Four men entered the mine on a Sunday to blast some holes; after the holes were loaded and lighted, they started to leave the mine, but when they were about 500 feet from the point of blasting, all the holes went off at about the same time.  A rush of wind down the entry caught the men and extinguished their carbide lights.

Two men jumped into a room and the other two stayed on the entry.  The rush of wind was followed by a gust of flame.  The two men that stayed in the entry were badly burned but were able to make their way out of the mine, where they were found by a rescue party.

The rescue party found the other two men, both badly burned, in the room into which they had gone.  Their lights had been put out by the explosion and they had become so badly confused that they were unable to find their way out.  All four men had entered the mine without the consent of the mine officials.