CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE

Orlon Keith Shrewsbury, 39, Crab Orchard, was killed instantly in the accident that occurred before noon Tuesday. No one else was injured, and apparently there were no witnesses to the accident.

"The men are real sad today," said Randall Dye, a safety officer with Franklin. "We have lost a very good team member. All who work here are like family, like brothers, and we are all saddened at our loss."

Mr. Shrewsbury operated a track drill and worked for the company for nearly 10 years. He normally worked by himself. He was drilling into the floor of the mine preparing for the extrication of limestone when rocks above him shifted around the pillar and fell.

Prior to his working in the area where the accident occurred, about a half of a mile inside the mine, Mr. Shrewsbury, a company mine inspector and a third employee checked the area and did not detect any weaknesses, Mr. Dye said.

One rock weighing between 10 and 15 tons fell behind Mr. Shrewsbury and a couple weighing about a ton fell on him, pinning him against the drill machine, Mr. Dye continued. The accident was discovered by a mine supervisor conducting routine checks on workers.

Franklin has recorded an excellent safety record since purchasing the Crab Orchard industry in 1969. It was the first fatal accident in the history of the mine, dating back to 1902.

Cumberland County Fire Department, Cumberland County Ambulance Service and Cumberland County Rescue Squad responded to the call at 12:09 p.m. yesterday and members of the sheriff's department sealed off the company entrance.

Fire Department Assistant Chief John Hall led a team of 8 rescuers five fire department personnel and three ambulance service workers into the mine to assess the accident scene and recover the body. Other rescuers remained outside the entrance of the mine. Also responding to the scene was Crossville/Cumberland County Emergency Management Director Keith Garrison.

Once on the scene, it took the use of a crane about 20 minutes to recover the victim's body, Mr. Hall said. Yesterday a federal mine inspector arrived at the scene to begin a preliminary investigation and a team of Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors were on the scene today as their probe into the accident continues.

Mr. Shrewsbury has three dependents, officials said. A complete obituary notice will be published in an upcoming edition of the Crossville Chronicle.