(From Bureau of Mines report, by D. Harrington and H. E. Munn)
The coal bed pitching 15°-20° is opened by a slope 6,000 feet long; staggered cross entries are 400 feet apart.
The explosion, about 8:20 a.m., covered a large part of the active workings but produced comparatively little violence, although the original gas explosion was propagated by dust.
Of the 135 men underground, 99 were killed. At least 70 of these men lost their lives by attempting to travel through the smoke and gases and might have been saved if they had remained at the working faces. One group of men under the leadership of a shot firer and a driver barricaded themselves at the face of No. 29 entry, and 21 or 22 of these men came out about 3:00 p.m. after ventilation was restored.
Several others who tried to escape before the bulkhead was built were found dead near the slope. Three others remained at their their room face on the 28th level and came out at 6:00 a.m.
The other survirors escaped during the rescue operations. Apparatus was used in exploring the mine, recovering the dead, and to a certain extent assisting the living.
The explosion originated at the face of room 7 of the 30th level, when a firelboss who was restoring a wing brattice that had been disarranged went behind the brattice about 10 feet from the face and attempted to relight his flame safety lamp with a match.
Evidently much more gas had accumulated than he expected. Electric cap lamps were used, but coal was shot with black powder, off the solid. Dust was sprinkled but not regularly or thoroughly.
