Sunday, November 7, 2010

The NEW YORK MARATHON - Chilean Miner's Latest Amazing Feat

Ever since Edison Pena, one of the 33 miners who had been trapped underground in Chile for 69 days, arrived in New York on Thursday on his first trip abroad to run the New York Marathon he's been in a whirlwind of activity and media attention, according to the article below. . Today he took part in 26-mile event. Despite having to slow to a stroll towards the end and stop to ice his leg, Pena carried on to the finish line. What an accomplishment.
    . . . June

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Chilean miner's latest amazing feat ... the New York marathon
World news | The Guardian:

Edison Pena was greeted by cheers and a media whirlwind during first trip abroad to take part in 26-mile event

It is, quite simply, the classic plot of every fish-out-of-water film, hitting all of the cliches along the way with the enthusiasm of a 1980s comedy: the unlikely outsider arrives in New York, after some initial translation difficulties the city falls gleefully in love with this eccentric newcomer, he then accomplishes some incredible feat, the city cheers, cue end credits, over a rendition of – in this particular case – Elvis.

Ever since Edison Pena, one of the 33 miners who had been trapped underground in Chile for 69 days, arrived in New York on Thursday on his first trip abroad to run the New York Marathon – which he ran today – this Crocodile Dundee with a pickaxe has been on the kind of high-profile media tour that would make Paris Hilton envious.

He appeared on The David Letterman Show, did the breakfast TV rounds, gave newspaper interviews, hosted packed press conferences and – truly confirming that Chilean miners are this year's A-list celebrities – has been pursued through the city by that most tabloid of gossip websites, tmz.com, which more often devotes its time to ascertaining what that white blotch in Lindsay Lohan's nose might be as she leaves an LA nightclub than the antics of a cheerful 34-year-old miner.

Rather than shielding his face, or throwing coffee, as is the usual interaction between celebrities and tmz.com paps, Pena made a good-hearted giggle at the journalist's attempts to speak Spanish. Even tmz.com was charmed: "Chilean Miner – Blinded by Terrible Spanish", was the website's uncharacteristically good natured headline.

When Pena emerged from the mine on 13 October, the 12th man to be hauled up, there was a hint of future celebrity potential when he said that he had entertained his fellow miners by singing Elvis Presley songs.

After it transpired that Pena had also maintained his daily runs in the mine, Mary Wittenberg, CEO of New York Road Runners, the organisation behind the marathon, invited Pena to New York to watch the marathon. Already showing the diva quality of a future star, Pena retorted that simply wasn't good enough: he wanted to run in it.

In New York, he has proved the perfect celebrity storm, combining an extraordinary back story, endearing humility, infectious excitement and natural extroversion. (Just as he once entertained his fellow miners with Return to Sender and Suspicious Minds, so he has been entertaining the whole of New York with his spontaneous Presley homages, making them a tradition for every TV appearance and press conference.

Read entire article


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Monday, October 18, 2010

Will Chilean Miners Break PACT OF SILENCE For The Right Price?

 Apparently, some of the rescued Chilean miners are willing to tell their story for the right price, despite a promise made between all 33 of them that none would reveal details about the worst of their 69-day ordeal buried underground, according to the article below. There are also rumors that some of the miners have already reached deals to tell their story.  It would seems impossible for this kind of information to be kept secret anyway, considering that all of them have families who are now hearing all the details.
    . . .  June


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Chilean miners may break pact of silence, for the right price
BY Jaime Uribarri  Monday, October 18th 2010, 5:25 PM

"So much for a pact of silence.

Some of the rescued Chilean miners are apparently willing to tell their story for the right price, despite a promise made between all 33 of them that none would reveal details about the worst of their 69-day ordeal buried underground.

During a special Sunday mass held in honor of last week’s dramatic rescue, miner Jorge Galleguillos said that the pact was non-binding and hinted that he’s entertaining offers to spill the beans on exactly what happened.

'I have to think about myself,' he argued, without going into specifics about what information he’d be willing to share.

There are also rumors that some of the miners have already reached deals to tell their story. El Mercurio reported last week that Victor Segovia agreed to sell the contents of the journal he kept during his time in the mine for $50,000 to German newspaper Bild.

