You've heard of the Gresford Disaster,
Of the terrible price that was paid;
Two hundred and forty two colliers were lost,
And three of the rescue brigade.
It occurred in the month of September
At three in the morning the pit
Was racked by a violent explosion
In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.
Now the gas in the Dennis deep section
Was heaped there like snow in a drift,
And many a man had to leave the coal-face
Before he had worked out his shift.
Now a fortnight before the explosion,
To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried,
"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell!"
And no one can say that he lied.
Now the fireman;s reports they are missing
The records of forty-two days;
The collier manager had them destroyed
To cover his criminal ways.
Down there in the dark they are lying.
They died for nine shillings a day;
They have worked out their shift and now they must lie
In the darkness until Judgement day.
Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting
To help out the children and wives;
The owners have sent some white lilies
To pay for the poor colliers' lives.
Farewell all our dear wives and children
Farewell all our comrades as well,
Don't send your sons down the dark dreary pit
They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.
Of the terrible price that was paid;
Two hundred and forty two colliers were lost,
And three of the rescue brigade.
It occurred in the month of September
At three in the morning the pit
Was racked by a violent explosion
In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.
Now the gas in the Dennis deep section
Was heaped there like snow in a drift,
And many a man had to leave the coal-face
Before he had worked out his shift.
Now a fortnight before the explosion,
To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried,
"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell!"
And no one can say that he lied.
Now the fireman;s reports they are missing
The records of forty-two days;
The collier manager had them destroyed
To cover his criminal ways.
Down there in the dark they are lying.
They died for nine shillings a day;
They have worked out their shift and now they must lie
In the darkness until Judgement day.
Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting
To help out the children and wives;
The owners have sent some white lilies
To pay for the poor colliers' lives.
Farewell all our dear wives and children
Farewell all our comrades as well,
Don't send your sons down the dark dreary pit
They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.
Contributed by Bernart - 2013/7/24 - 15:56
E' probabile che l'autore di questa canzone sia tal Charles Williams, capo della prima squadra di soccorso ad entrare nel pozzo di Gresford devastato dall'esplosione. Tutti i suoi compagni morirono asfissiati nel primo tentativo di accedere alle gallerie.
Al termine dei soccorsi vennero ritrovati solo i resti di una decina di minatori, degli altri 250 nessuna traccia: letteralmente divorati dalla deflagrazione e dall'incendio successivo.
Al termine dei soccorsi vennero ritrovati solo i resti di una decina di minatori, degli altri 250 nessuna traccia: letteralmente divorati dalla deflagrazione e dall'incendio successivo.
Bernart - 2013/7/24 - 16:16
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Canzone di autore anonimo incisa per primo da Ewan MacColl nel suo disco “Shuttle and Cage” pubblicato nel 1957.
Testo trovato su Mudcat Café
Il 22 settembre del 1934 si verificò una terribile esplosione di gas metano nella grande miniera di carbone di Gresford nel Galles. Morirono 266 minatori, alcuni dei quali dei ragazzini, compresi alcuni delle squadre di soccorso intervenute dopo l’incidente.
Incidente? Non fu affatto un incidente ma, come molte volte è capitato e capita in ogni angolo della terra (compresa la nostra ridente penisola, e penso soprattutto al recente rogo alla Thyssen Krupp di Torino), la strage fu causata dall’insufficienza delle misure di sicurezza e dall’incuria della società proprietaria che non aveva provveduto a sostituire o implementare i sistemi di ventilazione.
Né il tribunale né la proprietà consentì ai legali e ai periti dei lavoratori di accedere per un’ispezione nell’area dove l’esplosione si era innescata. Venne anche fuori che il manager della miniera aveva fatto sparire documenti importanti ai fini dell’indagine. Comunque nessuno dei responsabili venne mai condannato ad un solo giorno di carcere o ad una sola sterlina di risarcimento.