Australia celebrates, and mourns, after mine rescue

SYDNEY, May 9 (Reuters) Two Australian miners trapped in a small cage deep underground for 14 days walked out of the mine today, triumphantly thrusting their arms into the air after rescuers freed them shortly before dawn.

But celebrations were short lived for one of the freed miners who limped into church a few hours later to attend the funeral of a colleague killed in the same cave-in on April 25 at the Beaconsfield Gold Mine in the southern island state of Tasmania.

Brant Webb, 37, and Todd Russell, 34, were trapped 925 metres (3,000 feet) underground in a wire cage, about the size of a double bed, after an earthquake caused a cave-in.

A third miner, Larry Knight, 44, was killed in the cave-in.

Two weeks later Webb and Russell, wearing yellow jackets and mining helmets with their lamps shining brightly, walked out of the mine shaft on Tuesday and straight to a large board to remove their name cards -- ending their underground shift.

Their wives rushed to hug them before scores of rescuers descended on them hugging and shaking hands.

''This is the great escape. This is the biggest escape from the biggest prison we have, the planet,'' said Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten.

The miners were given a clean bill of health after a brief hospital examination. ''They are in excellent condition. They are tough Tasmanian miners,'' said Stephen Ayre, a doctor at nearby Launceston Hospital.

Russell ate a breakfast of steak and eggs before leaving hospital and attending Knight's funeral. Knight, a motorcycle enthusiast, had his coffin escorted to the cemetery by the Christian ''God Squad'' motorcycle club.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard praised the rescue operation as a triumph of ''Australian mateship'' as miners from Beaconsfield and mine rescue experts from around the country worked together to save the two men.

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