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cartwright
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Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
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Pray for the WV coal miners that are trapped in mine explosion

Monday April 5, 2010
UPDATE: At least 7 miners dead, 19 missing at Raleigh mine
One miner was flown to CAMC and is in the intensive care unit
by From staff and wire reports
Advertiser
RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. -- Seven miners were confirmed dead and 19 more were missing after an explosion and roof collapse at a Raleigh County mine.

Ron Wooten, the state mining director, said the blast was reported about 3 p.m. at Upper Big Branch mine, about 45 miles south of Charleston.

The mine is operated by a Massey Energy subsidiary, Performance Coal Co.

Massey confirmed the explosion at the underground mine in the town of Montcoal but did not provide details on the extent of the damage.

Five highly trained mine rescue teams from Consol Energy and Massey were on the scene as well as part of the state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training team, said Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Amy Louviere.

W.Va. 3, the state highway leading to the mine, was blocked, with only immediate family members of the missing or killed miners allowed to proceed. Families were gathering at the Performance Coal mine office.

Two miners were reportedly flown from the scene to hospitals.

One was flown to Charleston Area Medical Center and was in an intensive care unit on Monday evening, said Elizabeth Pellegrin, public information officer for CAMC.

Pellegrin could not provide details about the miner's injuries but said she believed they were related to carbon monoxide.

She said the hospital was prepared for others and was operating on a "limited diversion," meaning it was accepting only serious trauma cases and asking that minor cases be sent to other hospitals.

"That's to keep our resources open for the miners," she said.

Pellegrin said she was working out of a general command center that had been set up with other administrators and the director of trauma services at the hospital.

Some additional medical staff members, including doctors and nurses, had been notified they might need to come in, she said.

Massey CEO Don Blankenship issued a statement.

"Our top priority is the safety of our miners and the well-being of their families. We are working diligently on rescue efforts and continue to partner with all of the appropriate agencies.

"Our prayers go out to the families of the miners. We want to assure the families of all the miners we are taking every action possible to locate and rescue those still missing."

Federal inspectors have cited Upper Big Branch as recently as last month for problems with its ventilations plans, underground dust control and underground air quality.

Since 1995, the mine has been cited more than 1,000 times, though many of those citations are pending.

The West Virginia Coal Association was helping make sure Massey could get all the mine rescue equipment it needed from other companies, said association vice president Jason Bostic.

Massey is not a member of the association, but Bostic said that didn't matter.

A resident of Naoma, a town near the mine, said she didn't hear the explosion.

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04-06-2010 02:51 AM

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Velocity
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Thought and Prayers to those That are affected by this tragedy...I just heard on the radio they updated more deaths, I guess they got to them overnight and still have 4 missing....

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04-06-2010 11:43 AM

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cartwright
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Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

Tuesday April 6, 2010
UPDATE: 25 miners confirmed dead, 4 remain missing at Raleigh mine
Crews need to drill to release poison gases before search can resume
by Lawrence Messina
The Associated Press
Advertiser

MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP) -- Four coal miners were missing after an explosion that killed 25 and poison gases blocked rescuers Tuesday from resuming their search in the worst U.S. mining disaster in more than two decades.

Rescuers began drilling three deep holes to vent methane and carbon monoxide from the mine so that search teams can go back in. But it will take until evening to get the first hole done and see if the mine air will allow re-entry , Gov. Joe Manchin said.

The blast rocked Massey Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine, about 30 miles south of Charleston, Monday afternoon.

Manchin said at an early morning news briefing that while drilling on at least one of the three holes was slated to begin soon, it would take perhaps 12 hours before the drilling was complete and rescue teams could be sure of their safety in the mine, meaning the search wasn't expected to resume before 6 p.m.

"It's going to be a long day and we're not going to have a lot of information until we can get the first hole through,'' Manchin said.

The drills need to bore through about 1,100 feet of earth and rock, he said.

"All we have left is hope, and we're going to continue to do what we can,'' Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said at a news conference. "But I'm just trying to be honest with everybody and say that the situation does look dire.''

Though the cause of the blast was not known, the operation run by Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co. has a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane gas, safety officials said.

Stricklin said officials had hoped some of the missing survived the blast and were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen for them to live for four days. However, rescue teams checked one of two nearby and it was empty. The buildup of toxic methane gas -- a constant problem at the mine -- and of carbon monoxide prevented teams from reaching other chambers, officials said.

A total of 31 miners were in the area during a shift change when the blast happened, officials said. Some may have died in the blast and others when they breathed in the gas-filled air, Stricklin said. Eleven bodies had been recovered and identified, but the other 14 have not, said Manchin, who returned to the state after being out of town. Names weren't released publicly, but Manchin said three of the dead are all members of the same family.

"Everybody's just heartbroken over this and the impact on these families,'' said mine safety director Joe Main, who was headed to West Virginia.

It is the most people killed in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining Corp.'s mine in Orangeville, Utah. If the four missing bring the total to 29, it would be the most killed in a U.S. mine since a 1970 explosion killed 38 at Finley Coal Co., in Hyden, Ky.

After a record low 34 deaths last year, Main said he and others believed coal mining had turned the corner on preventing fatal accidents.

"There's always danger. There's so many ways you can get hurt, or your life taken,'' said Gary Williams, a miner and pastor of a church near the southern West Virginia mine. "It's not something you dread every day, but there's always that danger. But for this area, it's the only way you're going to make a living.''

Benny R. Willingham, 62, who was five weeks away from retiring, was among those who perished, said his sister-in-law Sheila Prillaman.

He had mined for 30 years, the last 17 with Massey, and planned to take his wife on a cruise to the Virgin Islands next month, she said.

"Benny was the type -- he probably wouldn't have stayed retired long,'' Prillaman said. "He wasn't much of a homebody.''

Prillaman said family members were angry because they learned of Willingham's death after reading it on a list Massey posted, instead of being contacted by the company.

"The families want closure,'' Manchin said at a news conference. "They want names ... these families are good people. Hard-working people. They understand the challenges. Right now I told them to do what they do best. Love each other and come together as a family.''

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04-06-2010 01:25 PM

BIGCASTLEDAWGS
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 19374

Thoughts and Prayers!

We've been praying... for the loved ones, family and friends of those who's lives were lost and those not yet found... We are so terribly sorry for all involved....

Heather and Bob William

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04-06-2010 04:14 PM

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Blue Ice
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Prayers up

for these folk that lost loved ones and the ones still missing. This is a aweful thing. May God be with the ones missing and the families of the dead.

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04-06-2010 04:21 PM

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Brian France
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Thoughts and prayers to all the families involved! This is just tragic and we always hate to hear about these types of accidents. These miners are some tough folks and I have faith that the men missing are gonna be okay! God bless!!

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04-06-2010 04:41 PM

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cartwright
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25 dead in W.Va. mine blast, worst since 1984

Life in the West Virginia Mines
W. Va. Mine Explosion:W. Va. Governor on Safety and Victims

AP � Michelle McKinney talks to the media outside of Marsh Fork Elementary while holding a family photo of � By LAWRENCE MESSINA, Associated Press Writer Lawrence Messina, Associated Press Writer � 2 mins ago
MONTCOAL, W.Va. � A huge underground explosion blamed on methane gas killed 25 miners in the worst U.S. coal mining disaster since 1984, and rescuers on Tuesday began a dangerous and possibly futile attempt to rescue four others still missing.

Crews were bulldozing an access road so they could drill 1,000 feet into the earth to release gases and make it safe to try to find the missing miners. They were feared dead after the Monday afternoon blast at a mine with a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane.

Rescuers were being held back by poison gases that accumulated near the blast site, about 1.5 miles from the entrance to Massey Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine.

They had to create an access road above it before they could begin drilling four shafts to release methane and carbon monoxide. Gov. Joe Manchin said at a news briefing Tuesday that it could be Wednesday night before the first hole is drilled.

"It's a slow process," Manchin said. "It's just going to be a slow process."

It had already been a long day for grieving relatives, some angry because they found out their loved ones were among the dead from government officials, not from Massey Energy executives.

"They're supposed to be a big company," said Michelle McKinney, who found out from a local official at a nearby school that her 62-year-old father, Benny R. Willingham, died in the blast. "These guys, they took a chance every day to work and make them big. And they couldn't even call us."

McKinney said her husband is a miner too and her 16-year-old son doesn't want him to go back to work. Willingham, who had mined for 30 years, the last 17 with Massey, was just five weeks from retiring and planned to take his wife on a cruise to the Virgin Islands next month.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said at a press briefing Wednesday that Massey should have been in better contact with families. He also pledged a congressional hearing on the explosion.

