Image: Class Warfare

The Moon, Berlin and A Mine In Chile

Today is the 5th anniversary of the rescue of the 33 miners in Chile.  The following was what I wrote at that time:

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For some reason — perhaps because of some disasters during my youth in England and Wales — I have been fascinated by mines and underground catastrophes for decades.  It was natural, therefore, that my interest was piqued when the miners were located alive 50 days ago.  In another medium, I have been posting stories throughout the weeks.  When the Fenix craft went down for the first time yesterday and the Chilean authorities released streaming video from underground, I was hooked and have watched it always continually since then, my tears flowing with each rescue.

The 33rd miner, shift leader Luis Urzua has now been rescued and this extraordinary Chilean triumph has been completed in less than twenty four hours.

I’m truly fascinated by every detail here, but those images from the underground gallery as the Fenix emerged into sight are truly incredible.  It looks like nothing so much as a cheapo Sci Fi from the 1950s. And yet it worked, over and over again.

The rescue won’t be fully completed until the six rescuers who braved the trip down are back on the surface. My fingers are still firmly crossed until then.

In 1969 I watched the first landing on the moon, and in 1989 the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Now, twenty years on, I have another of these extraordinarily magic positive moments.  Bravo Chile! Bravo miners!