Fire broke out in the Sesser No. 1 mine in Sesser, Illinois on March 15, 1916, and 95 men partly bratticed themselves in the main northwest entry adjoining Nos. 11 and 12 panels.  The mine manager was in this section of the mine and succeeded in keeping the men there.

Later developments proved that a number of the men would have been lost if he had permitted them leave.  All the men were led to safety about 2 hours later.