as a national energy resource and get mining ASAP.
Add ANWAR to the order also.
Prayers for the families.
Even though the deaths in coal mining accidents has gone down it’s still a dangerous job and contemplating dying slowly underground in a mine accident has a way of focusing young mens minds about their future.
Yes, but there are far fewer miners than people who might get struck by lightening.
Just from watching the operation underground, coal mining still seems pretty primative. You would think that by now, the job would be a lot less labor intensive.
Dark As A Dungeon
Lyrics: Merle Travis
Music: Merle Travis
Played by Jerry Garcia with David Grisman.
Come all you young fellows so young and so fine
And seek not your fortune in the dark dreary mine
It will form like a habit and seep in your soul
Till the stream of your blood runs as black as the coal
Chorus
Where it’s dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew
Where the danger is doubled and the pleasures are few
Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines
It’s dark as a dungeon way down in the mine
There’s many a man I’ve seen in my day
Who lived just to labor his whole life away
Like a fiend with his dope and a drunkard his wine
A man will have lust for the lure of the mine
[chorus]
Oh when I am dead and the ages shall roll
My body will blacken and turn into coal
Then I’ll look from the door of my heavenly home
And pity the miner a-digging my bones
[Chorus]
Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines
It’s dark as a dungeon way down in the mine
Jerry Garcia Recordings
Date Album Recorded By
199? Been All Around This World Garcia/Grisman
I read somewhere recently that upwards of 20,000 Chinese die every year in coal mines. 47 deaths here a year are 47 too many, but it is a very dangerous job.
it sounds like the CEO asked them what they wanted for their last meal before they went into the mine that day.
Where may I ask did you dream this up from?????
What’s with the 47 miners killed last year? At this particular mine or WORLDWIDE?
While a mile down in the mine, I stood beside the bohemeth (sp) machine as it clawed coal from the face of the mine. I watched how the air system pumped fresh air into the mine. I watched as the men drove bolts into the roof to prevent falls. I interviewed one of the guys bolting the roof. I asked him the question that every person wonders about coal miners. "Why do you come down and work in the mines, and do you like working here?"
He said, "I love working the mines. I don't want to do anything else. Today is my first day back in the mine after being topside for four years. I got laid off and decided to get out of the mines. I opened my own donut shop in Penn. and it was doing pretty well. The mine called and wanted me to come back and I jumped at the chance. I was not happy. Today I'm a happy man."
I asked him, "What is the attraction?"
He said, "It's hard to explain, but I think it's the brotherhood down here. We can argue and fight with each other topside, but down here we are all brothers. We have to watch each other's back all the time. I guess it's sort of like being in a war. We depend on each other. I missed the brotherhood when I was topside. Today, I'm really happy."
Now, I'm not saying that all miners feel that way, but I do think that a lot of them do, and that they choose that profession over others.
God be with those who did't make it out. I know that their brothers tried their best to reach them with every fiber of their being. It just was not to be.
***Dark As A Dungeon***
Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded that way back in 1961.
And let’s not forget another Ernie Ford song...16 TONS.
And a Jimmie Dean hit...BIG JOHN.
China loses 10,000 miners each year.
Interesting, thanks for posting those comments from a miner.
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