"If we need new laws, then let's go for it," Rahall said. "Every mine safety law on the books has been written with coal miners' blood, following some tragedy."

Three members of the same family were among the dead. Diana Davis said her husband, Timmy Davis, 51, died in the explosion along with his nephews, Josh Napper, 27, and Cory Davis, 20.

The elder Davis' son, Timmy Davis Jr., said his brother, Cody Davis, and an uncle, Tommy Davis, were also at the mine at the time and survived the blast. He said his brother was taking it particularly hard because he and their father were best friends.

Timmy Davis Jr. described his dad as passionate about the outdoors and the mines.

"He loved to work underground," the younger Davis said. "He loved that place."

President Barack Obama offered his condolences at an Easter prayer breakfast in Washington on Tuesday and said the federal government is ready to assist with whatever the state needs. He also asked the audience to pray for those lost in what he called a tragic accident.

Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said the situation looked grim for the missing miners.

"All we have left is hope, and we're going to continue to do what we can," he said.

Officials hoped the four miners still unaccounted for were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen for them to live for four days, but rescue teams checked one of two such chambers nearby and it was empty. The buildup of gases prevented teams from reaching other chambers, officials said.

A total of 31 miners were in the area during a shift change when the explosion rocked the mine, about 30 miles south of Charleston.

"Before you knew it, it was just like your ears stopped up, you couldn't hear and the next thing you know, it's just like you're just right in the middle of a tornado," miner Steve Smith, who heard the explosion but was able to escape, told ABC's "Good Morning America."

Some of those killed may have died in the blast and others when they breathed in the gas-filled air, Stricklin said. Eleven bodies had been recovered and identified, but the other 14 have not. Names weren't released publicly.

He said investigators still don't know what ignited the blast, but methane likely played a part.

The death toll is the highest in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining Corp.'s mine in Orangeville, Utah. If the four missing bring the total to 29, it would be the most killed in a U.S. mine since a 1970 explosion killed 38 at Finley Coal Co., in Hyden, Ky.

"There's always danger. There's so many ways you can get hurt, or your life taken," said Gary Williams, a miner and pastor of New Life Assembly, a church near the southern West Virginia mine. "It's not something you dread every day, but there's always that danger. But for this area, it's the only way you're going to make a living."

Though the situation looked bleak, Manchin said miracles can happen and pointed to the 2006 Sago Mine explosion that killed 12. Crews found miner Randal McCloy Jr. alive after he was trapped for more than 40 hours in an atmosphere poisoned with carbon monoxide.

In Monday's blast, nine miners were leaving on a vehicle that takes them in and out of the mine's long shaft when a crew ahead of them felt a blast of air and went back to investigate, Stricklin said.

They found seven workers dead. Others were hurt or missing about a mile and a half inside the mine, though there was some confusion over how many. Others made it out.

In a statement early Tuesday, Massey Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship offered his condolences to the families of the dead.

Massey Energy, a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Va., has 2.2 billion tons of coal reserves in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and Tennessee. It ranks among the nation's top five coal producers and is among the industry's most profitable. It has a spotty safety record.

In the past year, federal inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at Upper Big Branch.

Methane is one of the great dangers of coal mining, and federal records say the Eagle coal seam releases up to 2 million cubic feet of methane gas into the Upper Big Branch mine every 24 hours, which is a large amount, said Dennis O'Dell, health and safety director for the United Mine Workers labor union.

In mines, giant fans are used to keep the colorless, odorless gas concentrations below certain levels. If concentrations are allowed to build up, the gas can explode with a spark roughly similar to the static charge created by walking across a carpet in winter, as at the Sago mine, also in West Virginia.

Since then, federal and state regulators have required mine operators to store extra oxygen supplies. Upper Big Branch uses containers that can generate about an hour of breathable air, and all miners carry a container on their belts besides the stockpiles inside the mine. Upper Big Branch has had three other fatalities in the last dozen years.

Upper Big Branch has 19 openings and roughly 7-foot ceilings. Inside, it's crisscrossed with railroad tracks used for hauling people and equipment. It is located in a mine-laced swath of Raleigh and Boone counties that is the heart of West Virginia's coal country.

The seam produced 1.2 million tons of coal in 2009, according to the mine safety agency, and has about 200 employees.

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04-06-2010 06:06 PM

Riverbottom Ron
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PRAYERS

MY HEART FELT SYMPATHY GOS OUT TO ALL ,IN THIS TRAGEDY,,AND MY PRAYERS ARE SENT TO ALL LOVED ONES ,OF THESE MINERS,GOD BE WITH YOUS HE WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ,,,RON MAGGART

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ALWAYS REMEMBER GOD GAVE US FRIENDS AND COONHOUNDS, " I AM A GREATLY BLESSED",HIGHLY FAVORED" " IMPERFECT BUT FORGIVEN CHILD OF GOD "KEEP YOUR {FAITH IN GOD } FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE,BELIEVES THE INCREDIBLE,AND RECIEVES THE IMPOSSIBLE. WERE BLESSED !!

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04-06-2010 08:26 PM

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cartwright
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West Virginia Mine Disaster Spurs Web Searches
by Claudine Zap

The explosion at Massey Energy Company's Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virgina -- which killed at least 25 -- is the worst mine disaster in over two decades. The tragedy caused searches to surge and questions to emerge on the Web.

Updates also abound on Twitter. User kariannalysis is a local news producer who is tweeting as she reports. Charleywest is tweeting for his paper, the Charleston Daily Mail, which is also providing on-the-ground accounts. Photos can be found here.

More on Montcoal
The mine explosion caused searches on the coal town. Lookups on "montcoal west virginia" soared an astonishing 11,000% after news of the event. "Montcoal west virginia map," and "coal mines in montcoal" also scored high. People are also looking for "marsh fork high school," which was the one high school in the unincorporated town before it closed in 2003. Marsh Fork High made news in 2005 when it was destroyed by a fire (still under investigation) after a bitter battle to merge with a larger school. A Flickr photo and caption tell more.

Past problems with Montcoal mine -- and fines
While the rescue effort continues, the safety record of the mine is under scrutiny. According to the Pittsburgh Gazette, the mine has a "spotty safety record" and has come under federal scrutiny for three deaths since 1998. According to the Charleston Gazette, safety violations at the Upper Big Branch mine have "more than doubled" since 2008 and fines issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) "more than tripled."

The Charleston Daily Mail reported that, as recently as last month, safety inspectors determined that Upper Big Branch mine conditions "posed substantial and significant risks to miner well-being." Since 2007, the MSHA has fined the company $1.5 million for "failing to control dust; improperly planning to ventilate the mine of dust and the combustible gas methane; inadequate protection from roof falls; failing to maintain proper escapeways; and allowing the accumulation of combustible materials." Massey has only paid $300,000 -- and contested many of the violations.

According to the Washington Post, the company owes $382,000 in fines for this year alone at Upper Big Branch for "repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment." Despite the laws on the books, critics say this latest explosion is a reminder that these are not enough.

Sago saga
This latest mine disaster has reminded many of the horrific tragedy in another West Virginia mine in 2006. In fact, searches on "sago mine" shot up 1,650% as people sought to find the facts from the similar event. Searches also soared on "sago mine disaster" and "sago survivor." The Sago coal mine explosion led to the death of 12, with a lone survivor.

Randal McCloy, aged 26 at the time, was carried out of the mine with kidney, lung, liver, and heart damage. He was in a coma for weeks, according to a story in USA Today. In a letter to the families of the other miners, the mine worker wrote: "I cannot explain why I was spared while the others perished. I hope that my words will offer some solace to the miners' families and friends who have endured what no one should ever have to endure."

The Sago explosion did lead legislators to institute new laws requiring safety chambers of breathable air. The Massey mine had such a chamber, but it had also been cited for safety violations. It�s not clear if the Montcoal miners ever made it to the chamber: The explosion happened during a shift change. At least seven of the miners died while on their way out of the mine Monday.

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04-07-2010 01:12 AM

cartwright
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Tuesday April 6, 2010
Identities of miners starting to be known
Fathers, hunters among W.Va. mine blast victims
by The Associated Press

For Timmy Davis Sr. and his family -- like so many in the mountainous coalfields of West Virginia -- descending into the mines was a way of life.

So when Davis went into the Upper Big Branch mine with his two nephews, Josh Napper and Cory Davis, it was just another day in the family business.

This time, they never came out.

An explosion shook the mine while Davis and his nephews were inside. Timmy Davis Jr. said Massey officials notified the family that his father and cousins were among the dead.

Timmy's brother Cody Davis is also a miner and was on his way into the mine when the blast happened. Now, Timmy is without his dad -- his best friend. Cory Davis won't be at any more family campouts in the mountains. Napper won't see his infant daughter grow up.