Mario Sepúlveda also recently spoke to Britian’s Mail, although he mainly used the interview to dispel rumors of homosexuality between the miners.

"Saying we had sex down there with each other is just plain wrong", he said. "There are some things I will never talk about. But they are things that would embarrass some of the kids (younger miners). Nothing sexual, more that they acted like kids."

Meanwhile, Yonni Barrios, whose love triangle with his mistress and estranged wife played out in front of the world, took to the airwaves to contradict the popularly held notion that foreman Luis Urzúa was the leader of the group.

"Mario Sepúlveda was the one was in charge (down in the mine), the one who controlled everything and made sure things didn’t get out of hand, "he told Chile’s TV National, adding that Urzúa "wasn’t capable"of overseeing things.


Read more


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Sunday, October 17, 2010

Rescued CHILEAN MINERS Will Benefit Equally

The miners have already made the decision to stand together and all benefit equally from their ordeal, according to the article below. They have hired an accountant, with the idea that all paid interviews and money earned will go into one main account and then equally distributed between the men. That way no one gains more from their ordeal no matter where they are interviewed.  Good for them.
      . . . June


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Chilean Miners Stand Together
Liveshots:


In the bustling blue-collar town of Copiapo, the hospital is surrounded. People hold vigil this time not hoping for a miracle at the mine, but instead hoping for a sightline. Any glimpse of a miner/hero brings smiles to faces and cheers to the air. Men, women and children from this town rarely seen in the news across Chile, gather on wonderment as their men have become international heroes.


All around us are news crews. People staked out waiting for any news or comment. Right now three of the miners have been released and we are told 10 more could be out in the coming hours. Each time one emerges, the crush of media and people is astounding to me. This truly is still being watched by so many, with so many questions about the details of 69 days underground.


I have been told that the miners have already hired an accountant, with the idea that all paid interviews and money earned will go into one main account and then equally distributed between the men. That way no one gains more from their ordeal no matter where they are interviewed, or for how much they earn. Because of this, details about the ordeal are few and far between.

It has helped that I speak decent Spanish and because of that locals and the families seem relatively open to give us access for interviews. I am told that it breaks down barriers here when foreigners, especially from the north attempt to learn the customs and the language. At this point though, many of the families are now at their homes waiting for their fathers/brothers/sons/uncles, which means access to even talk with them is limited. I am also expecting some sort of celebration relatively soon in Santiago with the President, that is a 11 hour drive away.


Read more


Saturday, October 16, 2010

Book '33 Men, Buried Alive' In The Works Inspired By Chilean Miners

According to the article below, the rescue of the Chilean miners is truly an inspirational story. In fact, it's already spawned a book, according to the Hollywood Reporter, '33 Men, Buried Alive: The Inside Story of the Trapped Chilean Miners' in the UK in early 2011. Also, the miners have been fielding offers for beer commercials and TV interviews, the latter potentially earning the men as much as $20,000.
       . . . June


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Chilean miners inspire book, separate mining reality show on its way
The Marquee Blog - CNN.com Blogs:

The rescue of the Chilean miners is truly an inspirational story. In fact, it's already spawned a book, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Jonathan Franklin - a reporter covering the rescue saga for Britain's Guardian newspaper - is set to release the book '33 Men, Buried Alive: The Inside Story of the Trapped Chilean Miners' in the UK in early 2011. In addition, according to Broadcasting & Cable, the miners have been fielding offers for beer commercials and TV interviews, the latter potentially earning the men as much as $20,000.

One thing we know won't be happening, despite reports to the contrary: If there is a movie in the works about the rescue, as some speculate surely can't be far off, it won't be starring Javier Bardem. The actor's rep tells CNN, 'There is no truth to this rumor

And although a new Spike TV series won't feature Chilean miners, the network has announced that it's ordered up "Coal," a docu-series that chronicles the dangers of working in a West Virginia mine, according to a statement.

The show, which airs in April, will focus on Cobalt Mine co-owners Mike Crowder and Tom Roberts, as well as their fellow miners, and cover every aspect of their jobs, including planting explosives.

