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A reporter goes in for a look and comes out with new respect

Monday, August 20, 2007 1:55 AM CDT

"You can't appreciate what miners do until you've been underground."

This quote, or one similar to it, came up in every interview I conducted for a series of articles on the coal mining industry.

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View a slideshow of Adam's tour of the mines.

Photos by Steve Jahnke | Audio by Adam Testa | Produced by Caleb Hale

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I had the opportunity Thursday to realize the truth behind it.

Southern Illinoisan photographer Steve Jahnke and I had the opportunity toured the Prairie Eagle mine in Perry County with representatives from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Office of Coal Development and Knight Hawk Coal LLC, the company that owns and operates the mine.

Prairie Eagle offers a unique experience to visitors like us because three different types of mining operations take place at the site. Knight Hawk operates the land as a surface mine, an underground mine and a highwall mine.

Before heading 100 feet beneath the surface into the underground mine, we had to prepare.

We put on steel-toed boots, hardhats and belts equipped with an emergency oxygen tank and a battery for the light on top of the hardhat.

We watched a training video detailing mine safety and explaining the emergency exit system.

Cables are placed throughout the mine with cone-shaped markers on them. When running your hand along the cable looking for an emergency exit, if your hand glides over the cone, you are moving in the right direction; if your hand hits the flat circular end, you are headed in the wrong direction.

After suiting up with mining gear, we piled into the cart that took us into the mine. The cart is low to the ground, and with the heavy equipment around my waist, it was somewhat difficult to get in and out of. Being 6 feet tall with limited leg room between seats didn't help any either.

Riding into the mine, we could feel the temperature dropping. The reported temperature in the mine was 58 degrees.

One surprise for many of the people on our tour was that the walls of the mine were not black. Instead, they appeared to be an off-white color, which is attributed to the rock and limestone dust covering the walls and the floor.

Seeing the mining equipment in action was an interesting experience.

We went to the area where a mine employee was operating with a handheld remote control a piece of equipment called a continuous miner. In the past, the operator sat in a seat at the back of the machine, but the technological changes have made the job safer.

The continuous miner tore into the wall of the mine, throwing dust into the air. The coal it was extracting was then filtered into a transport truck, which holds 13 tons of coal, and hauled to conveyor belts in the mine. Dale Winters, underground mine manager, said the typical time to fill a transport truck is 35 seconds.

Upon exiting the mine, I realized that any possible fear going into the trip was unwarranted. The system set up under the ground is quite a sight to see, and the operations seemed to be running smoothly.

However, while riding out of the mine, I couldn't help but think of the tragedies that happen at mines, such as the current rescue efforts in the Utah mine.

After having the opportunity to see an underground mining operation in action, I have realized how tragic these events really are. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be trapped underground, especially for an extended period of time.

The men and women who work in the mining industry deserve our praise. The job they do is a necessary one, but it's also very dangerous, potentially putting their lives on the line on a daily basis. I, for one, have a newfound respect for these workers.

If you ever have the opportunity to tour a mine yourself, put your fears aside and take advantage of the possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

adam.testa@thesouthern.com / 351-5031