Chilean miners set to begin emerging

After 68 days deep in a dank, hot purgatory, the first of 33 trapped miners will be hoisted to freedom Tuesday night, Chilean rescue officials told hundreds of reporters who have been covering a dramatic life-and-death struggle that has mesmerized much of the world. "We are hoping this is our last press conference," Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said. He announced that sometime before midnight, the first miner would be pulled more than 2,000 feet from a cavity that survived an Aug. 5 mine collapse that trapped the men. Authorities later said the first miner out would be Florencio Avalos, who is relatively healthy despite his ordeal and prepared to deal with unforeseen problems should the specially designed capsule that will carry to him to freedom become lodged in a 28-inch tunnel. The last miner out will be Luis Urzua, 54, who was shift chief when the mine collapsed and has been a steady force for the other miners. Speaking by phone from the mine this morning, Urzua reflected on the saga, carefully choosing his words to describe what it has been like for such a large group to be trapped in such tight quarters for so long. "This was a group with different personalities and manners of being," he said. "We have had a stage here in our lives that we never planned for, and I hope to never live again like this, but that's the life of a miner," said Urzua, who has been mining for three decades. Taking charge after the collapse, Urzua rationed food, giving each miner one spoonful of tuna every 48 hours. "We had to be strong," Urzua said. "All the workers in the mine fulfilled their roles." One miner became the spokesman to the outside world, for instance, while others provided comic relief for their comrades and still others simply showed fortitude for their less experienced colleagues. "We worked hard for our own rescue," Urzua said. Asked about the dangers of the mine, particularly this copper and gold mine in the middle of the Atacama desert, Urzua explained that they all knew of the inherent dangers. "We always say that when you go into the mine you respect the mine and hope you get out," he said.