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
Awful Loss of Life in an Indian Territory Mine Disaster
The Ohio Democrat, New Philadelphia Ohio
January 14, 1892
South McAllister, I. T., Jan. 9 -- The horrors of the Diamond mine disaster at Braidwood, Ill., about eight years ago, were reenacted here Thursday night and Friday except that in this instance fire instead of flood was the instrument of destruction. As has already been telegraphed, the miners were preparing to leave shaft No. 11 at Krebs, 5 miles from here, operated by the Osage Coal & Mining Company, shortly after 5 o'clock Friday evening, a terrific explosion occurred spreading death among 400 or more miners at work.
It is impossible at present to obtain any accurate information as to the number of lives lost or persons injured, but it is known that at least 100 men are entombed in the mine, and it is only possible to ascertain their number by a canvass from house to house, which is being made by a committee appointed for the purpose.
The explosion occurred about 5 p. m. Thursday, at which time there were about 400 men at work in the mine. They were the day shift, and were just preparing to ascent when the explosion took place. Six men who had already been hoisted in the cage had just stepped on the platform at the side of the shaft. The cage was blown through the roof of the tower and 50 feet into the air. Flames shot up the shaft and above the ground fully 100 feet, which were followed by a terrific report which was heard for miles around and shook all the neighboring country violently.
The news of the disaster spread quickly through the villagers surrounding Krebs. Every physician at once volunteered his services and hastened to Krebs ready to do his duty of mercy. Hundreds of miners from the Braidwood and McAllister fields hurried to the scene to do what they could in assisting in the rescue of the entombed men and the recovery of the dead. The work of rescue was begun at once and has continued all through Thursday night and Friday. The work was hazardous, but the hope that some of the unfortunate men might be rescued alive spurred the rescuers on to many deeds of bravery and possibly self-sacrifice.
List of Fatalities obtained from The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 53, Summer 1980.
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