Walk the Pit Road

by Meg Foster

  Pete would love a son, what man wouldn’t. And dad, he had hinted often enough that Elsie could do with a wee brother. Well maybe if her brother Joe got a move on he might be able to give dad the grandson he so wanted, what’s more, one with the Wilson name.

  Joe had been seeing a lot of the new infant teacher up at the wee school. Alice Tod was her name; she lodged with Mr O’Brien and his wife at their cottage in the village proper. Nancy liked the look of her; she was a city girl and had a bit of class about her. Just what Nancy would like in a sister in law.

  Joe had never brought a girl home before and the fact she was coming to lunch on Sunday spoke volumes. Maggie was thrilled that Joe had met someone he cared for and also thought she was a very presentable girl, but the main thing was she made Joe happy. It would also make John happy to see his son settled. Maggie knew he worried that Joe might end up with a shrew of a wife just as he had worried about Nancy before she married Peter.

  Nancy pondered on her situation; if it turned out she could have no more children she decided she would return to work. Mr Jones her old boss at the post office had said she was one of the best workers he had ever had the pleasure of employing, and if ever she wanted to come back he would try his best to fit her in. That was over seven years ago of course and things change. It would be worth asking though.

  Elsie would be able to go to her Granny’s after school and Peter could leave the pit. Perhaps he could get a nice job selling cars. That market was taking off as more ordinary working class people were able to afford a small motor. They had been having a look around the yards themselves. Nancy could just imagine what people would say if the Martins were the first in the rows to own a car. She remembered the time she had laid wall to wall carpet in her living room. ‘Pretentious,’ was the word used by a woman in the queue at the co-op. What was pretentious about wanting the house looking nice? wondered Nancy.

  Then there was the question of the house, if Peter left the pit they would have to give up number 8 Front Row and find something else, something in the village proper. A nice little cottage in Woodvale Terrace, perhaps, or even farther afield. However that would interfere with Elsie’s schooling... With a start Nancy realised she was planning a future that appealed to her, what if the Dr said there was no reason she could not have more children? What plans would she have then?

  Picking up a fashion magazine to divert her thoughts she flipped through the pages, until the girl called her name and she rose to enter the doctor’s room with more than a little apprehension.

  *****

  Up by the moor at Mile End, Annie Fell was collecting the eggs. The hens hadn’t been laying too well lately, and she hoped they weren’t going off.

  The money Annie got from selling her eggs helped supplement the wage she got cleaning for the Reverend Dodds up at the Manse. He was an easy man to work for, clean in his habits and not too demanding about meals. He saw to his own breakfast and midday meal then Annie went up and cooked him a hot dinner around about 5pm in the afternoon.

  Annie had been widowed about four years now. William, her late husband, ever the conscientious shepherd, had spent nearly a week bringing in the new lambs and pregnant sheep that had been stranded in the hills when an unexpected snow fall had cut them off. Working long hours soaked to the skin had resulted in a bad bout of bronchitis which rapidly turned into pneumonia. It was all over very quickly and Annie found herself left to bring up the three children on her own. Billy, the oldest, was ten at the time, Bobby eight and little Mary only five.

  Three months ago, when Billy turned fourteen, he had informed his mother that he was old enough to get a job. He was going down the pit. Annie pleaded with him but like his father before him he was determined to do what he saw as the right thing. The right thing in Billy’s mind was to become the man of the house and provide for his mother and the other children, or at least to the best of his ability.

  The pit paid the best wages so that is where he went. Annie had to admit that the extra money was a great help, Bobby now had strong shoes for the big school instead of canvas plimsolls, and Billy was insisting she buy new winter coats for Mary and herself. She could really do with one she hadn’t had a new stitch of clothing in over five years.

  Still and all she hated the idea of her boy going down the shaft every day. Well, the least she could do was make sure there was a hot hearty meal for him when he came off the day shift this afternoon. “He still has the appetite of a growing boy, coupled with that of a working man, and can put away an inordinate amount of food.' his mother thought as she set about peeling the pile of potatoes on the draining board.