“Coal mining is an integral part of the American economy and the lifeblood of communities across the U.S. and the world,” said Sharon Levy, Spike TV's executive vice president of original series and animation, in a statement. “This series is going to shine a light on the brave men and women and their families who endure the rigors of this arduous profession.”

Execs at the network told THR that the show has been in development for nearly a year and that their timing is just a coincidence. “It didn’t take a tragedy, and then a miracle, to get us excited about this,” explains Sharon Levy, executive VP of original programming at Spike. “We’ve tapped into something that people are passionate about; this is a topic the world is interested in.”

Read entire article

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

First Miner FLORENCIO AVALOS Reaches The Surface

 I watched, along with millions of people around the world as 31 year old Florencio Avalos was brought up to the surface for the first time in 68 days. He appeared to be in surprisingly good condition considering what he had been through. He hugged his family and several other people and was whisked off to a triage centre to be checked out. A joyful start to a long process has just begun.
    . . . June


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First of 33 trapped miners reaches surface
This Just In - CNN.com Blogs:

Rescuers clap and cheer as the first miner to be rescued, Florencio Avalos, 31, leaves the capsule and steps onto the surface for the first time in about 68 days. After hugging several people, he is put on a stretcher and wheeled into a nearby triage center.

The first of 33 miners who were trapped in the mine more than two months ago has been rescued.

The rescue capsule carrying Florencio Avalos reached the surface about 16 minutes after the ascent from the miners' refuge 2,300 feet below the surface began. Avalos is the first miner to be rescued.



Read entire article

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Saturday, October 9, 2010

Drill Breaks Through To Trapped Miners in Chile

 They've finally reached the miners and the celebrations are on. However, the ordeal is far from over and even now, the miners’ rescue is likely to be days away, with the actual extraction beginning late Monday at the earliest. At this point, those miners are going to start thinking of that long journey up strapped inside the rescue capsule. God bless them!
    . . . June


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Drill Reaches Trapped Miners in Chile, but Risks Remain

By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO and CHRISTINE HAUSER Published: October 9, 2010


SAN JOSÉ MINE, Chile — They wept, they cheered, sirens blared and a bell at a makeshift schoolhouse rang in celebration.

SAN JOSÉ MINE, Chile — They wept, they cheered, sirens blared and a bell at a makeshift schoolhouse rang in celebration.

After nearly two months of waiting, the moment had finally arrived.

At 8:05 a.m. on Saturday, here in a camp in this scorching desert, a powerful drill pierced through abrasive volcanic rock to reach 33 miners trapped nearly a half a mile underground since Aug. 5. Family members erupted into cheers. They ran downhill toward the site

Family members erupted into cheers. They ran downhill toward the site with flags, some singing the Chilean national anthem. A victorious call rang out: “Viva Chilean miners!”
It was a crucial moment in the long and torturous effort to rescue the men, who have been surviving on supplies lowered down to them more than 2,050 feet below the surface.

Reaching this stage required an extraordinary international effort and pioneering rescue techniques to plow through thousands of feet of rock while not compromising the miners’ safety. Chilean officials brought in advisers from NASA, created a special rescue capsule and even fed the trapped miners cylindrical pies specially baked to fit down a narrow hole.

But the ordeal is far from over and even now, the miners’ rescue is likely to be days away, with the actual extraction beginning late Monday at the earliest.

Read entire article

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Chilean Miners Could Soon Be Above Ground

Good news for the trapped miners. According to the article below, Chile’s government hopes to have the group out of the collapsed mine later this month after initially saying it would take until Christmas. There are three drills working to reach them and they are making good time. I'm sure that to the men trapped below, every hour saved is precious.    . . . June


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Chilean miners could see light soon:
Eyewitness News: South African construction giant Murray and Roberts said its drill will break through to a group of trapped Chilean miners within the next few days.

After that, the hole left by the pilot drill will be widened to a 70cm diameter to allow a special capsule to pull the 33 men to surface.

The miners are stuck 700 metres underground and are waiting as three separate drills are boring their way down to rescue them.

Fresh reports have said Chile’s government hopes to have the group out of the collapsed mine later this month after initially saying it would take until Christmas.

Murray and Roberts said while the other two drills may well reach the miners earlier, their rescue shaft will not be ready before mid-November. 


