First Rescue Capsule Reaches 33 Trapped Chilean Miners

FOX News ^ | 9-25-2010 | AP

[STONEWALLS]

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – SAN JOSE MINE, Chile — The first of three rescue capsules specially built to lift out 33 miners trapped since early August arrived at the mine Saturday.

Two back-up rescue devices constructed at Chile's naval shipyard are expected to be delivered next week.

The man-size capsule will be used to pull the miners out one by one once one of the three rescue holes being drilled reach the men. The government says that should happen by early November or earlier if all goes well.

[STONEWALLS]

Poorly writen headline, but still this is progress in the right direction...being claustrophobic myself, this story has had my attention from day one....when the time comes, I wonder how they'll decide who the first man out will be?...or the last for that matter.

[cripplecreek]

Agreed, the headline inplies that the capsule had actually reached the miners when it really means its onsite.

However I can understand wanting them on site to keep everyone’s spirits up.

[devane617]

I suspect everything they get down there, water, food etc., is laced with tons of xanex and other drugs...

[P.O.E.]

I heard the trip up will take about 2 hours, basically in a 22-inch tube. A final claustrophian nightmare. Prayers up.

[proudofthesouth]

I'm claustrophobic too and I would think that each man going up in this thing will have to be somewhat tranquilized. Relaxed enough to endure the trip but coherent enough to communicate with the surface. (I'm assuming they will be in radio/video contact.)

Chile has had some devastating earthquakes. Please pray that nothing occurs in this area till at least all of the men are safely rescued. I pray for them, their families, and for their rescuers daily.

[null and void]

Skinniest to fattest.

Seriously.

[rockinqsranch]

By november there won’t be any “fattest”.

[beebuster2000]

do they have wifi down there?

[mlizzy]

Being a former Xanax user (I came by it naturally; my mother would call me on the phone to come ride the elevator with her to her doctor’s office on the lower level), I can say I’d rather have a bottle of Lavender essential oil with me, however, the miners may well be doing shots [many] of Tequila instead. :)

http://oilsfromgod.blogspot.com/2010/09/blood-tests-easing-angst-naturally.html

[1_Rain_Drop]

The ones I'm most fearful for are the last two men. Which one goes first?

And then, the last one. How will he manage?

[Viking2002]

I'd think the most injured and/or physically weakest would come up first. 'Women and children first', and all that.

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[timetostand]

I hold my breath every time I read about this situation.
I freaked out and had to be heavily sedated to make it through an MRI

[Carley]

The last guy is praying he gets stuck so he doesn’t have to meet his girlfriend and his wife up top.

[Cheetahcat]

I guess a couple test pulls would be in order here.

[STONEWALLS]

“The last guy is praying he gets stuck so he doesn’t have to meet his girlfriend and his wife up top.”

...good point...ouch!...he’s definately going to have some explaining to do.

[Lancey Howard]

The last one will be Timothy.

[snowtigger]

I heard the trip up will take about 2 hours, basically in a 22-inch tube.

The first reports said it would take two hours. This article says it will take 15 to 20 minutes. Let's hope this article is right.

[P.O.E.]

Hope so too.

[TaxPayer2000]

"Alberto Segovia was among those who stepped inside the custom-made capsule to test it out.

The capsule is nearly three metres tall on the outside. Inside, the space is 1.90 metre high and about 53 centimetres across. A microphone inside will allow each miner to stay in touch with those inside and outside the mine while being pulled up."

[Sequoyah101]

You can’t usually drill a 24” hole that can run stuff very close to the bore ID.

I hope the drilling assembly is well stabilized. Boreholes aren’t usually straight. They corkscrew their way down and have an Drilled ID and a Drift ID called effective hole diameter. This is given by (Bit + Collar)/2. So to drill a 24” hole and expect to maybe get a 21” container through it you would need 18” drill collars.

There is also borehole rugosity where the bit darts from ledge to ledge when it hits a hard spot. This may cause the cage to hang up. Nice thought having an escape path back down.

If they tension drill from bottom up some of these problems become less.

It will be wonderful if this all continues to go well.