  *****

  Grace, Ellen, and Isobel, had finished pegging the last of Isobel’s sheets. Ellen’s load of nappies and towels were in the rinse water ready for mangling and Chappies work clothes, encrusted with coal dust, were steeping in the last of the hot water in the boiler.

  As the three women stood chatting the strong aroma of frying came from Maggies open back door. Old John was having his breakfast. Grace thought she felt a tremble beneath her feet and glanced down in puzzlement. Seconds later a great shudder passed through the green. The women stared at each other in fright, and then comprehension dawned.

  “Oh! Jesus, it’s the pit” breathed Grace her face draining of all colour..

  *****

  She had only just uttered the words when the pit siren began to wail.

  Dashing inside Grace threw open the bedroom door, Alex was already struggling into his clothes. All along the rows, doors were flung open and men, women, and even children were pouring out and running up the hill to the pit head.

  When Grace and Alex came out they found old John struggling along leaning heavily on his cane. “Stay put, John,’ said Alex. “My Joes down there,” gasped John in anguish. “I know man, but I’ll send you word. It may not be too bad.” However, Grace remembered what she had felt beneath her feet, and knew it was bad.

  Reluctantly John turned back to his front door. Alex murmured to Grace to stay with him and make sure Maggie was okay.

  On seeing John turn back Maggie had gone inside and emerged with a kitchen chair. Setting it down on the pavement by the door she returned for a second one for herself.

  Grace followed her in, the table held the remains of the fried meal and the still hot teapot. Placing some cups on a tray Grace carried the tea out to the old couple sitting side by side. They were not physically touching but were as united as a husband and wife could be. She was a bit worried about Maggie, her colour was that of wet clay and her hands were shaking. For the first time Grace saw her as an old woman.

  Isobel Ford hurried past, her coat pulled tight over her extended belly. ‘Of course! Jim was down,’ Grace called out to her but she did not hear, or chose not to, just continued to stumble along in her blind panic.

  ‘Who else was down?’ Grace wondered, then it struck her. ‘Peter Martin! The same Peter who had asked Alex to change shifts. If he had not, Alex would be down there now. Did Alex realize? Of course he did, stupid thought.’ her heart ached for her man knowing he would be feeling responsible for Peter’s circumstances.

  Peter was also in Maggies thoughts, along with Joe, these two were good mates. God willing they would both be safe.

  Ellen Chapman joined the little group on the pavement, the two little girls with slices of fruit bread in their hands. Ellen was holding little Nell who was guzzling on her feeding bottle. The siren had frightened her and she had started screaming.

  Ellen’s first instinct was to make for the pit head but she realized no one would want to listen to a screaming baby, and girls turned whiny at the tension around them, despite having a rare treat of fruit loaf. She was in a quandary, what should she do? How would it look if she did not go up? Grace made the decision for her by telling her to stay with them and Alex would send word as soon as he could.

  Inside the wee school the children were very restless. The teachers Mrs Budd and M
iss Linden tried to keep them occupied but it was difficult. Alice Tod, with the infants, was coping better although she was very agitated herself. She kept thinking about Joe who was on the day shift.

  Joe and Alice had been seeing a lot of each other and since last weekend could be classed as walking out together.

  Lunch last Sunday had been with her parents in the city. When she first told them she was seeing a miner her mother Jane had been horrified. She could do better than that. A nice young man in a profession would be more appropriate. It had taken a lot of cajoling on both Alice and her father’s part to talk Jane into asking Joe for lunch.

  Alan, Alice’s father, was a dentist of some repute in the city and had hoped his daughter would make a suitable match. When he saw the light in Alice’s eyes as she spoke of Joe he knew that this young man was her choice and therefore, as far as he was concerned more than suitable. At least he felt they had to meet the boy before passing judgement.