The company’s Ed Jardim said, “Our drills are currently 600 metres down of the 700 and that’s the pilot hole. 

Thereafter we’ll start widening the hole to its full diameter. We expect that our pilot hole will break through in the next few days, maybe in a week or 10 days.”



The miners have been trapped underground for two months and are reportedly exercising to stay fit and prepare for their rescue.

Read More

Monday, September 27, 2010

Rescue Capsule 'Phoenix" Arrives at The Mine

One of the rescue capsules has arrived at the Chilean mine according to the following article.The capsule is 21 inches wide and contains tanks of air, a microphone for communications, and equipment to monitor the miner's heart rate and breathing as they are raised to the surface. Both the families and the miners themselves are reminded that their nightmare will eventually end.
    . . . June


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'Phoenix' capsule arrives to rescue Chilean miners
Telegraph:

The first of three rescue capsules, named Phoenix, arrived at the mine on Saturday.

'We have called it Phoenix because I think it will bring about a rebirth of the miners, and a new life for them,' said mining minister Laurence Golborne.

The miners have been trapped 2,257 feet underground since August 5 when the roof of the mine collapsed.
They were discovered alive and well 17 days later, and rescuers have been drilling to reach them since August 31.

Families gathered at Camp Hope, high in the Atacama Desert, applauded and chanted "Viva Chile!" as the six foot high metal cage was unveiled.

"It is what we have all been waiting for," said Elizabeth Segovia, sister of one of the trapped miners.

"Of course we know that there will be difficulties, but now everything will be much easier."

The 420kg capsule, painted in the colours of the Chilean flag, is 21 inches wide and contains tanks of air, a microphone for communications, and equipment to monitor the miner's heart rate and breathing as they are raised to the surface.

Cristina Nunez, wife of trapped miner Claudio Yanez, climbed into the cage and said: "I'm very happy.

Claudio will fit inside perfectly because he's one of the skinnier ones. But all 33 will fit fine. This bring us a step closer to the rescue."

Engineers in charge of drilling to rescue the miners believe that they are likely to be reached in early November.

Read entire article . . .

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Chile Mine Company collapses With The Collapse of the Mine

In today's economy, it is perfectly understandable that the mine company might not be able to withstand all of the expenses necessary to pay for the recovery of the miners and all of the other incurred expenses. The mine company has had its assets frozen after declaring its bankruptcy. The miners still underground now have the problem of unemployment when they return.
   . . . June


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Mine collapse in Chile heralds collapse of company:
Albuquerque Express Saturday 25th September, 2010
 
While 33 Chilean miners remain trapped 2,000 feet underground, the mine that they work for has had its assets frozen after declaring itself bankrupt.

The mining company San Esteban buckled following the collapse of the main access tunnel of the copper and gold mine in which the men are trapped, but was already over US$10 million in debt by that point

Now, the Chilean government wants the mine to pay for the multi-million dollar rescue operations and pay the miners’ salaries.

An appraiser has been asked to step in and assess the company’s assets in order to determine whether it should be allowed bankruptcy protection.

Meanwhile, the rescue of the miners is on track despite a recent technical malfunction, according to Rene Aguilar, a leading engineer on the rescue team.

One of the Schramm T-130 drills sent down to bore a hole large enough for the trapped miners to be pulled up has broken down at a depth of 147 metres.

Aguiler told the BBC that part of the drill’s hammer had broken off, but reassured the miners’ families that work would resume later in the day.

Officials are still looking at early November as the rescue deadline, more than a month earlier than the Christmas timeframe initially suggested.

Read more . . .

Thursday, September 16, 2010

US Drilling Experts Help to free Chilean miners

U.S. drilling experts help trapped miners


 The article below shows the real compassion that is felt for the trapped miners in Chile. "We have got humans in the ground. It doesn't matter if they are Americans or Chileans," Brandon Fisher said Monday in his first interview since arriving in Chile eight days earlier. Fisher and a small crew of American drillers are one of the three drilling teams racing to rescue 33 trapped miners buried 2,300 feet below the ground.
    . . . June

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American team helping to free Chilean miners
CNN.com: By Patrick Oppmann September 15, 2010

At the San Jose Mine, Chile (CNN) -- Brandon Fisher has the deep orange hue of someone who has a sunburn on top of a sunburn. The creases under his eyes are evidence of how little sleep he has had lately.

