The well shaft previously drilled vertically is redirected to become horizontal, with the drilling continuing until the shaft stretches out horizontally about half a mile to a mile.

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In 1992, a team bankrolled by Tennessee businessman Roy Shoffner and led by Bob Cardin excavated the plane by using hot water to melt a shaft into the ice, hoisting the plane out piece by piece.

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Without ever having made such a shaft before, the division tooled up and turned out 200 of them in four days.

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Officials said both efforts -- to drill a rescue shaft and widen a bore hole -- could be carried out concurrently.

CNN: Drilling to reach Chile miners yet to begin

About two months ago Regal-Beloits Durst power transmission division in Beloit bailed out a longtime customer when the customers supplier couldnt deliver a certain axle shaft in time.

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