Cape Breton's Magazine

I think we decided that it was best if he didn't continue on with the rescue opera? tion. At that time he was relieved from further underground duties. We knew at that point, I think, what we were going to be up against. We knew that any further travel into the mine was going to be worse than anything we'd done so far. We knew what was going to have to be done in order to get into the north mains. And we then talked about ways of getting into the north mains as safe as possible. And went back to the hotel and prepared for the next day. (Announcer: As a team leader George Muise knew that the safety of his men was his biggest responsibility. But getting the job done as well as it could be done was his biggest motivation. That motivation would drive his team further into the mine than any other.... Eleven bodies had been recov? ered, but the massive destruction under? ground blocked any real progress toward reaching the other fifteen victims of the blast. By this time the dragermen were con? sidered heroes to the public. But to keep himself going, George tried to ignore that.) George: The schoolkids up there wrote a lot of cards, and big poster, and everything else. Just hundreds of cards came in, wishing us good luck and all that sort of stuff, and saying that we're heroes and all this here. These cards were plastered all over the mine. And I went over and I started to read one card. And that's when it first started to bother me. It kind of then, kind of--I couldn't treat it as something that--it was real then. So I kind of had to get away from that. And I didn't look at any of the other cards un? til after everything was over. (Announcer: By Monday night rescue teams had already searched for 24 hours for a way into Westray's north mains. That's the working area of the mine with three en? trances, all more than one mile under? ground. Conditions were more dangerous than any of the dragermen had ever seen. Rocks fell constantly. Rock falls blocked their way. And down there they worked with only the light from their helmets. They breathed their own exhaled breath, replen? ished with oxygen they carried on their backs. Underground, some of the men grew shaky. There were several long hold-ups, reported as equipment problems. (George Muise's new team was now one of the advance units. On Monday night it joined a second team to try to reach the north mains through a hole another team had found.) lA'el'ome to your home azuay from fiorml These signs invite you to come make new friends and experience a unique way to enjoy Cape Breton's famed hospitality. For more information contact: Tourism Distribution Centre P.O. 60x1448 Sydney, N. S. B1P6R7 1 -800-565-9464 (Bienvenue cfiez nous! Aux etablissements arborant ces enseignes, vous trouverez des hotes chaleureux qui vous feront decouvrir I'hospitalite legendaire du Cap-Breton. Pour de plus amples renseignements, s'addresser au: Centre de distribution des informations touristiques C. P. 1448, Sydney, (N.'.) B1P6R7 A program of: Une initiative de: 1-800-565-9464 Enterprise Societe Cape Breton d'expansion Corporation du Cap-Breton George: We came prepared. We brought a 15-foot long ladder with us that we were going to use to go down through the hole in the arches. On the way down to 11 crosscut, we had an area of water--the water was roughly three feet deep. We had to wade through that ice-cold water. Floating in the water were the chuck blocks--other pieces of wood that were used for roof supports. And it just made travelling through the water very difficult. It was very hard to push your way through. We had to be sure that we didn't fall in be? cause, if a team ever did fall in and got their machine wet, then that team would have to retreat. We managed to get through the water which was about 300 or 400 feet long. We got into the bottom of the fall at Number 11 crosscut on 1 deep. There we went under oxygen. At that point, Glenn Jones, myself, and Jay Dooley decided that we would go over the brake service drums & rotors resurfaced 2 &4 wheel alignment including 1-ton trucfis and motor homes computerized engine analysis and tune up (DISCO TIRE only) UlSCU TIRCltd 539-4070 CANSO TIRE PORT HAWKESBURY LTD. 625-3125