Fisher and a small crew of American drillers are the tip of the spear for Plan B, one of the three drilling teams racing to rescue 33 trapped miners buried 2,300 feet below the ground.

It's a high pressure assignment expected to continue for months in Chile's remote and unforgiving Atacama Desert

Fisher's crew has been working around the clock for more than a week. Despite the grueling schedule, he said he's up for the challenge.

"We have got humans in the ground. It doesn't matter if they are Americans or Chileans," Fisher said Monday in his first interview since arriving in Chile eight days earlier.

"We have the ability to help them out, and that's the whole reason we are here. Miners are miners; it doesn't matter what country they are from."

Fisher is based in Berlin, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the state's mining country thousands of miles from Chile. His company, Center Rock Inc., aided in the rescue of nine miners who were trapped for more than four days after the 2002 collapse of the Quecreek Mine.

He has drilled oil, gas and water holes and the foundations for the Trump Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

Read on . . .

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Rescue Capsule for Chile Miners only 21ins wide

 The Chile miners will have to climb into a narrow cylindrical pod for the journey to the surface. According to the article below, the steel rescue cage will have an external diameter of just 21 inches and a reinforced roof to protect its passenger against any rocks or debris. This week the miners started an exercise regime to ensure they are kept slim enough to fit into the capsule.
   . . . June


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Chile miners: engineers unveil 21ins wide rescue capsule
Telegraph: Fiona Govan Published: 4:22PM BST 14 Sep 2010

After enduring what is expected to be between three and four months trapped within the San Jose mine the men will have to climb into a narrow cylindrical pod for the ascent - a journey that will take at least an hour.

A technical team from the Chile's Navy will start constructing the bullet-shaped chamber so it is ready when one of three drilling efforts finally bores through the solid rock to create a shaft wide enough to raise the men, who have been trapped since the mine collapsed on August 5.

The steel rescue cage will have an external diameter of just 54 cms (21 inches) and a reinforced roof to protect its passenger against any rocks or debris that may be dislodged during the journey to the surface.
This week the miners started an exercise regime to ensure they are kept slim enough to fit into the capsule.
The men, who will be raised one by one in an operation expected to last several days, will be strapped into the chamber in a harness that will keep them in a secure standing position even if they faint.

A guidance system using wheels to guide it up the shaft should help minimise friction and video link will allow rescuers to communicate with the miner throughout the ascent.

The 2.5m (8ft 2in) long capsule will also be provided with an oxygen supply and a special lighting system and will include an escape hatch and a safety device that the passenger can use to lower himself back to the starting point should it get stuck along the way up.

The device was designed by a naval technical team at the Maestranzas shipyard on the specific orders of Chile's president Sebastian Piñera.

Read on . . .

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Giant Drill Arrives at Chile mine

A truck carrying pieces of the third
drill that will be used in the... 
((AP Photo/Aliosha Marquez))


 The officials are busy drilling down some rescue shafts through the solid rock to their location. A huge oil drilling machine has just arrived at the site to start a third rescue shaft. It's still going to take a long time to reach them. In the meantime, the men are now allowed cigaretes and they are regularly speaking to their families.
   . . . June



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Giant drill at Chile mine greeted with cheers
Yahoo! News:

COPIAPO, Chile (AFP) – Scores of flatbed trucks began unloading a huge oil drilling machine Friday to dig a third rescue tunnel to 33 trapped miners, as one drill was nearly one-third of the way down and another lay idle for repairs.

The families of the trapped miners cheered and waved flags as they welcomed the first of 42 trucks that rolled in around 8:30 am (1230 GMT).

'These trucks are enormous,' marveled Maria, sister of trapped miner Dario Segovia. 'We were up all night here in the camp waiting for them.'

Several of the six-axle trucks limped in with flat tires, a result of driving to the mine on a steep hillside dirt road filled with potholes and sharp rocks.

