[Pirate Pal]

Let me try to clear some things up....

My father was vice president and president of 2 major mines in WV. He has known Ben Hatfield for some 30 years +. Ben is a very good, honest man. His company just bought this mines from Anker Mining 2 months ago. He was not the one who informed the families of the miners being alive. The information came from a mine foreman that was standing at the porthole or main opening of the mines who did not hear all of the information coming from the rescue workers and took it upon himself to call a person in the church and say that all 12 were found alive. The word spread quickly throughout the church. The command center released no information of anykind to anyone. I do think that the families should have been informed of the mistake as soon as the command center received the confirmation 20 minutes later that all but 1 was dead. It is now being reported by a person that was in the church that someone in a red cross vest was the one who said that the men would be coming straight to the church.



My grandfather was a miner, my father was a miner for over 35 years and now is a coal buyer for Power Companies, but most importantly, my husband is a Chief Electrician in the mines. He became a miner at the age of 18. He has 18 years experience in the mines. He goes underground everyday. He and my dad have more knowledge of mines than anyone I know. Like I said, my dad worked his way up in the mines from the bottom to the top.

This accident was one that is no one's fault. You can't predict what will happen when you enter a mines. Every miner knows this. If the fire boss calls out that the mine levels are safe, then you can bet that it was safe to enter the mines that day. If the explosion came from an adjacent shaft that had been mined out and sealed (which is being speculated about on the news) then it was probable that the gas was contained in that shaft and that a roof collapse in the sealed shaft led to the explosion. This would happen if 2 metal roof bolts had come together and caused a spark when the roof collapsed. I don't know, but that is just one possible theory.

I think that the media has once again blown things out of proportion and ignited a lot of the blame game for their own ratings.

I pray for the families of the miners who lost their lives. I pray for the families of every miner that goes into the mines to work everyday. I pray that everyone will quit trying to point fingers and remember that nothing can bring back the loved ones lost in that tragic accident. I pray that the healing will begin.