Here is a look at those killed in the explosion.

Carl Acord

Carl Acord shared a big Easter dinner with family on Sunday and doted on his infant grandsons, 9-month-old Chase and 3-month-old Cameron, said his sister Sherry Cline.

"He was looking forward to riding them around on the tractor this summer,'' Cline said. "He kept talking about that at Easter dinner.''

Acord also enjoyed fishing with his two sons, 24-year-old Cody and 19-year-old Casey.

Even though he was about 6 feet tall, everyone called Acord "Pee Wee'' -- which he hated.

"That was his nickname since he was a little tyke. It just stuck,'' Cline said.

Acord, 52, had worked in mines for 34 years and liked the work, Cline said. But he told his family on Sunday that he was concerned about the mine's roof and worried about going to work Monday.

Jason Atkins

Jason Atkins was born and raised in Boone County, near the coal mine where he lost his life, said his father-in-law, Rick Withers.

The 25-year-old miner and his wife, Amanda, 28, met when they were students at West Virginia Tech and got married in 2008, Withers said. Amanda Atkins could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Withers said he was not sure when Atkins began working at the mine.

"He was an hourly guy,'' Withers said.

Atkins played second base on his high school and college baseball teams, but left West Virginia Tech without graduating, Withers said. He enjoyed playing golf.

The state medical examiner's office said Tuesday that Atkins was among the dead.

Cory Davis

Cory Davis played baseball in Riverside High School and followed his family into the mines.

The 20-year-old from Dawes worked with his father, Tommy Davis, and cousin Timmy Davis Jr. at a surface mine, but all three were laid off in the past two years. And all three ended up at Massey.

Cory loved the outdoors and would often spend his weekends at a family camp on a mountaintop.

"We'd just run around, build a fire, ride four-wheelers,'' his cousin Timmy Davis said. "Our life was kind of boring. We're kind of hill folks. We stay up on the mountain.''

Timmy Davis Sr.

Timmy Davis Sr. loved coal mining -- and when he wasn't doing that, he was out hunting and fishing.

"My dad was the best hunter and fisher you've ever seen. The biggest buck or bear would come to him so he could shoot them,'' said Timmy Davis Jr. "He's got five or six in here. He's killed a lot of big deer.''

He said his uncle Tommy Davis and brother Cody Davis also were at the mine at the time and survived the blast.

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04-07-2010 01:21 AM

cartwright
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Tuesday April 6, 2010
Identities of miners starting to be known
Fathers, hunters among W.Va. mine blast victims
by The Associated Press
Page 2 of 2

Harrah was leaving the mine when the explosion happened. The mining company told the family that Harrah was killed instantly, Bowden said.

Josh Napper

Josh Napper was a hulking man with a simple claim to fame: He could bench press more than 500 pounds.

"If there was any way he could, he could have moved half that mountain,'' said Napper's cousin, Timmy Davis Jr. "That's about all he did was lift weights.''

The 25-year-old Napper came to work in the coal mines just two months ago after working in the health care industry in his hometown of Rutland, Ohio, Davis said.

"He made decent money in Ohio,'' Davis said. "He just knew it was more money underground. He came here for the money.''

Napper lived in Giles, W.Va., with his grandparents and spent his days off with his infant daughter, Davis said.

Gary Quarles

Gary Quarles' life was consumed by his wife and two children.

The 33-year-old from Naoma, W.Va., took trips every summer to Myrtle Beach, S.C., with the kids, ages 9 and 11, as well as his wife. The family often went fishing along the New River there.

"He liked to hunt and spend time with his kids,'' Janice Quarles said. "That was about it. That's all he did.''

He liked to hunt everything from raccoons and deer to wild boar, and he had wanted to stay home from work Monday because his children were still on Easter break, she said.

Janice Quarles said her husband was a quiet, laid-back man nicknamed "Spanky.'' She was told of his death by a Massey official.

Gary Quarles started coal mining when he was 18. He was among those finishing a 10.5-hour shift when the explosion happened, his wife said.

Deward Scott

Deward Scott met his wife, Crissie, when she was his karate student. The pair loved to go hunting together -- Deward Scott taught her to bow hunt when they first met nearly 20 years ago, she said.

They've been together ever since -- usually enjoying the outdoors while hiking, hunting, fishing or gardening. The 58-year-old Montcoal resident had been a miner for 21 years and loved his job. But he also was kind and outgoing, Crissie Scott said.

"He was a Christian man who loved to help people,'' Crissie Scott said, her voice choking. "He's one of those people that once you met him, you wouldn't forget him.''

The company notified Crissie Scott that her husband was among the miners killed in Monday's explosion.

Benny R. Willingham

For Benny Willingham, retirement was just five weeks away.

The 62-year-old from Corinne, W.Va., had been a coal miner for 30 years and spent the last 17 working for Massey, said his sister-in-law, Sheila Prillaman. Willingham and his wife were supposed to go on a cruise next month to the Virgin Islands.

"Benny was the type -- he probably wouldn't have stayed retired long,'' Prillaman said. "He wasn't much of a homebody.''

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04-07-2010 01:22 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

Drilling first hole into mine could be Wednesday night
Names of the seven dead miners released
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor
by Billy Wolfe
Daily Mail staff

Craig Cunningham
Gov. Joe Manchin addresses the media at Marshfork Elem. At left is Kevin Stricklin Administrator MSHA Coal Mine Safety and Health Division and Ron Wooten, WV Dir. of Mine Health Safety and Training. Advertiser

WHITESVILLE, W.Va. -- Attention was riveted on attempts to rescue four missing miners a day after a blast killed 25 miners working in Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County.

Rescue teams were called out of the mine early Tuesday morning because of high levels of methane gas.

Crews were bulldozing an access road so they could drill 1,200 feet into the earth to release gases and make it safe to try to find the missing miners. They were feared dead after the Monday afternoon blast at a mine with a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane.

The aim of rescuers was to drill four shafts to release methane and carbon monoxide.

During a midday press conference Tuesday at Marsh Fork Elementary School, Gov. Joe Manchin said crews had not yet begun drilling because roads for the drilling rigs had not yet been finished all the way to the drilling sites.

The drilling must be precise, Manchin said. If a hole is drilled more than 10 feet off target it must be re-drilled, he said.

Manchin said he thought the drilling would begin soon, but said the work might not be finished until Wednesday evening.

The governor said he is hoping for a miracle and that the four miners are found alive. But he said he doesn't want to raise false hopes.

"It's a very long, slow process," he said.

Of the 25 miners, 11 have been identified and 14 have not.

"And with the four that are missing, you can just imagine the anxiety with the 18 families that are waiting to see if there's any hope," Manchin said. "It's just a horrible situation."

Manchin said he has been briefing miner family members as information is available. But he was unsure what protocol for informing families Massey Energy will follow.

Don Blankenship, Massey's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement released earlier that the company would not release the names of the dead miners until next-of-kin were notified.

The state Department of Health and Human Resources said early Tuesday afternoon that as of 7:30 a.m., there were seven bodies at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The department said it would release the names of the deceased one hour after the next-of-kin had been notified.

Tuesday afternoon the department released the names of the seven miners whose bodies have been positively identified by the state medical examiner. The bodies that were identified and their dates of birth:

* Steven J. Harrah, Feb. 27, 1970.

* William R. Lynch, March 24, 1951.

* Jason Atkins, Sept. 19, 1984.

* Benny Ray Willingham, May 14, 1948.

* Carl Accord, Jan. 7, 1958.

* Deward Allan Scott, Oct. 17, 1951.

* Robert E. Clark, Feb. 20, 1969.

The department said no further identities would be released Tuesday.

Grief counselors from FMRS Mental Health Council have been deployed to the mine site, which is about 46 miles south of Charleston. Grief counselors from Prestera Center in Huntington and Westbrook Health Services in Parkersburg are standing by to offer assistance, the department said.

Kevin Stricklin, administrator of MSHA's Coal Mining Safety and Health Division, said he is waiting for more answers before he will be able to determine the cause of the explosion. But he said, "All explosions are preventable."

Manchin said he has toured the mountainside where the explosion occurred, and that the damage is "horrific," and "unbelievable." He said the coal cars and tracks leading in and out of the mine are "twisted like pretzels.

WHITESVILLE, W.Va. -- Attention was riveted on attempts to rescue four missing miners a day after a blast killed 25 miners working in Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County.

Rescue teams were called out of the mine early Tuesday morning because of high levels of methane gas.

Crews were bulldozing an access road so they could drill 1,200 feet into the earth to release gases and make it safe to try to find the missing miners. They were feared dead after the Monday afternoon blast at a mine with a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane.

