SOMERSET —
“We’re glad to see they all got out alive,” said John Kelly of Latrobe as he, his wife, Delores, and two of their grandchildren toured the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site on Saturday afternoon.
The Kellys just missed an estimated 300 people who were at the site earlier Saturday as the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation hosted the eighth anniversary of the miraculous rescue of nine trapped miners - all alive - after being trapped in the flooded coal mine 200 feet below Bill Arnold’s dairy farm for four days in July 2002.
“We’ve been here four times,” Delores Kelly said.
On their latest visit Saturday, they brought with them Michael Kelly, 11, and Logan Kelly, 8. The children are the sons of Sean Kelly, a coal miner from Wheeling, W.Va., and the elder Kellys’ son.
As they were preparing to leave the Quecreek site, John Kelly said the family was heading to visit the nearby Flight 93 crash site.
This year the Quecreek rescue is linking with the tragic crash of Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, which represents the extremes of our human experience, said Arnold. Both happened in Somerset County just months apart, he added.
Arnold said U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown, was among those at the anniversary celebration. He was one of the rescue workers at Quecreek during those harrowing four days and was an assistant to the late congressman John Murtha, who died in February. Critz was elected to fill Murtha’s unexpired term.
Critz’s cell phone was one of the few that worked at the Quecreek site, Arnold recalled. He said he asked the congressman to bring it to the rescue site to be included with the hundreds of other exhibits there.
Tom Foy and Blaine Mayhugh, two of the rescued miners, attended Saturday’s event.
The rescue site is off Route 985 in Lincoln Township.
Arnold said the exterior of the new educational visitors center was completed Friday evening. Hopes are to have the interior done by the July 2011 anniversary, he said.
The visitors center now is housed in a temporary facility not far from the center under construction. The new facility will have two floors. Arnold estimated its cost at $1 million.
There is no charge to visit the site, but donations are accepted. Arnold said his family makes no money from the visitors.
The center is visited by 10,000 to 15,000 people each year. The visits began just after the miners were rescued and continue to this day, Arnold said.
Arnold continues to operate his farm in addition to his other projects.
Jeff Reinbold, project site coordinator for Flight 93, presented an overview of plans for the Flight 93 Historic Site on Saturday morning before the Quecreek anniversary celebration.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Bill Arnold raises a new flag Saturday at the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site on his farm. Dave Lloyd
Discussion
Mine rescue site marks 8th year
- Local News
-
-
Proposed bill would expand use of traffic-light cameras
Some call it the hand of “big brother,” others are convinced cameras at signal lights would be effective in curbing red-light runners and ultimately saving lives.
-
Minister's trial date set
An issue has been resolved over the report from an examination of a girl allegedly taken by her mother to a Bedford motel to have sex with a traveling minister, clearing the way for a trial.
-
AP: Almost half of new veterans seek disability
America’s newest veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate, claiming to be the most medically and mentally troubled generation of former troops the nation has ever seen.
-
Geistown beginning crime watch program
Residents will patrol Geistown streets in the coming weeks as part of a community watch program.
-
Persons of the Week: Nanty Glo vets will remember fallen comrades
Michael Kurtz, Tom Kasecky and Steve Kasecky will be among members of the Loy A. Douglass Post 3489 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Nanty Glo who will be honoring fallen veterans today, Memorial Day.
-
AG candidates face potential conflicts of interest
Both candidates for Pennsylvania attorney general have family ties that could pose a conflict of interest for the one who is elected as the state’s next chief legal officer.
-
Lawmakers: Capitol rallies unpersuasive
Nancy Richey stepped to the podium with a microphone at the Capitol rotunda with the hope that the right people would hear her message.
-
Richland closer to new chief
The search for Richland’s next police chief is winding down.
-
In brief: Thunderstorm downs trees, knocks out power
A late Sunday afternoon thunderstorm brought high winds, hard rain and hail to the Cambria-Somerset region.
- District Deaths May 28, 2012
- More Local News Headlines
-
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
