[justshe]

Is there any danger that this shaft that they will be bringing them back up thru...could collapse? NOT to borrow trouble...just curious. I haven't heard that addressed...as to the type of strata they were going thru and how stable it is.

[tomkat]

'one miner feeling heart stress' - Schweiker

[Rebelbase]

Reporting at press conference that one miner said he feels "heart stress".

[JZoback]

Don't even bring that up.....................Geeesh

[Rebelbase]

They will have the 2nd shaft completed soon, so if the first shaft should become unuseable, the 2nd shaft can be brought online.

[CedarDave]

Consolidated limestone is really hard -- it's what the walls of the Pentagon are made of, as I recall after the 9/11 attacks. Problems may come near surface soils and as they break out of the shaft into the opening -- probable have small pieces come down hole -- hard hats are most important piece of safety equipment at this point.