The aim of rescuers was to drill four shafts to release methane and carbon monoxide.

During a midday press conference Tuesday at Marsh Fork Elementary School, Gov. Joe Manchin said crews had not yet begun drilling because roads for the drilling rigs had not yet been finished all the way to the drilling sites.

The drilling must be precise, Manchin said. If a hole is drilled more than 10 feet off target it must be re-drilled, he said.

Manchin said he thought the drilling would begin soon, but said the work might not be finished until Wednesday evening.

The governor said he is hoping for a miracle and that the four miners are found alive. But he said he doesn't want to raise false hopes.

"It's a very long, slow process," he said.

Of the 25 miners, 11 have been identified and 14 have not.

"And with the four that are missing, you can just imagine the anxiety with the 18 families that are waiting to see if there's any hope," Manchin said. "It's just a horrible situation."

Manchin said he has been briefing miner family members as information is available. But he was unsure what protocol for informing families Massey Energy will follow.

Don Blankenship, Massey's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement released earlier that the company would not release the names of the dead miners until next-of-kin were notified.

The state Department of Health and Human Resources said early Tuesday afternoon that as of 7:30 a.m., there were seven bodies at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The department said it would release the names of the deceased one hour after the next-of-kin had been notified.

Tuesday afternoon the department released the names of the seven miners whose bodies have been positively identified by the state medical examiner. The bodies that were identified and their dates of birth:

* Steven J. Harrah, Feb. 27, 1970.

* William R. Lynch, March 24, 1951.

* Jason Atkins, Sept. 19, 1984.

* Benny Ray Willingham, May 14, 1948.

* Carl Accord, Jan. 7, 1958.

* Deward Allan Scott, Oct. 17, 1951.

* Robert E. Clark, Feb. 20, 1969.

The department said no further identities would be released Tuesday.

Grief counselors from FMRS Mental Health Council have been deployed to the mine site, which is about 46 miles south of Charleston. Grief counselors from Prestera Center in Huntington and Westbrook Health Services in Parkersburg are standing by to offer assistance, the department said.

Kevin Stricklin, administrator of MSHA's Coal Mining Safety and Health Division, said he is waiting for more answers before he will be able to determine the cause of the explosion. But he said, "All explosions are preventable."

Manchin said he has toured the mountainside where the explosion occurred, and that the damage is "horrific," and "unbelievable." He said the coal cars and tracks leading in and out of the mine are "twisted like pretzels.

"Something went very wrong to have an explosion of this magnitude," he said.

The governor also said Massey must do more to communicate with grieving and anxious families of the coal miners. He said all of the names of the miners still underground are known, but that no one is sure which ones are alive and which ones are dead.

He said he does not know why the company hasn't been in contact with more worried family members. "The policies from the corporate side I can't speak to," he said.

Massey said early Tuesday that Blankenship was at the mine site. But there were no Massey representatives at the midday press conference. When asked during that event if he knew where Blankenship is, Manchin said no.

Massey said in an earlier prepared statement that Chris Adkins, Massey's senior vice president and chief operating officer, and Elizabeth Chamberlin, the company's vice president of safety and health, were coordinating the company's search and rescue efforts with state and federal officials.

Blankenship said in that prepared statement, "Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy. I want to offer my condolences to the miners' families who lost loved ones at Upper Big Branch. And I want to thank the rescue teams and the Massey members who continue to work hard on behalf of our miners and their families."

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04-07-2010 01:27 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said in a prepared statement, "The hearts and prayers of all UMWA members are with the families of those lost today at Performance Coal Company's Upper Big Branch mine. We are also praying for the safe rescue of those still missing, and for the safety of the courageous mine rescue team members. They are putting their lives on the line, entering a highly dangerous mine to bring any survivors to safety.

"As a mine operated by a subsidiary of Massey Energy, the Upper Big Branch mine is a nonunion mine," Roberts said. "Nevertheless, I have dispatched highly trained and skilled UMWA personnel to the immediate vicinity of the mine, and they stand ready to offer any assistance they can to the families and the rescuers at this terrible and anxious time. We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this."

A lack of cellular phone service in the area has hampered communications.

AT&T spokeswoman Ellen Webner said, "We're hearing that family members are standing in line to use the few available landlines there. It's a pretty desperate situation."

AT&T and Verizon Wireless are each setting up a "Cell Site on Wheels" at the scene.

Webner said AT&T's cell site is on its way from Georgia. It will provide mobile wireless service for AT&T customers, she said.

"Our on-ground personnel should be on site later today," Webner said. "We are hoping for deployment by later this evening or early tomorrow morning."

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Erica Sevilla said Verizon Wireless' cell site arrived Tuesday morning.

"We've been working throughout the day to get it set up," she said. "We expect it to be active in the very near future. It will be set up near the mine portal where the emergency command center is. It will also add coverage to a small portion of Route 3.

Sevilla said Verizon Wireless customers will be able to make and receive calls using the site. Sevilla was checking to see if Verizon Wireless' agreements would allow any of its roaming partners to also use the site.

"In addition to the cell site, we are sending a team of people to man a 24-hour emergency wireless calling center," Sevilla said. "They will have with them 30 wireless phones as well as some data devices so emergency responders can access e-mail or the Internet."

Meanwhile, Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell said, "Verizon is moving a trailer with a bank of phones to the Marsh Fork Elementary School area so family, friends and others with a need for communication will be able to use those phones. "We'll have it up as quickly as we can," he said.

The Raleigh County accident is the worst since 1984, when a fire at a mine in Orangeville, Utah, killed 27 people.

The Central West Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross said it sent two emergency response vehicles and volunteers to the scene on Tuesday.

"As the grieving families struggle with the tragic circumstances, caring Red Cross volunteers are doing their best to provide support and comfort," the chapter said in a prepared statement.

"We have mental health counselors working with families to help them through the difficult days ahead. The Red Cross also is providing food and drinks to family members, and to the rescue personnel working tirelessly to locate four missing miners."

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said it was notified of the explosion at about 3:30 p.m. Monday. It said Bob Hardman, the agency's district manager, was on the scene, along with a family liaison.

Tuesday morning the following was posted on Consol Energy's Facebook page: "Consol's three mine rescue teams, from Blacksville 2, Buchanan and McElroy mines, have been told by the regulatory agencies to return home. Consol's teams had not been deployed into the mine. Mine rescue teams from Massey Energy will handle situation now.

"Our hearts and prayers continue to be with the families of the fallen miners and those still missing," the message continued. "We are grieving and hoping with you."

@tagline:Writers Billy Wolfe and George Hohmann and City Editor Brad McElhinny contributed to this report.

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04-07-2010 01:28 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

Tuesday April 6, 2010
Drilling first hole into mine could be Wednesday night
Names of the seven dead miners released
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor
by Billy Wolfe
Daily Mail staff
Page 2 of 2

Craig Cunningham
Gov. Joe Manchin addresses the media at Marshfork Elem. At left is Kevin Stricklin Administrator MSHA Coal Mine Safety and Health Division and Ron Wooten, WV Dir. of Mine Health Safety and Training. Advertiser
"Something went very wrong to have an explosion of this magnitude," he said.

The governor also said Massey must do more to communicate with grieving and anxious families of the coal miners. He said all of the names of the miners still underground are known, but that no one is sure which ones are alive and which ones are dead.

He said he does not know why the company hasn't been in contact with more worried family members. "The policies from the corporate side I can't speak to," he said.

Massey said early Tuesday that Blankenship was at the mine site. But there were no Massey representatives at the midday press conference. When asked during that event if he knew where Blankenship is, Manchin said no.

Massey said in an earlier prepared statement that Chris Adkins, Massey's senior vice president and chief operating officer, and Elizabeth Chamberlin, the company's vice president of safety and health, were coordinating the company's search and rescue efforts with state and federal officials.

Blankenship said in that prepared statement, "Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy. I want to offer my condolences to the miners' families who lost loved ones at Upper Big Branch. And I want to thank the rescue teams and the Massey members who continue to work hard on behalf of our miners and their families."

Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said in a prepared statement, "The hearts and prayers of all UMWA members are with the families of those lost today at Performance Coal Company's Upper Big Branch mine. We are also praying for the safe rescue of those still missing, and for the safety of the courageous mine rescue team members. They are putting their lives on the line, entering a highly dangerous mine to bring any survivors to safety.

"As a mine operated by a subsidiary of Massey Energy, the Upper Big Branch mine is a nonunion mine," Roberts said. "Nevertheless, I have dispatched highly trained and skilled UMWA personnel to the immediate vicinity of the mine, and they stand ready to offer any assistance they can to the families and the rescuers at this terrible and anxious time. We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this."

A lack of cellular phone service in the area has hampered communications.

