Effort to find miners gets more aggressive

Those tests showed carbon monoxide levels at 1,300 parts per million, exceeding the 400 parts per million maximum safe level.

"We are very discouraged by the results of this test," said Ben Hatfield, chief executive of mine owner International Coal Group Inc.

The 13 miners were 260 feet underground when an explosion Monday morning left them trapped. It was still unclear Tuesday what caused the blast, but company officials have said it may have been sparked by lightning.

By early Tuesday afternoon, rescuers had penetrated 10,200 feet into the mine, located about 100 miles northeast of Charleston.

"We will push forward as quickly as we can as long as there is a shred of hope that we can get our people out safely," Hatfield said.

Rescuers were drilling two more holes to test the air ahead of the emergency crews moving into the mine and to drop in listening devices and a camera to look for signs of life.

Earlier, a camera was inserted into the first 6 1/4 inch hole to look for the men. Drilling crews pounded on steel pipe and listened in vain for a response in the section of the mine where the trapped miners were believed to be located, Hatfield said.

"They repeated this process several times over a 10-minute period but the drill crew heard no response," Hatfield said.

The camera search of the area proved inconclusive, and evidence of extensive damage was not seen. "No barricades or survivors were seen," he said.

Still, Hatfield said the trapped miners could still be alive _ "in another location or ... barricaded somewhere."

After learning of the air quality results, some family members, who had been optimistic and talkative earlier, retreated into a nearby church without making any comments.

Nick Helms, whose 50-year-old father, Terry, is among the trapped miners, called the news "devastating."

Hatfield said officials abandoned plans to move in a camera-equipped robot with sensors to measure air quality, saying that without the robot "we can move forward and at a quicker pace and do it safely." The robot had become bogged down in mud inside the mine.

Gov. Joe Manchin said West Virginians "believe in miracles."

"There is still a chance and there's hope and we have that," Manchin said.

Rescuers had encountered slightly elevated carbon monoxide levels while moving deeper into the mine, indicating that there had been combustion, Hatfield said.

Several hundred family members and friends were waiting for word on the miners.

Among them was Daniel Merideth, the son-in-law of trapped miner Alby Martin Bennett, who had planned to retire this year.

Merideth said family members at the scene didn't sleep at all Monday night.

"We're waiting for him to come across the bridge," Merideth said.

Lila Muncy, the younger sister of trapped miner Randal McCloy, said prayer is important in the close-knit community.

"We were always raised to have faith," she said. "I'm not going anywhere until I see my brother's face."

Company officials said the trapped miners had an average of 23 years experience working in the mines and are trained to try to tap on roots, waterlines, anything possible, to alert rescuers of their location.

"This is not a rookie crew underground," said Gene Kitts, a senior vice president for ICG.

The company declined to release the names of the trapped miners, but family members on the site provided a partial list of those trapped.

In addition to Bennett, 50, and McCloy, 27, family members said the other miners are Fred Ware Jr., 59; David Lewis, 28; Marshall Winans, 49; Jack Weaver, 52; Jim Bennett, 61; Terry Helms, 50; George Hamner Jr., no age available ; Martin Toler, 50.

ICG acquired the Sago Mine last March when it bought Anker West Virginia Mining Co., which had been in bankruptcy.

Federal inspectors cited the mine for 46 alleged violations of federal mine health and safety rules during an 11-week review that ended Dec. 22, according to records.

The more serious alleged violations, resulting in proposed penalties of at least $250 each, involved steps for safeguarding against roof falls, and the mine's plan to control methane and breathable dust.

The mine received 208 citations from MSHA during 2005, up from 68 citations in 2004.

The state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training issued 144 notices of violation against the mine in 2005, up from 74 the year before.

Kitts said safety at the mine has improved dramatically since ICG took over and the company is working closely with regulatory agencies to make further improvements.

"We think that we are operating a safe mine," he said.<