OK, I really wished I hadn't had to sit through this story on KSL tonight. I thought they had every angle on the Crandall Mine Disaster covered. I guess they didn't.
The difficulty of a mine rescue is directly tied to how far underground the miners are.
According to mine officials, the six miners are at least 1,500 feet underground. From the mine entrance they're about 15,840 feet into the mountain.
15,840 feet. That seems like a long way. How far is it?
That distance works out to be about three miles.
OK, Thanks. But, I wish someone would show me how far three miles is. I'm just not sure.
To illustrate how far that is, we zeroed out the odometer on an Eyewitness News truck at the Utah Capitol. We turned south onto State Street to gauge the distance.
The distance added up past landmarks like the Matheson courthouse, then eventually just out of downtown and to the intersection of 1700 South.
It's too bad they didn't use two landmarks that are about three miles apart. Since Salt Lake City banned me from dragging State, I'll never know how far those men are in the mine. The State Capitol to 1700 South State is just to obscure. Maybe if I just knew how far down it was...
To give you some perspective, 5 Triad Center, the 10-story building where KSL is located, is about 120 feet tall. That means the miners are the equivalent of 12 and a half Triad Centers underground.
God Bless you, Richard Piatt. Without you, I'd never know how far away we were from finding those men.
-Bob
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