There were three veins of coal, two of which were being worked that day. About 300 men worked the second vein while about 200 worked the third and deepest vein. In order to reach the third level, miners had to use the escape shaft and take a different elevator. On the morning of November 13, the electricity that lit the mine was not working. This was a common problem in the mine. When there was no electricity, miners used kerosene lamps to light the mine. A mine car full of hay to feed the mules that worked in the mine caught fire. The fire quickly spread and was out of control. Many of the miners burned to death while others died of suffocation from the toxic fumes. 