Earl Hamner

Long-time manager for B&L Coal and Rail, initially from the home office up in Barrow, PA. Former stable manager at a mine in Avalon, present and unharmed by that mine fire. Operations Manager at Old Number 7 mine. Witnessed The Boy the morning of the Old Number 7 fire.

Earl initially went by Robert (or "Bobby"), and was a foreman or supervisor at six mines with terrible disasters before the Old Number 7. The Boy found him after the first explosion, noting that perhaps Bobby changing his name had helped him hide.

It's likely that agents of Those Who Sleep Beneath shielded Earl from detection by The Boy, removing that protection when it was convenient to have The Boy cause the second explosion.