A Coal Mining Tale.
Short play.
By W.H. Riley
EXT. VILLAGE CEMETRY. DAY.
Hundreds of people crowded into the small cemetry. Women are openly weeping for their loved ones killed by a terrible explosion in the coal mine. Pain is etched on every face. 112 men and boys killed.
Individuals are paying their respects. A few women burying their husbands are clearly pregnant. Coffins of various sizes are carefully laid side by side in a mass grave. Sometimes the coffins of a husband and wife, along with their sons are placed together as near possible.
EXT. VILLAGE CEMETRY. DAY.
The mourners leave the cemetry. Every family in the village has lost a loved one. The men are grim faced, and are completely silent. Women and children are unable to hold back the sobs and the tears. John Williams the local school teacher is one of the last to leave.
INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM. - FOLLOWING WEEK
(Mr. Williams explains to his class the history of coal mining)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Coal is often referred to as black gold because it is so important to the development of British industry. It has brought riches to some people; but to others it has brought nothing but misery and death.
(a few children nod their heads, remembering very clearly the recent events)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Coal mines are dark,dirty,and dangerous places;gas explosions, roof falls and flooding occur all too frequently and have claimed the lives of thousands of miners.
SUSAN JONES VOICE
My uncles Jack and Tom were killed at pit Mr. Williams. And Billy Jenkins from our street.
(Other children mutter other names of people killed in the recent pit explosion)
(Mr. Williams bows his head recalling those recently buried, then continues with his story)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Up to the 18th century coal was only mined near the surface beside outcrops where the coal was easily reached; this type of mining became known by the names, "bell pits" and "adit mines. Monks at various places, including, Culross, Dunfermline, Newbattle, and Edinburgh, were digging in bell pits and open cut mines as early as the 12th century. In the 13th century a charter was granted to the freemen of Newcastle, allowing them to dig for coals unhindered. Astute men recognised that coal was a valuable commodity.
These bell pits were little more than a well, which was opened to reach the coal; it was shaped like an upside down bell, hence the name. Many areas had numerous bell pits which were in close proximity to other bell pits, as one bell pit collapsed another was opened. They varied in depth of anything from 10 to 90 yards. In some of these pits women and children carried the coal up ladders to the surface. No supports were used in the pit, so that when the roof became unsafe it was abandoned. Roof conditions, floods, gas, and poor ventilation were all taken into account before a bell pit was discarded.
In suitable areas drift mines were sunk into the hillside. A coal seam was usually visible at the side of the hill (known as outcrop coal). Here coal was first removed from the side of the hill, and then the miners followed the seam further and further underground. Coal was removed until the working conditions became unsafe. The mine was then abandoned.
(As Mr. Williams spoke the children tried to visualise what it was like for the miners)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
By 1683, some mines were quite large and were using timber to support the roof, this enabled coal to be mined much further away from the mine entrance. Mining methods improved slightly over the years resulting in greater productivity, but there were a great many injuries and fatalities as well.
Families often worked as a team, husband, wife and children, all helping to supplement the household income. Children were all ages; as soon as a child was seen to be old enough to help the child began work.
SALLY JENKINS VOICE
Did girls work in the pits Mr. Williams?
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Well Sally let me tell you about an incident in a Yorkshire coal mine, which will answer your question.
Life was hard and disaster often struck. At Huskar Colliery, in 1838, a violent thunderstorm raged from about 2 until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The pit had a shaft that was used for pulling coal up to the surface by a steam engine. In a wood there was a drift that was used for ventilation. Rain put out the boiler fire and the engine could not be used to take the miners to the surface. A message was sent down the pit for all the miners to make their way to the pit bottom. Some of the children, boys and girls decided to wait until the engine was working again. They spent 9 hours underground when forty of them decided to go out of the pit by way of the ventilation drift in Nabbs Wood.
At the bottom of the drift there was an air-door and the children went through this. As they made their way up the drift, a stream, which had swollen into a rushing torrent by the downpour, overflowed down the drift. The children were washed off their feet and down to the door through which they had just passed. Water rose against the door and twenty six children were drowned. Some of the older children managed to escape along a slit that connected Huskar Colliery to Moorend Colliery.
Fifteen boys were killed, the youngest was seven year old James Burkinshaw. Eleven girls were killed, three of them were only eight years old. Catherine Garnett, Sarah Jakes, and Sarah Newton.
(most of the children in class raised their hands)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Yes Susan.
SUSAN JONES VOICE
Seven and eight years sir, our Billy couldn't start pit until he was twelve.
