There will be little activity in and around the Crandall Canyon Mine today. The next step is for MSHA to begin investigating the cause of the original mine collapse that trapped the six miners, and the subsequent mine "bump" that killed three rescuers. Kulczewski said that investigation is set to begin Tuesday and will likely last several months. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced that an outside investigation will also examine MSHA's handling of the mine disaster.

It will be difficult to investigate. Because of the seismic activity, it is considered too dangerous for miners to even venture underground into the Crandall Canyon Mine. Instead, MSHA will have to rely on interviews and documents to determine what caused the collapse. Murray has insisted it was an earthquake that caused the collapse. Seismologists say the mine collapse was itself the seismic event.

The men were trapped Aug. 6 when a portion of the Crandall Canyon Mine collapsed in an event so powerful that it registered 3.9 on the Richter scale. Three rescuers were killed and six others were hurt when a mountain "bump" that measured 1.6 in magnitude struck 10 days later.

Clair Cratsenburg, whose brother-in-law Dale Black was one of the miners killed in that rescue effort, said he was disappointed MSHA was ending the rescue but understood their reasoning.

"I'm hard-pressed to think of what else they can do," he said. "Right now, it seems to me that no matter how many holes they drill they won't find anything."

The collapse killed Black, Brandon Kimber and MSHA inspector Gary Jensen. The remaining six men are still recovering from their injuries.

Several congressional probes are also set to get under way next week. The state of Utah has also formed a panel to look into mine safety and whether states should take more control of it.

'Taken too soon'

Before they received the devastating news on Friday, the miners' families — about 60 people in all — stood together near the top of a mountain in Sanpete County.

Some prayed while touching a rehabilitated golden eagle before it was released back into the wild. There is a belief that each of the eagle's feathers can take a prayer to God.

The families listened to a poem as a light rain fell on them for a few minutes. The poem was written for the occasion by Maggie Fugate McMullin, and reads in part:

"Eagle we mourn for those we lost

Those so precious and loved

Taken so sudden in darkness and fear

Those who were so brave who followed to save

Taken too soon."

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Contributing: Jens Dana

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com; bwinslow@desnews.com