Their arrival was delayed as excavators and bulldozers had to broaden the entrance to the San Jose mine near Copiapo, a city some 800 kilometers north of Santiago, to accommodate the giant trucks.

The trapped miners have become national heroes since they were found alive on August 22, 17 days after a mine cave-in in the remote Atacama desert. The miners are trapped some 700 meters (2,300 feet)
below the surface.

However euphoria over their discovery was dampened by news it could take months, possibly until Christmas, to drill a shaft to rescue the miners.

Rescuers are dropping food and water down narrow shafts to the miners to keep them alive, along with medicines and games to keep them healthy and occupied.

One of the delivery shafts Friday was fitted with a multi-use conduit reaching all the way down to the miners' shelter, providing them with permanent supplies of oxygen, water, and a telephone line.

"Now they can speak by telephone via the conduct," the lead engineer in the rescue effort, Andres Sougarret, told reporters Friday.

The trucks bringing the new equipment, designed to drill oil wells and operated by Canada's Precision Drilling, arrived from Iquique in waves because the camp work zone is too small to park them all together.

The giant drill "RIG-422" they were bringing can tunnel up to 2,000 meters below the surface at a speed -- depending on the density of the ground -- of between 20 and 40 meters a day, according to Chilean officials.
Officials have dubbed the effort "Plan C," and if all goes according to schedule workers will drill down just 597 meters (1,958 feet), shortening the rescue time to perhaps two months.

Read on . . .

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Film About Trapped Miners Planned by Chilean Director

 It was just a matter of time. What a premise for a movie! 33 trapped miners underground for months with their individual stories and motivations. Wow! To make it even better, the director plans to donate the profits to finance the education of the miners' children.
     . . . June


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Chilean director to make film on trapped miners:

2010-09-08 08:40:00  SIFY News

Chilean director Rodrigo Ortuzar has announced that he is planning to make a film on the 33 miners trapped for a month in the country and that he will donate the profits to finance the education of the miners' children.

'All the money that is collected, all of it, not a percentage, all the money that is collected at the box office in Chile is going to go directly to a foundation that is going to be in charge of looking out for the education of the miners' children,' Ortuzar told Radio Cooperativa.

With the aim of 'observing to later recreate', Ortuzar is using two cameras to film the day to day activities at 'Camp Hope', set up by the families of the men trapped at the San Jose mine, some 830 km north of Santiago.

This weekend he will travel to the mine to discuss with the relatives of the miners about the project, which he has already discussed with writer Hernan Rivera Letelier.

The director said that the film, tentatively titled 'Los 33' (The 33), will focus more 'on the human side', although it will not exclude other angles, like for example the safety failings at the mine and 'how companies make stacks of money'.

'This is the first Chilean tragedy with a happy ending up to this point,' Ortuzar said.

Read on . . .


Monday, September 6, 2010

Chilean Miners Are Rebelling!

It's going to be a long haul underground if the men are already rebelling. According to the article below, they are not following orders and are rejecting food deliveries. I pray that they can get themselves working together before someone just goes off the deep end and hurts someone..
    . . . June


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Miners rebel against living restrictions
The Irish Times - Mon, Sep 06, 2010:JONATHAN FRANKLIN at the San Jose mine, Chile

THE CHILEAN miners trapped in a collapsed mine shaft are starting to rebel against restrictions imposed by their government as they enter their second month below ground.

Family members said the 33 men had protested that the government was censoring letters and restricting information to them during a video conference at the weekend. The miners have also shown increasing independence in recent days as they rejected one food delivery of peaches and continued to drive vehicles around the mine tunnels 700m below ground, disregarding orders not to do so. They are also increasingly vehement in their demands for wine and cigarettes.

Family members said the miners were angry because they had not received much mail. “He totally cursed me out, they are not sending the letters to him,” said the son of trapped miner Victor Zamora. “He is going to blow up down there.” “It is a big problem that they are not getting the letters,” said the nephew of miner Jose Ojeda. “They are very angry.”

Luis Urzua, the leader of the miners, told rescue officials on Saturday that failure to deliver the letters was a major cause of discontent among the trapped men.

Government officials told family members that only letters with positive messages will be delivered. But rescue officials promised to streamline the postal service and create a central log for letters sent and received.

