Mining town residents wait, pray for good news

Praying with rosary beads, Charles Vizza, a former miner himself, stands near the mine entrance.

FRIEDENS, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Many residents of the working-class town of Friedens, Pennsylvania, were praying Thursday, gathering near radios and televisions hoping for good news about nine trapped miners at the nearby Quecreek coal mine.

About 9 p.m. Wednesday, the miners accidentally drilled into an older mine shaft filled with water, causing a wall to collapse and the water to flood the shaft, Pennsylvania state trooper David Holtzman said.

Every hour on the hour, mine worker Leroy Lehman has been phoning his wife, Judy. She said her husband is on the surface above the mine, 237 feet from where his cousin Randy Fogle is trapped with eight other men. Lehman has been keeping Judy current on happenings at the mine and how Randy's wife and three children are coping with his uncertain fate.

"His [her husband Leroy Lehman's] cousin is the boss of the crew down there," Judy Lehman said. Leroy's "been there all night with his wife."

Leroy Lehman has worked for the Black Wolf Coal Co. for 20 years, his wife said. During his deep-mine stint securing mineshaft ceilings to prevent cave-ins, he never was trapped, she said.

Now he works above ground, and she said she is relieved. "He cleans up around the belts and keeps stuff off of the grounds."

CNN NewsPass Video    •  CNN's Jeff Flock visits an abandoned Pa. mine   •  Surveyor used GPS to locate miners   •  Rescued miners go home   •  Miners express appreciation  MORE STORIES   •  Pennsylvania panel to explore mining accident   •  Flooded mine could be idle for months   •  Pa. governor: Mine's operator 'owes answers'   •  A turning point in the rescue effort   •  Miners braved harrowing conditions   •  Previous mining accidents were minor » Story archive  RESOURCES   •  Jeff Goodell: Despair turns to joy   •  Gov. Schweiker: Mine probe to seek answers   •  Rescued miner: 'It was a team effort'   •  Why we burn coal  EXTRA INFORMATION   •  Gallery: The rescued miners   •  Gallery: Rescue quotes   •  Graphic: Diagram of the Quecreek Mine   •  Map: Mining accident   •  Timeline: What happened, and when  Conditions in mine Cold: 56 degrees F Dark: Miners' cap lamps will have expired Wet: Water at an unknown level Cramped: Shaft is 237 feet underground; about 4 feet high and 12-18 feet wide

About a half-mile from the mine in Sipesville, Pennsylvania, around 125 relatives and friends of the trapped men gathered at a volunteer fire department facility for support and information, Judy Lehman said.

"The families are here," said an unidentified woman who answered the phone at the fire hall. "They are being fed and counselors are on hand."

Religion plays a large part in the lives of residents, according to the Rev. Ed DeVore, 47, pastor of the Friedens Lutheran Church.

"Right now we're kind of in shock," DeVore said "Here at the church it's been a week where we have a youth program and the kids were here today all talking about it, concerned about friends they know whose fathers work at the mine."

"They're anxious," DeVore said. Coal miners, by definition DeVore said, must be courageous because of the danger involved in their work. When asked what it was like when he last visited a coal mine, DeVore said, "It's dark, darker than you can imagine."

Friedens is just one of many tiny burghs that dot the rolling Allegheny Mountains which run through Somerset County, Pennsylvania. "These are strong people," DeVore said, describing a member of his congregation who is an engineer at the mine and has been "going all night."

The village's population of about 1,500, including about 550 families, share a close-knit community.

"It's a small town," said DeVore, an area native. "People are very eager and willing to help one another. They're very community-minded."

Not far from the church, an example of Friedens' community spirit was evident as workers at LaMonica's Restaurant prepared lunch for delivery to exhausted rescue workers.

"We have a great community and everybody sticks together," said Peggy Donia, taking time from her food preparation.

Residents near the mine form a circle and pray.

"We're just praying. Everybody's pretty upset." Donia said many of the miners gather at the restaurant weekly to swap stories and talk shop. "These are wonderful people, friends," she said.

"People are holding up well, but when the phone rings we have to hold our breath," she said.

DeVore said Somerset County has seen its share of national news stories. United "Flight 93 went down not too far from here," he said, referring to one of the four hijacked airliners on September 11. "People here are still talking about it, in fact, plans are being made for a big anniversary event to commemorate victims of the tragedy."