Gill looked at the massive drilling rigs sitting idle in the yard. "Yes," he said. "That's exactly what we’ll do."
The first miner—a frail old man—was strapped into the capsule. Gill signaled the winch operator. The capsule rose. One foot. Ten feet. Fifty feet. Then it jammed.
The plan was insane. Drill a 40-inch-wide vertical shaft through solid rock, directly into the air pocket where the men were huddled. Then, lower a steel "rescue capsule"—a crude, cylindrical cage barely big enough for one man—and haul them up one by one.
Gill looked at the massive drilling rigs sitting idle in the yard. "Yes," he said. "That's exactly what we’ll do."
The first miner—a frail old man—was strapped into the capsule. Gill signaled the winch operator. The capsule rose. One foot. Ten feet. Fifty feet. Then it jammed.
The plan was insane. Drill a 40-inch-wide vertical shaft through solid rock, directly into the air pocket where the men were huddled. Then, lower a steel "rescue capsule"—a crude, cylindrical cage barely big enough for one man—and haul them up one by one.