Workers at the mine site, in northern Chile, were testing the specially designed capsule that is meant to alternately lower a rescuer the half-mile down through a narrow hole to the haven of the trapped men — and then raise one miner to the surface of the earth. Each leg of the trip could take as little as 11 minutes, but each round trip could take an hour, and that is if all goes well.
The relatives’ makeshift tent city, Camp Hope, vibrated with a carnival-like atmosphere. “The day has finally arrived,” said Marta Mesías, 51, the aunt of one the miners, Claudio Yáñez, 34. She said she had traveled here from the capital, Santiago, to greet Mr. Yáñez when he emerges from under the earth. “We’re going to toast him with champagne, and feed him a bit of roasted chicken.”
The hundreds of journalists that have been crowding into the area began to broadcast reports and phone in news feeds, as officials made hopeful and patriotic declarations to a country — and a world — captivated by the resilience of men who have survived under thousands of feed of rock for 69 days.
Rescuing the miners has been an obsession for President Sebastián Piñera and his government, which has spared no expense, technological consultation or innovation — and has been rewarded with a national boost of popularity. Mr. Piñera, a billionaire media baron, arrived at the camp by helicopter in the later afternoon.
“Today I feel incredibly emotional — the same way that all Chileans feel,” the Telegraph of London quote him as saying.
The Bolivian leader, Evo Morales, was also expected. One of the miners is a young Bolivian who has become a hero back home.
The miners’ ordeal has presented Mr. Piñera, one of Latin America’s most conservative leaders, and Mr. Morales, one of its most radical, a high-profile opportunity to ease political tensions between their countries.
Laurence Golborne, Chile’s now very popular mining minister, said at a crowded, televised news conference here this afternoon that the first rescue would occur “toward the end of the day,” in the “last quarter” of Tuesday. Mr. Golborne cautioned that rescuing all the men would take about 48 hours. “We are not about declaring mission accomplished,” he said.
"Accidents can happen,” he also said, “but we trained a lot and we feel that we are very well prepared, and you will see the result of this preparation."
The men will be shielded from the crush of media as they emerge, with only a government photographer and Chile’s state television channel permitted access, The Associated Press reported. A 30-second transmission delay is to control for the unexpected.
News organizations in the United States planned large-scale coverage. CNN said its news shows would feature extensive coverage throughout the night and into Wednesday morning. MSNBC planned live broadcasts throughout the night. Fox News had an anchor on standby during the political shows that dominate its evening programming, with more anchors lined up through the night.
As the vast team of rescue workers, medical personnel, technicians and mining experts prepared to enter the final phase, the colorful scene reflected the huge scale of the operation that has captured the attention of the world: more than 1,400 journalists, together with anxious and elated family members of the miners, gathered to witness the rescue.
Hundreds of journalists swarmed family members for comments. Signs proclaiming “Strength, Miners!” dotted the camp, as red, white and blue Chilean flags waved wildly in the sunshine.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Golborne maintained a tone both calmly optimistic and cautious. Tests on the stability of the capsule were carried out on Monday, he said, and tests on the lifting system still have to be conducted in the next few hours on Tuesday before the rescue can begin. “The capsule has not gone down all the way to the floor of the mine,” he added.
The gold and copper mine, near the northern city of Copiapó, caved in on Aug. 5, and there was no word on the fate of the miners for 17 days. But when a small bore hole reached the miners’ refuge, they sent up a message telling rescuers they were still alive.
On Saturday, a more sizeable drill finally broke through to the miners, making way for a rescue shaft through which the miners will be raised, one by one, in a capsule especially designed to contain a human being.
Officials would not disclose the order of the rescue. They said that television cameras were placed at the bottom of the mine and at the top to monitor the operation. And when the miners are brought to the surface, two tent hospitals on site will administer to their immediate health needs, according to Jaime Mañalich, the minister of health.
As the authorities prepared the area for the 48-hour rescue, Lt. Col. Mario Rozas, a spokesman for the Chilean police, said that roads between the mine and surrounding towns would be closed to traffic starting Tuesday evening and lasting until the last miner was pulled from the rescue hole.
Simon Romero reported from the San José mine, and Liz Robbins from New York. Brian Stelter contributed reporting from New York.
Once the top of the shift is lined with steel casing, a winch will be put in place Engineers have begun reinforcing the top of a mine shaft in preparation for the evacuation of 33 miners trapped underground for 66 days.
Relatives embraced the engineers when the drill finally reached the miners' shelter on Saturday