When Darkness Fell

When Darkness Fell (a miners tribute)

Miner’s Wives Run To the Pithead

It was on the morning of October twenty two
When darkness fell on Blantyre from mine shafts one and two
Many people stood around as tears filled up their eyes
Two hundred and seven people working there all died.

The youngest being a kid he was eleven years of age
Rescue bids were thwarted even at this early stage
The blast was heard for miles around the dense smoke filled the sky
The fiery mine as it was known had blown from deep inside.

The history books will tell us everybody who has died
But none of them can ever tell the pain that hurt inside
The ninety two girls widowed and the children left behind
The day the darkness fell upon this dear old town of mine

Work continued through the night and into the next day
Body after body coming up from the coal face
It took around a week or so before the mine was clear
How Joseph Gilmour’s guarantee had now become a fear.

Men and boys who left that day at five thirty a.m.
Had no idea that on there way they won’t come home again
The fears they had the year before would soon becoming true
Eight forty five and still alive before them two shafts blew.

Everybody on the face went running to the sound
Knowing there was many people trapped there underground
Seven bodies near the top where pulled out right away
Many years have come and gone since Blantyre’s tragedy.

Miners were complaining fearing safety for their lives
But William Dixon’s colliery was never on their side
A wage rise was refused to them for risking life and like
And sacking it was imminent for those who went on strike.

The day the darkness fell upon this dear old town of mine.

My Name is Jim Donnelly, I am a songwriter from Blantyre, I recently wrote a song about the Blantyre mining disaster, it’s called When Darkness Fell.
copyright words and music by Jim Donnelly

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If you have any Poems… Send them to Bill

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