AT&T spokeswoman Ellen Webner said, "We're hearing that family members are standing in line to use the few available landlines there. It's a pretty desperate situation."

AT&T and Verizon Wireless are each setting up a "Cell Site on Wheels" at the scene.

Webner said AT&T's cell site is on its way from Georgia. It will provide mobile wireless service for AT&T customers, she said.

"Our on-ground personnel should be on site later today," Webner said. "We are hoping for deployment by later this evening or early tomorrow morning."

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Erica Sevilla said Verizon Wireless' cell site arrived Tuesday morning.

"We've been working throughout the day to get it set up," she said. "We expect it to be active in the very near future. It will be set up near the mine portal where the emergency command center is. It will also add coverage to a small portion of Route 3.

Sevilla said Verizon Wireless customers will be able to make and receive calls using the site. Sevilla was checking to see if Verizon Wireless' agreements would allow any of its roaming partners to also use the site.

"In addition to the cell site, we are sending a team of people to man a 24-hour emergency wireless calling center," Sevilla said. "They will have with them 30 wireless phones as well as some data devices so emergency responders can access e-mail or the Internet."

Meanwhile, Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell said, "Verizon is moving a trailer with a bank of phones to the Marsh Fork Elementary School area so family, friends and others with a need for communication will be able to use those phones. "We'll have it up as quickly as we can," he said.

The Raleigh County accident is the worst since 1984, when a fire at a mine in Orangeville, Utah, killed 27 people.

The Central West Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross said it sent two emergency response vehicles and volunteers to the scene on Tuesday.

"As the grieving families struggle with the tragic circumstances, caring Red Cross volunteers are doing their best to provide support and comfort," the chapter said in a prepared statement.

"We have mental health counselors working with families to help them through the difficult days ahead. The Red Cross also is providing food and drinks to family members, and to the rescue personnel working tirelessly to locate four missing miners."

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said it was notified of the explosion at about 3:30 p.m. Monday. It said Bob Hardman, the agency's district manager, was on the scene, along with a family liaison.

Tuesday morning the following was posted on Consol Energy's Facebook page: "Consol's three mine rescue teams, from Blacksville 2, Buchanan and McElroy mines, have been told by the regulatory agencies to return home. Consol's teams had not been deployed into the mine. Mine rescue teams from Massey Energy will handle situation now.

"Our hearts and prayers continue to be with the families of the fallen miners and those still missing," the message continued. "We are grieving and hoping with you."

@tagline:Writers Billy Wolfe and George Hohmann and City Editor Brad McElhinny contributed to this report.

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04-07-2010 01:29 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

State News
Tuesday April 6, 2010
Air quality still too bad for rescue crews to get into mine
Holes being drilled to clear out poison gas; 'sliver of hope' remains
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor

A large drill and fan, left, work above Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Coal Mine Wednesday, April 7, 2010 in Montcoal, W.Va. The 560ft rotary drill which is 6in in diameter is the second hole drilled in an effort to release gas from the area where miners are believed to be trapped. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, Pool)

WHITESVILLE, W.Va. -- After a day of drilling to clear toxic gases that remained from a deadly explosion, rescue crews remained unable to enter the Upper Big Branch mine because the air quality was still so bad.

The air had such high levels of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane, it was affecting workers who were drilling holes 1,000 feet into the mine, said the U.S. Mining Safety and Health Administration's Kevin Stricklin during a 3:30 p.m. press conference.

Crews were having to capture exhaust from the drills and divert it away to ensure the health of those operating the drills.

"We just can't take any chances of the rescue team going into an area that could be a problem or cause an explosion," Stricklin said during the press conference.

"We've asked the families to be patient."

Officials added that holes would be drilled into other areas of the mine near additional rescue chambers to make absolutely certain whether they had been deployed. Cameras would be used, they said.

A convoy of ambulances was stationed outside the mine so crews would be ready when the rescue teams go in, Gov. Joe Manchin said.

Expected rain and storms over the next couple of days won't affect rescue efforts, Stricklin said.

Careful work by drilling team

All day Wednesday, workers labored to get a fan in place to pull bad air out of the Upper Big Branch mine so rescue workers could re-enter the mine to look for four missing miners, Stricklin said.

Three holes were being drilled 1,000 feet into the mine. Manchin said the drilling had to be precise to reach the area where the miners were suspected to be.

One of the missing miners was working on a longwall section and three were working nearby, Manchin said.

Workers needed to be able to gauge the quality of the air to determine when it is safe to allow rescue teams back in the mine.

The teams would advance at 1,000-foot increments, Stricklin said.

The first vent hole was within 300 to 400 feet of an underground shelter, where rescue planners hoped the miners had taken refuge, Stricklin said.

Concentrations from the first sample revealed 14,000 parts per million of carbon monoxide, a "really high" level, and 10,000 parts per million of hydrogen, Stricklin said.

The sample also showed 3 percent methane. While not explosive on its own, it's dangerous when combined with both carbon monoxide and hydrogen, Stricklin said.

The first sample also revealed 15 percent oxygen. If the oxygen concentration is less than 19.5 percent, Stricklin explain, rescue teams would have to wear oxygen masks.

Early Wednesday morning, rescuers didn't get any response when they banged on the well casing, Manchin said. But Stricklin said it's hard to hear much on the surface when the missing miners are 1,093 feet underground, hopefully in a shelter, and drilling is ongoing.

Stricklin said officials met at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to decide when to conduct a seismic test.

A "quiet period" was declared, drilling ceased, three dynamite charges were set off on the surface, and the miners would know to bang on the roof of their shelter.

Once the mine was ventilated, teams were expected to need several hours to reach the area where officials believed the miners are about 1,000 feet beneath the surface.

Searchers were going to have to navigate in the darkness around debris from structures shattered by the explosion and around sections of track that were "wrapped like a pretzel,'' Stricklin said.

"There's so much dirt and dust and everything is so dark that it's very easy, as hard as it may seem to any of us outside in this room, to walk by a body,'' Stricklin said.

Long wait for families

Officials theorized the missing miners might have been able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen to sustain 15 miners for four days. But before the rescue teams were initially pulled out, they had checked one of two chambers nearby and found it empty. Unsafe conditions prevented them from reaching the second.

Ron Wooten, the state mining director, said miners are taught to escape first, "to try to get out of the mine the way they came in. They retreat to a shelter as a last resort. None of us here know what we would do in a similar situation."

Manchin said of the families, "They had a long night. They'll have another long day. They're prepared for that."

Although there continued to be hope the four missing miners would be found alive, Manchin said the families "know the odds are not in our favor because of the horrific blast."

The Monday explosion directly involved 31 miners.

Manchin said of the 25 who died, seven bodies had been removed from the mine. They were identified Tuesday by the state medical examiner as Carl Accord, Jason Atkins, Robert E. Clark, Steven J. Harrah, William R. Lynch, Deward Allan Scott and Benny Ray Willingham.

Manchin said four bodies that remain in the mine have been identified and 14 have not.

The identities of the four missing miners are not known.

Alice Peters said she was told her 47-year-old son-in-law, Dean Jones, was among the missing, though Massey said Wednesday it does not know which four miners might be alive.

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04-08-2010 03:13 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

State News
Tuesday April 6, 2010
Air quality still too bad for rescue crews to get into mine
Holes being drilled to clear out poison gas; 'sliver of hope' remains
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor
Page 2 of 2

A large drill and fan, left, work above Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Coal Mine Wednesday, April 7, 2010 in Montcoal, W.Va. The 560ft rotary drill which is 6in in diameter is the second hole drilled in an effort to release gas from the area where miners are believed to be trapped. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, Pool)
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Peters said Jones' wife, Gina, has been at the mine site since the explosion and will not leave.

"She's not doing too good," Peters said Wednesday. "They told them to go home because they weren't going to let the mine rescuers back in. They're still drilling."

Larry Asbury's son is on a mine rescue team. He joined about 50 mourners who packed the creaky pews of the modest St. Joseph Catholic Church a few miles from the disaster to honor the victims and pray that the missing turn up safe.

"The coal community is coming together and praying for miners and their families," he said. "It's just so important to show the community this kind of support."

The blast also left two miners hospitalized. At noon Wednesday, Manchin said one is "doing extremely well," and the other is in an intensive care unit.

Massey response

Massey issued a statement saying it "is devoting its attention and resources to the ongoing rescue efforts and the families."

The company said it is committed to providing the families with accurate, timely information.

"In an effort to ensure the families receive only information confirmed by state and federal authorities, the company established an area at the Performance Coal Training Center for families to meet directly with company and government officials," Massey said.

The company said Massey Chairman Don Blankenship participated in meetings with the families on Monday and Tuesday.