  The lunch was a pleasant success, Alan found Joe a likeable lad, and they spent some time talking about the skill in extracting teeth and the skill in extracting coal. In the one case care had to be taken not to injure the patient. In the other, equal care had to be exercised to avoid bringing the roof down on top of the workers.

  Jane had laid on a spread with salmon sandwiches, cut in neat little triangles, and a variety of cakes from Thompson’s bakery. She had to admit that Joe was a nice enough boy and showed more manners than some of the sons of her friends. The afternoon ended in a friendly game of cards with Alan winning most hands and lording it over them in his affable way.

  Next Sunday it was Alice’s turn to be looked over. Lunch at Maggie's was set for 12 noon, and Alice was a just little bit uneasy. The only contact she’d had with Maggie was a brief good morning after church on Sundays; Joe’s sister Nancy was a different story.

  Nancy was often up at the school with one complaint or another. She felt that little Elsie was not getting enough attention, or she didn’t want Elsie sitting beside that dirty boy Jones. Most of her complaints were not justified but Mrs Budd always listened politely and did her best to smooth things over.

  Elsie was a friendly little girl and the teacher did not want her to be disliked by the other children because of her mother. The problem had been discussed in the staff room so Alice was aware of Nancy’s reputation. Now she was to have lunch with Joe’s parents where his sister and her husband would also be present.

  At the moment Sunday lunch was the farthest thing from Alice’s mind. When Mrs Budd asked what shift Joe was on and Alice told her he was down this morning she immediately informed Mr O’Brien and arrangements were made for the infants to be split between herself and Miss Linden to allow Alice to go to the pit head.

  Mr O’Brien was annoyed with himself for not thinking of this himself, after all the girl lodged with him and his wife and they knew of her attachment to the Wilson boy. Hopefully things were under control and everyone would soon be home safe. Somehow he doubted this, Mr Brown had not yet returned and that did not bode well.

  Mr Brown, the janitor had gone up to the pit to find out what he could, and to reassure the mothers there that the children would be taken care of and not allowed out until provisions had been made for them.

  Back at the school Mr O’Brien had instructed the dinner ladies to try to stretch the meals to cover the children who usually went home for lunch, they would not get a lot but it would suffice.

  *****

  The throng at the pit head stood mostly in silence. The few who needed to talk did so in hushed voices. More and more people kept arriving as the news spread over the county.

  Doctor Craig had abandoned his morning surgery and come up with Constable Price from the local police station. He would be on standby until the medical team and ambulances on their way from the city arrived. The Salvation Army came with their ever hot urn, and moved quietly among the waiting crowd handing out cups of sweet tea.

  In a village often divided by sectarian differences the Reverent Dodds and Father Kelly also went among the fearful crowd waiting for news. All hoping for the best, but dreading the worst.

  Local miners on other shifts were now joined by men from collieries all over the county. In all there were literally hundreds of men on standby ready to go down if needed. Only a mining community can understand the horror of what was happening.

  Alex, on a line to the pit bottom, had spoken to Andrew Wells, a senior shot-firer. Drew told him fifty three men had made it to the bottom of the shaft. There had been an explosion in number three tunnel but he did not know any more at this stage. Between them Alex and Drew organized for the first lot of men to be brought up. A few had quite bad injuries, but fortunately no fatalities. However there was bad news, six men were unaccounted for.

  This is what Alex had been dreading. Fires and falls were one thing, but missing men was something he didn’t want to hear. He had assembled the best of his rescue team left above ground and prepared to go down to access the situation.

  When Alice reached the crowd she stared in horror. Many of the faces were that of the mothers of her pupils. ‘How many men went down in a shift?’ She wondered.

  Looking round she noticed a young pregnant woman who looked like she was on the verge of collapse. Alice lifted an old wooden box lying by the garden bed near the manager’s office. A bed filled with wild primroses, so incongruous in the given situation.