Read On . . .

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Unique challenge For Chilean Miners. Stay Slim For Rescue.

One challenge is that in order for the miners must fit through a rescue hole they must be no more than 45 inches around the waist. Exercise programs are in place for this. Also, NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez said that the space agency, with its long research on aiding astronauts isolated in space, could help the Chileans understand how to provide "psychological support for those trapped
   . .  June

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Chile faces unique challenge in maintaining miners  
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010

: "COPIAPO, Chile -- In less than a week the 33 miners trapped under Chile's Atacama Desert will have been stuck underground longer than any others in memory - taxing authorities Thursday with unique challenges on coaxing them and their families through the ordeal.
A team of submarine commanders was called in for advice on close-quarters living. NASA is advising on 'life sciences' and giving the men a sense they control their own destinies. Exercise programs are in place so the miners are skinny enough to fit through a rescue hole.

Even a masseuse roams a makeshift camp for the miners' families, relieving tensions with a touch.
All in an effort to confront the unique challenges being faced by all involved to bring the miners out alive.

Extreme patience is seen with each new day that breaks over Camp Hope - where the families of the miners have erected tents, awaiting their loved ones - but there are high expectations for results.

Read More

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Now Drilling Begins in The Chilean Mine Rescue

The brave men underground in the Chilean Mine Cave-in will have to have lots of patience and stamina to face the challenges ahead. The rescue efforts are starting up and could take months to complete, and keeping their spirits up in that time becomes a priority. More on those efforts in the article below.
   . . . June


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Drilling Begins in Chile Mine Rescue
Published: August 31, 2010  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

"SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) -- The effort to save 33 Chilean men trapped deep in a mine is an unprecedented challenge, mining safety experts said Tuesday. It means months of drilling, then a harrowing three-hour trip in a cage up a narrow hole carved through solid rock.

If all of that is successful, the freed men will emerge from the earth and ''feel born again,'' said an American miner who was part of a group dramatically rescued in 2002 with similar techniques. But that rescue pulled men from a spot only one-tenth as deep."

''They're facing the most unusual rescue that has ever been dealt with,'' said Dave Feickert, director of KiaOra, a mine safety consulting firm in New Zealand that has worked to improve China's dangerous mines. ''Every one of these rescues presents challenging issues. But this one is unique.''

First, engineers must use a 31-ton drill to create a ''pilot'' hole from the floor of the Atacama Desert down 2,200 feet (700 meters) to the area in the San Jose mine where the men wait.

Then, the drill must be fitted with a larger bit to carve out a rescue chimney that will be about 26 inches (66 centimeters) wide -- a task that means guiding the drill through solid rock while keeping the drill rod from snapping or getting bogged down as it nears its target.

Finally, the men must be brought up one at a time inside a specially built cage -- a trip that will take three hours each. Just hauling the men up will itself -- if there are no problems -- take more than four days.

''Nothing of this magnitude has happened before; it's absolutely unheard of,'' said Alex Gryska, a mine rescue manager with the Canadian government.

Read More . . .

Monday, August 30, 2010

Trapped Chilean Miner Proposes To His Sweetheart

This is about as romantic as it gets! With the world watching, Esteban Rojes, buried deep underground in the collapsed Chilean mine, scribbled his proposal on a scrap of paper. “When I get out, let’s buy the dress and we’ll get married.”

Of course, the delighted bride-to-be- Jessica said "YES"
   . . . June

Trapped Chilean miner proposes to sweetheart
Mumbai Mirror: Posted On Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 04:23:35 AM
One of the 33 Chilean miners stuck deep underground awaiting rescue has popped the question to his childhood sweetheart in a handwritten note.


Romantic Esteban Rojas, 44, scribbled his proposal on a scrap of paper from where he is buried 700 metres underground.


In the note to Jessica Ganiez, he wrote: “When I get out, let’s buy the dress and we’ll get married.”


Trapped miners are receiving handwritten notes sent to them through three small bore holes.

On Sunday night, a delighted Jessica, 43, spoke of her joy at finally being asked to tie the knot after 25 years together. Speaking to Daily Mirror, she said: “I thought he was never going to ask me. We have talked about it before, but he never asked me. I think it is a good idea.”