"Now that the drilling work has begun to penetrate the seams and the rescue teams are waiting for the atmosphere to improve, Blankenship will begin more in-depth meetings with the families," the company said.

Massey said company officials met with the families at the Performance Coal Training Center and were continuing to meet every two hours with the families.

The company said it also has established a toll free hotline -- 1-877-534-5152 -- for families to call if they require counseling or other services and assistance. Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center is coordinating counseling services.

Federal investigations launched

The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced it has appointed a team to investigate the explosion.

Norman Page, manager of the MSHA district in Pikeville, Ky., is team leader. Other team members from MSHA's staff are Timothy Watkins, Ben Harding, Erik Sherer, Alvin Brown, Dave Steffey, Jerry Vance and Jasey Maggard.

MSHA said the team will be assisted by Rich Stoltz, Clete Stephan, Tom Morley and Sandin Phillipson.

Additionally, Derek Baxter and Dana Ferguson, trial attorneys for the Labor Department's Office of the Solicitor, are on the team.

Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., promised there will be a Congressional investigation into the blast.

Communications help arrives

A lack of cellular phone service in the area began to be resolved when portable cellular towers owned by AT&T and Verizon Wireless were activated.

The AT&T system went live about 1 a.m., said company spokeswoman Ellen Webner. It is set up adjacent to the command center in order to provide service in support of rescue and recovery efforts.

AT&T cautioned the extreme terrain limits the coverage provided by its portable system. The coverage does not reach the staging area for media and families, the company said.

Verizon Wireless said it has established a temporary cell site to provide wireless voice and data service to the emergency command center, the mine portal and portions of W.Va. 3.

In addition, Verizon Wireless said it has set up a 24-hour communications center where emergency personnel will have access to wireless Internet and more than 50 wireless phones.

"Additional phones also were deployed to enable coordinators and other emergency personnel to communicate and coordinate rescue and recovery efforts," the company said.

Upper Big Branch

The Associated Press reported that the Upper Big Branch mine produced more than 1.2 million tons of coal last year and uses the lowest-cost underground mining method, making it more profitable.

The mine produces metallurgical coal that is used to make steel and sells for up to $200 a ton -- more than double the price for the type of coal used by power plants.

The death toll in Monday's explosion was the highest in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 people died in a fire at Emery Mining Corp.'s mine in Orangeville, Utah.

If the four missing bring the total to 29, it would be the most to die in a U.S. coal mine since a 1970 explosion killed 38 at Finley Coal Co. in Hyden, Ky.

Though the situation looked bleak, Manchin pointed to the 2006 Sago Mine explosion that killed 12. Crews found miner Randal McCloy Jr. alive after he was trapped for more than 40 hours in an atmosphere poisoned with carbon monoxide.

Daily Mail reporters Zack Harold and Ashley B. Craig and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact writer George Hohmann at busin...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4836.

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04-08-2010 03:14 AM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

News
Thursday April 8, 2010
Rescue crews pulled out of mine
More bad air; dangerous to rescuers; Manchin calls it 'worst scenario'
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor
Advertiser

Rescue teams were being withdrawn from Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine at 10.15 a.m. Thursday after a high level of dangerous methane gas was detected.

""We've had a setback," said Kevin Stricklin of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. "Unfortunately as the rescuers were traveling into the mine we had some consecutive air samples coming out of the bore hole that indicated an explosive mixture. We looked at a couple of samples. They were very consistent. The concentration of methane was 5.4 percent. The cutoff point is 5 percent."

Stricklin said of the rescuers, "They're coming out of the mine right now." He said the 32 rescuers - four teams - would leave their equipment and materials in the mine so they won't have to carry it back in when they're allowed to resume the rescue mission.

One bore hole is being used to extract bad air from the mine and air samples are being taken from it. Another hole being drilled nearby is within 70 feet of entering the mine. "It will double the quantity of air we can ventilate from this mine," Stricklin said.

Four miners have been missing since a Monday afternoon blast killed 25 of their workmates. The miners are about 1,100 feet below the surface of the Raleigh County mine.

Before being ordered out the rescuers were nearing two underground shelters, about five miles from the portal where they entered. It is hoped that after the blast, the four missing miners somehow made it to the one shelter that has not been checked. Shelters are designed and stocked to keep 15 miners alive for 96 hours.

One of the missing miners was believed to have been near a working longwall section at the time of the blast. The three others were believed to have been near a section that was being prepared for mining.

Manchin said the day began with three scenarios:

-- Forge ahead to check the shelter.

-- Discover one area of the mine with unacceptable concentrations of bad air and install a temporary barrier so nitrogen could be pumped in and work could go on elsewhere.

-- Find conditions too dangerous and extract everyone.

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04-08-2010 03:49 PM

cartwright
UKC Forum Member

Registered: Sep 2008
Location: HUNTERS HAVEN, WV
Posts: 3634

Thursday April 8, 2010
Rescue crews pulled out of mine
More bad air; dangerous to rescuers; Manchin calls it 'worst scenario'
by George Hohmann
Daily Mail Business Editor
Page 2 of 2
Advertiser
"Unfortunately we have the worst scenario," Manchin said.

Rescuers had entered the mine on Monday but were forced to withdraw early Tuesday because of the presence of lethal carbon monoxide, highly explosive hydrogen, as well as methane gas, which has been blamed for the explosion.

Two miners were hospitalized following Monday's explosion. Manchin said one miner, whom "we're very much concerned about," remains in an intensive care unit. The other "probably will be released soon."

The names of those miners have not been released.

Monday's explosion is the worst U.S. mining disaster in 25 years. The Upper Big Branch mine is about 30 miles south of Charleston.

Officials and townsfolk alike admitted they didn't expect to find any of the four missing miners alive more than two days after the massive explosion. But there was what Manchin described as a "sliver of hope" that the miners had somehow made it to the shelter.

Seven bodies were brought out and were identified Tuesday by the state medical examiner as Carl Accord, Jason Atkins, Robert E. Clark, Steven J. Harrah, William R. Lynch, Deward Allan Scott and Benny Ray Willingham.

Authorities want to recover 18 bodies of the known dead from the mine, which has been cited for numerous safety violations.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has appointed a team of investigators to look into the blast, which officials said may have been caused by a buildup of methane.

Massey has been repeatedly cited for problems with the system that vents methane and for allowing combustible dust to build up. On the day of the blast, MSHA cited the mine with two safety violations -- one involving inadequate maps of escape routes, the other concerning an improper splice of electrical cable. However, Stricklin said the violations had nothing to do with the blast.

Massey CEO Don Blankenship has strongly defended the company's record and disputed accusations from miners that he puts coal profits ahead of safety.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Rescue teams were being withdrawn from Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine at 10.15 a.m. Thursday after a high level of dangerous methane gas was detected.

""We've had a setback," said Kevin Stricklin of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. "Unfortunately as the rescuers were traveling into the mine we had some consecutive air samples coming out of the bore hole that indicated an explosive mixture. We looked at a couple of samples. They were very consistent. The concentration of methane was 5.4 percent. The cutoff point is 5 percent."

Stricklin said of the rescuers, "They're coming out of the mine right now." He said the 32 rescuers - four teams - would leave their equipment and materials in the mine so they won't have to carry it back in when they're allowed to resume the rescue mission.

One bore hole is being used to extract bad air from the mine and air samples are being taken from it. Another hole being drilled nearby is within 70 feet of entering the mine. "It will double the quantity of air we can ventilate from this mine," Stricklin said.

Four miners have been missing since a Monday afternoon blast killed 25 of their workmates. The miners are about 1,100 feet below the surface of the Raleigh County mine.

Before being ordered out the rescuers were nearing two underground shelters, about five miles from the portal where they entered. It is hoped that after the blast, the four missing miners somehow made it to the one shelter that has not been checked. Shelters are designed and stocked to keep 15 miners alive for 96 hours.

One of the missing miners was believed to have been near a working longwall section at the time of the blast. The three others were believed to have been near a section that was being prepared for mining.

Manchin said the day began with three scenarios:

-- Forge ahead to check the shelter.

-- Discover one area of the mine with unacceptable concentrations of bad air and install a temporary barrier so nitrogen could be pumped in and work could go on elsewhere.

-- Find conditions too dangerous and extract everyone.

"Unfortunately we have the worst scenario," Manchin said.

Rescuers had entered the mine on Monday but were forced to withdraw early Tuesday because of the presence of lethal carbon monoxide, highly explosive hydrogen, as well as methane gas, which has been blamed for the explosion.

Two miners were hospitalized following Monday's explosion. Manchin said one miner, whom "we're very much concerned about," remains in an intensive care unit. The other "probably will be released soon."

