A gas and dust explosion at 3:20 p.m. killed 6 men in the tipple and 91 in the mine; 86 of those underground met instant death, 2 traveled about 500 feet before they were overcome by afterdamp, and 3 attempted to barricade themselves in a pumproom but were overcome by afterdamp. Messages left by 1 of the 3 men showed that they lived 3 hours or more.
Nine men were cut off in the south main section until one came out through the smoke and returned with a party wearing self-rescuers.
The eight men who had barricaded themselves in a room were supplied with self-rescuers and walked out. Five men in the tipple were seriously injured.
The explosion originated near the farthest working face in the mine when an open- type storage-battery locomotive ignited an accumulation of gas. The explosion was propagated by methane and coal dust to all of the mine except the south mains.
The mine had been partly rock-dusted, but the rock dust was not maintained. Assistance was called, and many recorery experts and apparatus crews assembled. The 21 apparatus crews built 80 stoppings while wearing apparatus.
Ventilation was reestablished and the mine cleared 12 days after the explosion.
The last bodies mere removed May 24. Property damage was extensive.
Automatic doors on the main haulage road were being repaired, and this interruption of air currents to the faces caused the accumulation of gas in the mine's inner workings.
Source: Historical Summary of Mine Disasters in the United States, Volume I
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