John Brown, the general manager of the mine, rushed to the fan room to reverse the suction of air, which would push depleted oxygen back into the mine in an attempt to save any survivors. Initial rescue efforts were hampered by the complete destruction of the one entrance to the mine.
The lack of an accessible exit made initial rescue attempts difficult due to the complete destruction of the mine's sole entry point. John Brown, the mine manager, attempted to reverse the air flow in the ventilation room to bring back oxygen and potentially save trapped miners.