Tank's Poetry
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united states mine rescue association
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Tank's Poetry |
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From the Google News Archives:  (news links open in a separate window)
Description: A roof-fall accident occurred in the barrier pillar between the active 2 right, 1 west and abandoned 1 right, 1 west sections. Two men, a section foreman and loading machine operator, were killed instantly. A brattice man was so severely injured that he died on June 13, 1971. A roof bolter also suffered back injuries. Successful Rescue As a result of a roof fall, two miners were injured and rescued from the clogged section of an underground tunnel which is 700 feet deep and a mile and a half back in the Eastern Associated Coal Company's Federal No. 2 mine. Also injured and recovered from the mine were Robert Lee Strakal, 24, of Cassville, and Steven Shuman, 29, of Fairmont. Shuman died the next day from his injuries. Marion Mine Roof Fall Kills Two; Four Escape Charleston Gazette, West Virginia June 12, 1971 Two other men were injured and rescued from the clogged section of an underground tunnel which is 700 feet deep and a mile and a half back in the Eastern Associated Coal Company's Federal No. 2 mine. "We don't know what happened," said J. J. Higgins, vice president for personnel for Eastern. "State and federal inspectors have been in the mine almost since the accident happened, and I'm sure they're working to determine a cause." Killed in the roof fall which occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. were Don Lavelle, 41, of Mannington, and Richard McCauley, 43, of Cassville in Monongalia County. Lavelle, a foreman and 10-year mining veteran, and McCauley, a loading machine operator and 11-year veteran of underground mines, were part of a crew of six working in the section of the coal mine where the roof fall occurred. Two of the six men working in the crew escaped from the mine immediately after the roof fall, C. V. Zickafoose, manager of Eastern's northern division, said. Injured and recovered from the mine were Robert Lee Strakal, 24, of Cassville, and Steven Shuman, 29, of Fairmont. After submitting to surgery for leg and abdominal injuries, Shuman was reported in serious condition in a Morgantown hospital. Strakal is reported in good condition in the same hospital. By 6 a.m. officials reported that rescue crews composed of area miners and directed by state and federal officials entered the giant mine and began searching for the three trapped men. By 7:30 a.m. voice contact had been made with Shuman. Two hours later the crews reached Shuman and ferried him to the surface where he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. For more than an hour after that no word came from underground about the fate of the remaining two men as families and miners established the traditional gathering which surrounds coal mines stricken by disaster. Shortly after 11 a.m. a mine foreman appeared and said, "They're both dead." Company officials said the roof fall was the first fatal accident at the mine since it opened five years ago. They declined to speculate about possible causes. |
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