The names of those miners have not been released.

Monday's explosion is the worst U.S. mining disaster in 25 years. The Upper Big Branch mine is about 30 miles south of Charleston.

Officials and townsfolk alike admitted they didn't expect to find any of the four missing miners alive more than two days after the massive explosion. But there was what Manchin described as a "sliver of hope" that the miners had somehow made it to the shelter.

Seven bodies were brought out and were identified Tuesday by the state medical examiner as Carl Accord, Jason Atkins, Robert E. Clark, Steven J. Harrah, William R. Lynch, Deward Allan Scott and Benny Ray Willingham.

Authorities want to recover 18 bodies of the known dead from the mine, which has been cited for numerous safety violations.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has appointed a team of investigators to look into the blast, which officials said may have been caused by a buildup of methane.

Massey has been repeatedly cited for problems with the system that vents methane and for allowing combustible dust to build up. On the day of the blast, MSHA cited the mine with two safety violations -- one involving inadequate maps of escape routes, the other concerning an improper splice of electrical cable. However, Stricklin said the violations had nothing to do with the blast.

Massey CEO Don Blankenship has strongly defended the company's record and disputed accusations from miners that he puts coal profits ahead of safety.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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04-08-2010 03:50 PM

cartwright
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News
Thursday April 8, 2010
One W.Va. hollow awaits word on 3 of its own
by Vicki Smith
The Associated Press
Advertiser
DOROTHY, W.Va. (AP) - Along Clear Fork Road, tiny communities blend seamlessly, bound by geography, coal mining and the sheltering mountains all around. Anxiety cinches them closer than usual this week.

Days after an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine eight miles away killed 25, three from the hollow are still somewhere deep beneath the earth - perhaps alive, most likely among the dead.

"It's just devastating," says Kathy Duncan, who runs a white clapboard convenience store with neither a sign nor a gas pump, just an ice chest by the front door and a notice that tells the locals it doubles as a game-checking station.

Early Thursday, rescue teams resumed the search for four missing miners whose fates are unknown. Crews drilled holes deep into the mine to ventilate lethal carbon monoxide and highly explosive hydrogen and methane so rescuers could enter.

Friends and families cling to the hope that they made it to an airtight chamber stocked with food, water and breathable air that could sustain them and are not among the 14 confirmed dead whose bodies remain in the mine. Seven bodies were pulled out after the explosion, and two miners were hospitalized, one still in intensive care Wednesday.

Duncan's suddenly absent customers are 51-year-old Ricky Workman of Colcord, single dad Greg Brock and married dad Ronald Maynor, both of Clear Creek.

"Nobody knows if they're among the 14 found or the four that are still missing," Duncan said.

A photo of Maynor hangs on the wall above the ice cream freezer. He is fresh-faced and grinning, wearing camouflage and holding the head of a freshly shot deer. Duncan saves dozens of photos when her customers bring in their kill.

She pulls out a zippered plastic bag, looking for images of Workman and Brock, but has none.

Kathy and her husband, Glen, open their store at 4 a.m. every day, serving breakfast to coal miners heading to work. The word of who was missing spread quickly after the blast.

DOROTHY, W.Va. (AP) - Along Clear Fork Road, tiny communities blend seamlessly, bound by geography, coal mining and the sheltering mountains all around. Anxiety cinches them closer than usual this week.

Days after an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine eight miles away killed 25, three from the hollow are still somewhere deep beneath the earth - perhaps alive, most likely among the dead.

"It's just devastating," says Kathy Duncan, who runs a white clapboard convenience store with neither a sign nor a gas pump, just an ice chest by the front door and a notice that tells the locals it doubles as a game-checking station.

Early Thursday, rescue teams resumed the search for four missing miners whose fates are unknown. Crews drilled holes deep into the mine to ventilate lethal carbon monoxide and highly explosive hydrogen and methane so rescuers could enter.

Friends and families cling to the hope that they made it to an airtight chamber stocked with food, water and breathable air that could sustain them and are not among the 14 confirmed dead whose bodies remain in the mine. Seven bodies were pulled out after the explosion, and two miners were hospitalized, one still in intensive care Wednesday.

Duncan's suddenly absent customers are 51-year-old Ricky Workman of Colcord, single dad Greg Brock and married dad Ronald Maynor, both of Clear Creek.

"Nobody knows if they're among the 14 found or the four that are still missing," Duncan said.

A photo of Maynor hangs on the wall above the ice cream freezer. He is fresh-faced and grinning, wearing camouflage and holding the head of a freshly shot deer. Duncan saves dozens of photos when her customers bring in their kill.

She pulls out a zippered plastic bag, looking for images of Workman and Brock, but has none.

Kathy and her husband, Glen, open their store at 4 a.m. every day, serving breakfast to coal miners heading to work. The word of who was missing spread quickly after the blast.

"Some of the m talked. Some of them cried. Some just didn't say anything," Duncan says. "You just make eye contact and you know what they're thinking and they know what you're thinking."

Brock, father to 12-year-old son Greg Jr., is a strict and attentive parent who regularly brings his son into the store for soda and pizza, says Glen Duncan. Divorced long ago, Brock has raised his son alone, relying on neighbors to baby-sit when he's underground.

"He's just a good, hardworking man and a good daddy," Glen Duncan says.

Brock raised his son to be polite and well-mannered.

"He took an interest in him," he said, often coming home from work to pick up his son for baseball and basketball games.

The Duncans' daughter, 29-year-old Nichole Howell, was in high school with Maynor and knows both him and his wife, Helen.

"He's one of the best people you could ever meet. You've never heard anyone say anything bad about him," Howell says, bursting into tears.

Maynor and his wife have two small children, one in the fourth grade and one about 2. Helen Maynor has a MySpace page, Howell says, where she raves about her family and marrying her dream man.

"He and his wife are just so much in love."

More Articles in News 1 | 2 | Next Page �

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04-08-2010 03:55 PM

cartwright
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Registered: Sep 2008
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Thursday April 8, 2010
One W.Va. hollow awaits word on 3 of its own
by Vicki Smith
The Associated Press
Page 2 of 2
Advertiser
"Some of the m talked. Some of them cried. Some just didn't say anything," Duncan says. "You just make eye contact and you know what they're thinking and they know what you're thinking."

Brock, father to 12-year-old son Greg Jr., is a strict and attentive parent who regularly brings his son into the store for soda and pizza, says Glen Duncan. Divorced long ago, Brock has raised his son alone, relying on neighbors to baby-sit when he's underground.

"He's just a good, hardworking man and a good daddy," Glen Duncan says.

Brock raised his son to be polite and well-mannered.

"He took an interest in him," he said, often coming home from work to pick up his son for baseball and basketball games.

The Duncans' daughter, 29-year-old Nichole Howell, was in high school with Maynor and knows both him and his wife, Helen.

"He's one of the best people you could ever meet. You've never heard anyone say anything bad about him," Howell says, bursting into tears.

Maynor and his wife have two small children, one in the fourth grade and one about 2. Helen Maynor has a MySpace page, Howell says, where she raves about her family and marrying her dream man.

"He and his wife are just so much in love."

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04-08-2010 03:57 PM

michael cline
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Registered: Sep 2005
Location:
Posts: 192

as a coal miner, you always have things like this in the back of your mind, but you also have a family to support and it pays better than any other job in the coalfields of west virginia. there is a possibilty that the 4 missing are still alive so keep praying.

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04-09-2010 05:06 PM

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cartwright
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Posts: 3634

Note for family among W.Va. mine victims' stories

Coal miner Josh Napper had a sick feeling something wasn't right at his job, so he put his thoughts on paper, to those he loved the most before heading back to work.

It would be his last communication with them.

"If anything happens to me, I will be looking down from heaven," his handwritten note read.

The 25-year-old Napper left it with his family in southeast Ohio, where he commuted to on weekends. Napper was among 25 people killed in an explosion at a West Virginia mine.

His mother, Pam Napper, didn't find out about the note until after he returned to work at the Upper Big Branch mine on Monday, the day of the explosion.

"I just knew that Josh in his heart knew that something was going to happen," Pam Napper said Friday.

He knew because his April 2 shift had ended about two hours early over ventilation concerns at the mine. He drove to Ohio to spend Easter with his family.

"I said, 'Why aren't you working?'" Pam Napper said. "He said, 'Mom, the ventilation's bad.' And they sent him out of the mines. Everybody."

She rushed to the mine site after the explosion. Also that day, his fiancee, Jennifer Ziegler, drove to West Virginia to show her the note written to his mom, 19-month-old daughter and fiancee.