  Alice approached the girl and convinced her to sit. Doctor Craig saw her there and came over, he advised her to go down home but Isobel mutely shook her head. A passing sally army man brought two cups of tea, and, to keep the doctor happy, Isobel managed to drink some. There was no way she was leaving here while Jim was still underground. Alice found another box so she could sit beside Isobel and keep an eye on her; it looked as if the baby was due any day.

  A deathly silence fell over the crowd as the wheel began to turn, bringing the cage to the surface. Volunteers were ready and waiting to assist the men should they need it.

  The miners poured out, black streaked faces shining with sweat and exhaustion. Two were carried by their workmates, one whose leg was clearly broken and an older man who was in a state of collapse.

  The ambulance men moved in to relieve the men and transfer the injured to the ambulance. There were a few more with lacerations and all were having a hard time catching their breath.

  The women had held back to let the helpers do their work, then, in a rush those who saw their husbands or sons moved forward to meet and hold their menfolk, but many stood looking in vain.

  Isobel saw Jim as he left the cage, even from this distance she could see a large gash across his forehead. As she struggled to rise she found herself restrained by Alice. Someone pointed Jim in the right direction and he dashed to his wife’s side. As he hugged her the tears streamed down her face and her body trembled with relief.

  Alice looked again at the cage, when she did not see Joe her stomach dropped and her heart raced. ‘Be sensible,’ she told herself, there are more men waiting to come up. Joe will be among them.

  The first ambulance took off with the more serious of the hurt men. Jim refused to go, so Doctor Craig patched him up temporarily. Jim was one of Alex’s trained rescue workers, although, it had all been theory up til now. He wanted to stay but as he was already exhausted Alex sent him home with Isobel, assuring him if he was needed he would be sent for. Constable Price bundled both him and Isobel into his car and drove them down home.

  Alice stood alone as the cage descended once more, this time containing Alex who was going down to see for himself what could be done.

  It was still not known exactly what had happened but Drew Wells had reported that six men were unaccounted for. On reaching the bottom Alex and Drew supervised some more men into the cage and sent it on its way up.

  Joe Wilson, Andrew Pyke. Albert Jones, Chappie Chapman, Peter Martin and Billy Fells were not among them.

  *
****

  When the names of the missing were known at the surface, James Long took on the difficult job of telling John and Maggie. James had just come up from hell himself and Enid was there waiting. Suffering only from slight smoke inhalation James was able to walk down the hill leaning lightly on his wife’s arm.

  As they approached the little group outside number seven, John knew at once that his son was among the missing. He had seen the police car dropping Isobel and Jim at their door and after seeing Isobel safe inside Jim had come over to tell John what he knew. How there had been a major explosion and there were fires burning in pockets in the tunnels. Alex had gone down to assess the situation, and unfortunately there were some missing, but at that stage Jim did not know who.

  Jim and Joe were best friends and had been since primary school, they had even started in the pit the same day. When Jim had reached the bottom of the shaft he had looked around at the crowd of anxious men but could not see Joe. That didn’t mean he wasn’t there he told himself. No need to worry old John and Maggie. Now like John he guessed the bad news James was bringing.

  As James told the names, Grace’s heart turned over. Among the missing was Maggie’s son, Joe, her son-in-law, Peter, and poor Ellen’s abusive husband Chappie.

  Enid Long looked at the pram containing eight month old Thomas Graham and three month old Nell Chapman. Catching Ellen’s eye, she called the two little girls over and told them they were coming for a visit to Auntie Enid’s, and pushing the pram she nodded to Grace. Enid Long, one of the few women in the rows who looked down her nose at Ellen, had compassion in her heart.

  John had risen and Grace took one arm while Ellen took the other. Maggie told the little group that Nancy was expected back on the four thirty bus. It was agreed that she should stay behind and meet her daughter with the terrible news that both her husband and brother were missing in the mine.

  Making their way up the hill the old man and the two women met others coming down. The sympathetic silence said more than words ever could.