US coal mine collapse traps six-Utah - Thread No. 3

[cheko1]

Bless your heart, so sorry for your loss cheko1.

Thank you Trixie!!!!!!

 

[SewingDeb]

I'm so sorry to hear this Checko.

 

[cheko1]

Not that I've heard.....

Please also keep the ones that got hurt in the rescue effort in your thoughts/prayers. They are still trying to recover (I have no specific information other than that).

JanetElaine,

With everyone in the community gathering to help the families. Doing whatever they can to help out. I'd think that Murray Energy could / would be more then willing to help the families out. ME would be able to use it as a tax write off.....

Have you heard how badly the rescue workers are injured? Will they be able to return to the work force? I keep them all in my prayers! Was the most heart wrenching story I've followed & so MANY people affected.

 

[cheko1]

I'm so sorry to hear this Checko.

Thank you SewingDeb! He no longer suffers & is in a better place.

 

[Buzz Mills]

A friend of mine, included this in an email to me:

Note: I used to spend many of vactions with my uncle Robert Messner who lived in Gastonville, Penna. Roberts family (brothers) were coal miners and i knew they were a big family., but not sure how big. Robert used to tell me about many of his brothers being killed in the coal mines. I was browsing the internet under coal mines and this is what i found.
William Messner:
Miner, ca.1925, Gastonville Mine, Washington Co., PA, Age 40, married, 7 children.);
(Killed. Fatally crushed under a fall of slate, in the Gastonville Mine, April 6, 1925.);
(He died in the Emergency Hospital of Pennsylvania, Railroad Station, Pittsburgh, PA.);
(He was the 4th brother to die in a coal mine accident in last five years. [from the Charleroi Mail, Apr. 6, 1925.])

I knew Western Pennsylvania had many coal mines, but couldn't believe how many were in close proximity of Clairton. These were dangerous times.... I'm not much for unions, but John L. Lewis was the president of thhe miners union and the miners loved him because he made sure the owners of the mines improved working and safety conditions.

 

[JanetElaine]

Have you heard how badly the rescue workers are injured? Will they be able to return to the work force? I keep them all in my prayers! Was the most heart wrenching story I've followed & so MANY people affected.

Thanks, Cheko. :blowkiss:

The last specific information about the injured ones I have is over a week old but they are all expected to 'mostly recover' although for at least one it could be a long road. I'd be more specific if I knew more....

 

[Vegas Bride]

I have had people from other parts of the country ask me about what's going on here now since there is no more national news coverage, I guess the tragedy has just become "old news"

Last night my husband and I went to a cellebration of sorts, the Utah Symphony came down here to give a free concert, it began by a few of the members wanting to do something to help and it grew into a beautiful evening. It was held at the Emery High School and just about every seat was filled. The conductor was Keith Lockhart who has also conducted the Boston Pops. There was also a guest vocalist, Renese King who flew in from the east coast. She sang 2 spirituals (Steal Away and Deep River) that were so beautiful.
During the evening the mayor or Price spoke, one thing he talked about was about items that had been sent from around the country, a church group in Ohio had sent shawls they had made for the families, a medical care center had sent a prayer message from it's patients, an artist in California had sent a picture.

A few weekends ago there was a benefit held in Huntington and 1200 people came, donations were taken at the gate and there was a full day of entertainers who all donated their time. Colin Raye was there, basketball player Carl Malone, The winner of Americas Got Talent, Terry Fator put on a fantastic show! There were others as well along with items auctioned off. The money is for the families. Both of these happenings are helping the communities begin to heal.

VB

 

[Jovin]

but without going through the whole thread, I'm wondering what the outcome of this was.Were the men ever found? I had followed on the news but the last I heard they were not expecting to go back down again.

 

[Vegas Bride]

No the 6 men were never found, they had to call off the search after the 3 men trying to rescue them were killed and the other men injured. It was just to dangerous to keep trying. The mine will be sealed and will be their tomb.

VB

 

[Jovin]

I appreciate that info. How sad....I was hoping for a different outcome.

 

[SewingDeb]

Miners families expected to testify on Capitol Hill

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - There could be tears today on Capitol Hill as the families of 6 coal miners presumed to have died in a Utah collapse in August testify before a Congressional committee.


http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7161276&nav=2aKD

 

[Taximom]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312390,00.htmlCompany Seals Collapsed Mine, Entombs Six Trapped Workers
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Utah mine where six workers were entombed after a thunderous collapse has been sealed, leaving expensive mining machinery inside, federal regulators said Tuesday.

Richard Gates, the lead investigator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, made the disclosure in a briefing for a state commission that is looking into whether Utah should return to the business of regulating coal mines after a 20-year hiatus.
Kevin Stricklin, MSHA's administrator for coal-mine safety, said Cleveland-based Murray Energy Corp. sealed the mine's three main passageways with walls of concrete block in early October.
He said the decision did not represent any loss of hope for recovering the men's bodies, although that appears to remain a distant possibility.
Families of the six dead miners were notified. The walls can be removed if there's a new effort to recover the bodies, Stricklin said. (more at link)

 

[JanetElaine]

Crandall Canyon bombshell: Months before deadly cave-ins, owners knew of structural woes.

[snip]

Murray was present at the March 21 meeting when the earlier bounce was discussed and company officials described the problems encountered while carving away pillars in the north side of the main tunnels.
"The mine lost the ability to walk the aircourse on the north side to the back of the panel, and we could no longer mine the north side of the mains," the minutes said.
The records show Murray participated in the meeting by phone, noting that he "dropped out" only after the discussion about the bounce's impact.
The March event was never officially reported to MSHA, as required by law.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7994785?source=rv