"Dear Mommy and Jenna," Pam Napper recalled. "If anything happens to me, I will be looking down from heaven. If you take care of my baby girl, watch over (her), tell her all the good things about her daddy. She was so cute and funny. She was my little peanut. And Jennifer, I know things have never been the greatest sometimes, but I just want you to know I love you and I care about you."

Not all the dead have been identified. These are the stories of those who have been named so far, either by mine owner Massey Energy Co., the medical examiner or family members.

___

Carl Acord

Carl Acord shared a big Easter dinner with family and doted on his infant grandsons, 9-month-old Chase and 3-month-old Cameron, said his sister Sherry Cline.

"He was looking forward to riding them around on the tractor this summer," Cline said. "He kept talking about that at Easter dinner.

Acord, 52, had worked in mines for 34 years and liked the work, Cline said. But he told his family on Sunday that he was concerned about the mine's roof and worried about going to work Monday.

Jason Atkins

Jason Atkins was born and raised in Boone County, near the coal mine where he lost his life, said his father-in-law, Rick Withers.

The 25-year-old miner and his wife, Amanda, 28, met when they were students at West Virginia Tech and got married in 2008, Withers said.

Withers said he was not sure when Atkins began working at the mine.

"He was an hourly guy," Withers said.

Atkins played second base on his high school and college baseball teams, but left West Virginia Tech without graduating, Withers said. He enjoyed golfing.

___

Robert E. Clark

Just a few months ago, Robert E. Clark, 41, came forward and committed himself as a born-again Christian at the Beckley Church of God, his pastor said.

The decision in January offered a degree of solace to Clark's churchgoing friends. He leaves behind his wife, Melissa, and a young son.

"It really is a big relief to know that all is well with his soul, that he can go to heaven," said the Rev. F.D. Sexton, who has spoken with Clark's family since the explosion at the mine. Sexton said he remembered Clark's big smile as the miner left an Easter service at the church.

"Everything was still good with him as far as his soul was concerned," Sexton said.

___

Cory Davis

Cory Davis played baseball in high school and followed his family into the mines.

The 20-year-old from Dawes, W.Va., worked with his father, Tommy Davis, and cousin Timmy Davis Jr. at a surface mine, but all three were laid off in the past two years. And all three ended up at Massey.

Cory Davis loved the outdoors and would often spend his weekends at a family camp on a mountaintop.

"We'd just run around, build a fire, ride four-wheelers," Timmy Davis Jr. said. "Our life was kind of boring. We're kind of hill folks. We stay up on the mountain."

___

Timmy Davis Sr.

Timmy Davis Sr. loved coal mining � and when he wasn't doing that, he was out hunting and fishing.

"My dad was the best hunter and fisher you've ever seen. The biggest buck or bear would come to him so he could shoot them," said Timmy Davis Jr. "He's got five or six in here. He's killed a lot of big deer."

Davis Jr. said his uncle Tommy Davis and brother Cody Davis also were at the mine at the time and survived the blast.

Cody Davis and his father were best friends, Davis Jr. said. Cody Davis was on his way in at the time of the blast, said Davis Jr., who works as a coal truck driver.

"He loved to work underground," the younger Davis said of his father, who was from Cabin Creek, W.Va. "He loved that place."

___

Steve Harrah

Steve Harrah � known to his co-workers as "Smiley" � was "always thoughtful and would give you a hand," his father-in-law said.

The 40-year-old enjoyed hunting deer in Pocahontas County, said father-in-law Jack Bowden Jr., who also is director of the Raleigh County Emergency Operating Center. Harrah lived in Cool Ridge, W.Va., with his kindergarten-age son, Zach, and wife of 10 years, Tammy.

His sister, Betty Harrah, said other workers thought of her brother as a good boss.

"He wouldn't ask them to do anything he wouldn't get down in there and do," she said.

"They went to the same high school, and they just knew each other and started dating," said Bowden, who choked up as he spoke. "It's pretty rough."

Harrah was leaving the mine when the explosion happened. The mining company told the family that Harrah was killed instantly, Bowden said.

___

William R. Lynch

William Roosevelt Lynch wore many hats, including that of a coal miner.

Over his career, the 59-year-old who went by Roosevelt was a teacher, coached three sports and was about to welcome his fourth grandchild into the world. He also worked in the mines for more than 30 years.

Lynch was among the dead, said his brother, Melvin Lynch of Mount Hope, who also was in the mine at the time.

Roosevelt Lynch was a longtime Oak Hill resident who coached basketball, football and track and taught on the high school and middle school levels.

"A lot of people around town called him coach," Melvin Lynch said. "He would substitute teach, then coach and then work in the mines. He used to have that rigorous schedule."

Oak Hill High basketball coach Fred Ferri said Roosevelt Lynch also competed in a summer basketball league in Beckley.

"He was in excellent condition," Ferri said. "He played last summer. He's out there running with kids. Roosevelt was a heck of an athlete."

___

Howard "Boone" Payne

Howard "Boone" Payne was a "gentle giant" in his early 50s with flaming red hair and broad shoulders.

"He would go out of his way to help someone," said his brother-in-law, Terry Wright of Roanoke, Va. "He loved to have fun. He was quiet and loved his family."

Payne began working as a coal miner shortly after graduating high school in 1977. He had worked for Massey Energy for eight to 10 years. Massey told Payne's wife, Debra, about his death at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Wright said.

Wright said Payne never expressed any fears about his profession. As a former coal miner, himself, Wright understands why.

"You know any mistake may be the last day of your life. You know any day you work may be your last. But you just can't think about that. You can't stay in mining and think about that."

___

Gary Quarles

Gary Quarles' life was consumed by his wife and two children.

The 33-year-old from Naoma, W.Va., took trips every summer to Myrtle Beach, S.C., with the kids, ages 9 and 11, as well as his wife. The family often went fishing along the New River there.

"He liked to hunt and spend time with his kids," Janice Quarles said. "That was about it. That's all he did."

He liked to hunt everything from raccoons and deer to wild boar, and he had wanted to stay home from work Monday because his children were still on Easter break, she said.

Janice Quarles said her husband was a quiet, laid-back man nicknamed "Spanky." She was told of his death by a Massey official.

Gary Quarles started coal mining when he was 18. He was among those finishing a 10.5-hour shift when the explosion happened, his wife said.

___

Deward Scott

Deward Scott met his wife, Crissie, when she was his karate student. The pair loved to go hunting together � Deward Scott taught her to bow hunt when they first met nearly 20 years ago, she said.

They've been together ever since � usually enjoying the outdoors hiking, hunting, fishing or gardening. The 58-year-old Montcoal resident had been a miner for 21 years and loved his job. But he also was kind and outgoing, Crissie Scott said.

"He was a Christian man who loved to help people," Crissie Scott said, her voice choking. "He's one of those people that once you met him, you wouldn't forget him."

___

Benny R. Willingham

For Benny Willingham, retirement was just five weeks away.

The 61-year-old from Corinne, W.Va., had been a coal miner for 30 years and spent the last 17 working for Massey, said his sister-in-law, Sheila Prillaman. Willingham and his wife were supposed to go on a cruise next month to the Virgin Islands.

"Benny was the type � he probably wouldn't have stayed retired long," Prillaman said. "He wasn't much of a homebody."

Willingham was remembered at his funeral as a generous and religious man who had recently given a stranger his used car. He was known for other random acts of kindness, like filling up a gas tank or giving away $10.

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04-10-2010 01:27 AM

cartwright
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4 missing W.Va. miners dead; final toll at 29

Saturday April 10, 2010
4 missing W.Va. miners dead; final toll at 29
Manchin: 'The journey has ended.'

MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP) - Authorities say crews have found the bodies of four miners missing nearly a week since an explosion at a West Virginia coal mine, bringing the death toll to 29.

Gov. Joe Manchin said, "The journey has ended."

Officials say the mission now is to recover all 22 bodies still inside the Upper Big Branch mine 30 miles of Charleston. Seven other bodies were recovered after the blast Monday and two other miners were injured.

The raised death toll makes it the worst coal mine disaster in the U.S. since 1970 when 38 were killed at Finley Coal Co. in Hyden, Ky.

Authorities said early Saturday that they will start bringing out the bodies so they can be identified.

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04-10-2010 09:36 AM

rmcmillan
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Prayers going out to all family and friends of each one of those men.

__________________
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Nt.Ch. Gr.Ch. Gr.WCh. Pr. McMillans Blue Crystal
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all are gone now but will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

CH. PR. MCMILLANS TREE ROCKIN BRANDY
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04-11-2010 02:35 PM

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Stonycove
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Prayers

To all of the family and friends, We here in western North Carolina Are praying for you all. we are asking the God of heaven to send his Spirit to each one and wrap his strong and able arm of love around you.

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04-12-2010 11:36 PM