An epic story of courage, survival, and tragedy, the Disaster at Cane Creek is the account of the devastating potash mine explosion that occurred August 27, 1963, only hours after a miraculous Sheppton mine rescue in Pennsylvania. Twenty-five miners working the afternoon shift were now caught in a horrific explosion at Texas Gulf Sulphur's new Cane Creek Potash Mine.Located in the scenic red rock canyon country just west of Moab, Utah along the banks of the Colorado River, the mine site quickly became the scene of an intense mine rescue operation. With no knowledge of any survivors, the race against time was set in full motion as expert mine rescue teams battled to overcome smoke, gases, and groundwater pouring down the mine shaft which was as deep as two Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other.Disaster at Cane Creek is thoroughly spellbinding as it shares history's stage during the iconic 1960's with other relevant back and side stories during the Kennedy Administration.Author Kymberly Mele masterfully weaves together this powerful drama, putting the reader on the scene of this true-life story as events unfold. She conveys the essence of the people involved, communicates what they endured, and captures the sheer will, determination and fight for survival that is both riveting and inspirational.
About the Author: Kymberly Mele is a wife, mother of six children, and grandmother of fourteen grandchildren. She was born a coal miner's daughter in Price, Utah (located in Carbon County, the coal mining area of the state). Her father, Donald Blake Hanna, is one of the survivors of the Cane Creek Mine disaster. Mele attended three different high schools as her father moved around, as he transitioned from miner to federal mine inspector during those years in the mining industry (Artesia High School, Artesia, New Mexico; Carbon High School, Price Utah; and Earl Wooster High School, Reno Nevada, where she graduated in 1976). She attended Brigham Young University for a short time before marrying her husband, Greg Mele, who she has been married to for forty-one years. Mele has also been associated with mining throughout her husband's career in the industry. Mele is the president of her company, Mele Enterprises, and is a member of the Utah League of Writers. She has been a freelance writer, has done graphic arts work, produced and published newsletters for several companies and for the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals. She has also written articles for Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association's The Bulletin (a prominent mining magazine). Mele has also been a public speaker for youth groups and was a speaker at the 1996 National Mine Rescue Competition (Metal and Nonmetal) sponsored by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in Las Vegas, as well as the Carbon County Mine Rescue Competition in Price, Utah that same year.