Sirens went off immediately and, all through the little company town, the word quickly spread. "The mine is on fire."

A cave in or a fire were the two things every miner most feared. Already, women and children were gathering near the entrance to the mine. "My man is in there" screamed one woman as she broke away from the crowd. "Jessie, Oh my God, Jessie" she kept screaming at the top of her lungs, even as men blocked her path to the mine.

She was babbling in sheer terror now, fighting to break free of the men holding her. "Let me go to Jessie. You don't understand. He's all I have. Oh, God........he's down in the mine and it's on fire and he's dying and he doesn't even know his child is even now in my womb."

There came the sound of a mighty roar as timbers flew into the air and what looked to be the very pit of hell itself opened before them all. Then, the earth settled back and all was still once more.

Women, children and the few miners who weren't on duty began clawing frantically at still burning timbers, mounds of dirt and cement. Minutes were like hours now as precious seconds slipped by.

New timbers were forced into place by men desperate in this race against time. Fingernails and even fingers themselves were broken by men and women clawing at the dirt covering the opening to the shaft entombing the bodies of loved ones.

She was writhing on the ground now, blood staining her dress as it flowed from her spasming womb. All gone now, her man, her baby.......all gone in the blink of an eye.