Arnold Farm Rescue Site Today - Rescue Shaft is in the Circle of Stones

Public interest in visiting the site where nine miners were rescued from the Quecreek Mine two years ago continues to grow, according to Bill Arnold the owner of Dormel Farms where the rescue took place.

“The rescue was a miracle, there’s no other way to describe it,” said Arnold. “People from all over the world have come to learn about the rescue, what coal mining is all about and how everyone worked together to save the lives of the miners.”

On July 24, 2002 miners broke through into an abandoned, water-filled mine flooding the Quecreek Mine with over 50 million gallons of water. Nine miners scrambled to safety, but nine were trapped in a pocket of air in the dark, cold, water-filled mine. They were rescued four days later through the combined efforts of state and federal mine rescue agencies and hundreds of workers.

“The first year after the rescue we were overwhelmed by all the interest—we just ran a dairy farm before all this” said Arnold. “We are grateful for all the help we received from the members of our Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation and the community to help us present the site to the public.”

More than 200 buses are expected to visit the rescue site this year, along with thousands of individual visitors, many of whom also visit the Flight 93 crash site just a few miles away.

“This year we plan an anniversary celebration in keeping with the very special nature of the rescue,” explained Arnold. “Members of the rescue team, several of the rescued miners and other state and local officials will be there.”

The anniversary celebration this year will be held on Saturday, July 24^th at 10AM, at the rescue site.

The yellow rescue capsule used to rescue the miners will be on display courtesy of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, along with the bit that drilled the rescue shaft from Yost Drilling and many other items related to the rescue.

“We are also pleased to announce we will be applying soon to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to have the rescue site designated as a National & state historic landmark,” said Arnold. “We will also be working with the Commission to have an historic marker commemorating the events placed here.”

To help offset the cost of developing and maintaining the rescue site, the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation commissioned a special commemorative poster by local artist Robert Clarke that captures the many aspects of the rescue.

Prints of the poster are available for $10 at the rescue site or contacting the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation, 151 Haupt Road, Somerset, PA 15501 or calling 814-445-4876. The Foundation may also be reached on the internet at, www.QuecreekRescue.org .

The Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable organization that relies on public support. This mission of the Foundation is toeducate the public about: the Quecreek mine rescue effort, the many aspects of the rescue scene and those who were instrumental in carrying it out, the coal mining industryin Southwestern Pennsylvania and tocommemorate the historic events which occurred during the rescue through, among other things, the establishment, operation and maintenance of a memorial park at the site of the rescue.

This past year the Foundation was grateful to receive a grant of $75,000 for general support from the Oxford Foundation created by the Ware Family and a $6,500 grant from the Somerset County Tourism grant program to support its activities.

Former Governor Mark Schweiker, Joe Sbaffoni, Director of DEP’s Bureau of Deep Mine Safety, David Hess, former Secretary of DEP, and others involved in the rescue and in the Somerset community are members of an advisory committee to the Foundation.

7/16/2004