From the Colliery Engineer, February 1892, pp. 160-162.
The mine has always given off a moderate amount of gas. The miners work with naked lights, and the mine is carefully inspected for gas before the miners go to work.
Shot firers go into the mine after the miners are out.. between 6 p.m. and midnight.
The entry men are the only miners allowed to fire their own shots, and they are not to commence firing until 5:30 p.m.
At 5 o'clock hoisting of the men began. Five cages had been raised and 30 men landed on the surface, when a cloud of smoke and dust burst from the shaft.
As the fan was undisturbed, the engine was given more steam to increase the speed.
Rescuers were lowered in a basket. Many men, uninjured or slightly burned walked through the return airways, and escaped by No. 7 shaft.
As no inspector was appointed for Indian Territory, a committee was appointed who determined that the explosion came from 1 or 2 shots in entry 0 fired at 5:04 p.m. The shots were badly located and blew out, firing the dust.
The roadway was sprinkled, but much fine dust on the ribs and elsewhere carried the explosion to the shaft.
Source:
Historical Summary of Mine Disasters in the United States - Volume I
