Original 1947 Associated Press wire photo showing anxious spectators crowded around the gate of the 135-year-old William Pit coal mine in Whitehaven, England, awaiting news after a catastrophic underground explosion trapped 117 miners. By August 15, rescue crews had recovered 54 badly burned bodies from the debris. Their efforts continued after the remarkable rescue of ten men who survived for more than 21 hours inside the undersea mine shaft. The image was transmitted by radio from London. The original caption is separate from the photo, and an AP stamp is present on the back. Please note the tape on the corners, discoloration, and general surface wear from age and newspaper use. Measures approximately 7⅝ x 5¾ inches. From the archive of a Pittsburgh-area newspaper.