(Mr. Williams smiled)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
A good point Susan. The Huskar disaster and other accidents helped to direct the publics' attention on the use of children in coal mines. A Royal Commission in 1840 focused on children, but it was women and girls who benefited the most from the report.
The legislation that followed the Commissions report, the 1842 Mines and Collieries Act, led to the exclusion of all women and girls from British mines and banned children under the age of 10 from working underground. Later the minimum age was raised to twelve.
BOBBY SIMMS VOICE
Tell us more about down pit sir.
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Mining was arduous and involved long hours. A child going underground for the first time would find the mine was a scary place. It was pitch black and if they were lucky they would have a candle or an oil lamp to see with. If the candle went out or the oil ran out the child could spend hours in complete darkness. During that time they would hear all sorts of strange noises, strata moving, pieces of roof or sides falling, and rats, common visitors in the mines, could be heard scurrying around them.
One of their first jobs could be as a trapper. A trapper is stationed at traps (canvas flaps) or doors in various parts of the pit, the trapper opened the trap so that trams of coal could pass through, then immediately closed it again when the trams had passed through the trap. Air ventilation was stringently controlled and if the trap was not closed correctly, parts of the mine would lack adequate ventilation and dangerous gases would build up that could cause an explosion.
(Mr. Williams paused for a while looking at the children)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Who can remember Charles Dickens?
(hands shot up)
BOBBY SIMMS VOICE
Yes sir he wrote that story you told us about little Oliver.
MR. WILLIAM'S VOICE
That's right Bobby, well, he also interviewed miners about their experiences in the mines.
Charles Dickens was a reporter for Household Words. In 1850 he interviewed one of the miners who had been working in the pit at the time of an explosion in 1841.
The miner explained to Mr. Dickens.
The cause of this explosion, which cost all these lives, was traced, on examination of all signs and appearances, to the trapper boys, Robert Pearson and Richard Cooper. Cooper's body was found away from his own trap, and lying close beside that of Pearson, where we saw reasons for knowing he could not have been blown by the explosion; and all on us come to the conclusion that he had left his own trap-door open, and gone to play with Pearson. The proper course of the ventilation was thus destroyed, and when George Campbell, whose body was found near, went there with his candle, to fill coals, the gas that had accumulated while the boys were at play instantly exploded.
(all in the class shook their heads in amazement)
PETER TOMKINS VOICE
How old was the trapper boy Mr. Williams?
MR. WILLIAM'S VOICE
Robert Pearson was only nine years of age, thirty-two men and boys were killed in the explosion including Thomas Pearson the fifteen year old brother of Robert. In all three sets of brothers died. Michael Martin and his son William also perished that day. Michael left a wife and four other children.
(Tears filled the eyes of children some were openly crying)
SALLY JENKINS VOICE
Robert killed his own brother sir, and Mrs. Martin, how did she manage, bringing up four children without a father?
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
I do not know what happened to Mrs. Martin and her family, however, in many similar situations as well as losing his life down the pit, a man's wife and children were often evicted from their homes, which were owned by the colliery. The colliery owners were only interested in their houses being occupied by men employed in the colliery.
BOBBY SIMMS VOICE
That's not fair sir. It's not their fault Mr. Martin was killed.
(Everyone, including Mr. Williams, agreed)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
Unfortunately Bobby life is not always fair.
Coal mining is definitely not an attractive occupation, however, it is a means by which very poor families escape the unbearable poverty suffered by so many of our population.
Having a job ensures families avoid the unthinkable, the dreaded workhouse where husbands, wives and children are separated as soon as they enter. If they even attempt to so much as speak to one another they are in danger of being punished.
In some cases children and the infirm are sent to other institutions. Once admitted to the workhouse few leave except for burial in the paupers cemetery.
PETER TOMKINS VOICE
My mother said she would rather die than go to the workhouse.
(Unanimous agreement, each student expressing horror and hatred for the workhouse)
MR. WILLIAMS VOICE
A great stigma is attached to anyone entering the workhouse. The reality is the prospect of being forced to go to the workhouse is never far from the minds of working class families. They fear becoming too ill to work or having an accident that deprives them of working. A paupers life is to be avoided at all costs.
Is it any wonder people fight so hard to remain in even the worst possible employment?
(Mr. Williams looks at his pocket watch)
MR. WILLIAM'S VOICE
That is all we have time for today. Be careful as you go to your homes.
(The children wanted to hear more, this had been one of their best lessons, a lesson they would never forget as long as they lived)
© W.H.Riley.
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