What is it worth? Burning the lights underground.

January 20th, 2006, 11:01 AM

I see my old friends at Massey have had some trouble overnight. I hope they find these guys- MELLVILLE, W.Va. - Rescue teams searched early Friday for two miners who were unable to escape after a fire broke out in an underground coal mine. Nineteen miners were able to flee the blaze, state officials said.

mine fire

**burton2019** · January 20th, 2006, 11:02 AM

Yet another mine accident. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I pray they find them, and I pray for their families.

**greencrest1272** · January 20th, 2006, 11:03 AM

Seems like when it rains, it pours....

January 20th, 2006, 11:10 AM

Hope for the best , pray for'em all. It is something you don't spend a lot of time thinking about. Not till it happens, anyway. We are gonna see more trouble as the industry scrambles to fill the energy void. Untrained workers can be a danger to themselves. All the laws in the world won't tell'em to look up, see what you are standing under. They are ALL SO eager to prove they can "Git it" with the best. It is hard to get some to look around enough to become experienced miners, you watch out for yourself and as many others as you can. They do the same for you- you can't see what you are standing directly under, makes good friends ,fast. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

**PVVikeFan** · January 20th, 2006, 07:29 PM

Spuds, be careful down there Bro. I did that for 10 years and it definately can be dangerous.

January 21st, 2006, 09:21 AM

For the ones that wish, Homer Hickam wrote a short memorial for the Sago group. Hickam remarks And the Guy (gov?) from West Va promises "sweeping changes" I think was the way it was worded, after this is over.

**TheBeast** · January 21st, 2006, 09:44 AM

All this after there were no mining deaths at all last year.

**imported_juggernaut28** · January 21st, 2006, 09:48 AM

I hope they find these 2 miners alive, but time is not on their side right now. I worry though for those that work in the mines every day just to make a living. The Union speaks alot about these mines that are not union and how unsafe these mines are. But on one point there is no mines that is really safe. Every miner that enters a mine union or nonunion is facing danger. Even working in the best mines there is a chance of some kind of accident. I hope that some good does come out of these men that just lost their life in the mines. Better working conditions and closings of mines when citations are ignored. Safety of these men should come first, and IMO the owners of these mines should pay all the men until it is safe to return back underground. I do have a question too about these owners of mines. My understanding is the new owner of the Sago mines was some guy that didn't have any background of mining but was some stock holder. Therefore he pushed for the mine to make coal regardless of the violations. How can a man that has no knowledge of mining own a mine and put so many lives in danger?

January 21st, 2006, 09:55 AM

There were 22 coal mining deaths last year . MSHA fatals

January 21st, 2006, 10:05 AM

Some places you will find that a business degree is looking at some books and profit/loss, you don't need mining experience for that. The guy you are talking about was over this division of Arch (eastern)less than a year ago, I think- Hatfield. It isn't bad or good, these folks need mine managers they can depend on and who they will listen to. Sometimes it gets to the point where you gotta say, " Hey for what return we are giving the stockholders, they would be better off to close this place and put the money in the bank, at least they won't lose any that way." It is hard to do, but it is better than some of the choices. Safety isn't cheap, but cutting corners can be a real problem best you can do. I've been told that for every MSHA rule/law someone died, in mining history.