She added: “I have tried to hint at it many times, but it never happened. He always said getting married is a once in a lifetime thing and he would ask me when the time is best. Obviously, what has happened has made him do it.”

The couple are registered civil partners but have never had a church wedding. Now Jessica has told friends and family she will set up a wedding gift register with a fridge and a cooker at the top of the list.

This week Jessica, who began dating Esteban in her teens, will get to speak him on the phone for the first time after a communication link was set up Sunday.


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Friday, August 27, 2010

The Story of One Chili Mine Disaster Family

There are many stories associated with the Chili Mine disaster. Each of the trapped miners has a family waiting for him, but this one family have already had a disaster behind them. 

Read their story in the article below.
   . . . June


Chilean family survives quake, faces mine collapse
By BRADLEY BROOKS, Associated Press Writer Bradley Brooks, Associated Press Writer

COPIAPO, Chile – Carola Narvaez breathed in the Atacama Desert's cold dawn air and slowly began to exhale the story of how her family survived a devastating earthquake and worked to rebuild their lives — only for her husband to end up trapped deep inside a Chilean mine.

A tale of two disasters, Narvaez's account embodies the challenges still faced by the poor in Chile despite two decades as Latin America's economic darling. It is a story of incredible misfortune, unwavering faith and a love she said has only been strengthened by adversity.

Narvaez's husband, Raul Bustos, is a heavy-machinery mechanic whose skills have always been in demand. For years he has made a living repairing the equipment that rips copper, the lifeblood of Chile's economy, out of the earth, or helping build massive ships in ports along the nation's 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometer) coastline.

Six months ago Friday, the family was living in the port city of Talcahuano, 300 miles (500 kilometers) south of the capital, where Raul was working for Chilean shipbuilder Asmar.

Like most Chileans, the couple were sound asleep when one of the most powerful earthquakes registered in a century struck the central coast Feb. 27.

What the earthquake did not knock down, the tsunami it triggered washed away. While the family's home survived, ships in Asmar's yards were pushed into the street and the builder's operations destroyed.

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Trapped Chilean Miners Face a Very Tough Ordeal

Being a miner has to be a hard enough job - going down into a mine, but when something like this happens, they're faced with a prolonged stay underground. Miners train for a lot of things, but it's hard to prepare for something like this. The article below tells more about their plight
    . . June


Trapped Chilean Miners Face a Tough Psychological Ordeal - Yahoo! News:

There's almost nothing about the plight of the Chilean miners trapped beneath nearly half a mile of rock in the Atacama Desert that doesn't horrify us. There's the crowding - 33 men confined in a 600-sq.-ft. safety chamber smaller than a one-bedroom apartment. There's the heat - a stagnant 90 degrees F relieved only by a thin trickle of fresh air that makes it down through a narrow ventilation pipe. There's the gloom - a near total blackness relieved only by the flashlights on the men's helmets. Worst of all, there's the calendar: the miners face up to four more months of such confinement before a rescue tunnel can be drilled and they can be pulled to safety. That kind of ordeal, we say, would drive any of us nuts - and we're right; it probably would.

Live entombment holds a particular terror for all human beings, and miners are no exception. They may habituate themselves to darkness and heat and very tight spaces, but when the system breaks down - when there's no prospect of re-emerging into the light after a 10-hour shift - their minds can break too. And the longer they're below, the worse the damage may be. (See how the miners survived the first 17 days of their ordeal.)

"Miners train for a lot of things, but it's hard to prepare for something like this," says Dennis O'Dell, director of occupational safety and health for the United Mine Workers of America and a veteran of 20 years in the mines himself. "They're taught first to have a route of escape. It's only when that fails that you have to think of taking shelter."

Chilean officials are being roundly criticized for the shabby state of the mine and the poor safety record that led to the Aug. 5 collapse - but they're also getting a lot of kudos for the way they've responded since, particularly the attention they've paid to the emotional welfare of the imprisoned men and their families. Ever since the miners were located after a 17-day search of the maze of subterranean shafts, officials have been reaching out to psychologists, family counselors and even NASA doctors, who know better than most about how people endure long periods of confinement far away from loved ones.

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