The Gresford Disaster

X:1
T:The Gresford Disaster
B:Palmer, Roy, Povery Knock, 1974, Cambridge University Press
S:Mrs A Cosgrove, Newtongrange, Midlothian
Z:Peter Kennedy/Alan Lomax
F:http://www.folkinfo.org/songs
M:6/8     %Meter
L:1/8     %
K:C
C |CE3/2G/ GFE |D C2- C2
w:You've heard of the Gres-ford dis-as-ter, *
C/C/ |CEG cBA | G3- G2
w:Of the ter-rib-le price that was paid, *
G|ccc cBA |GAG E2
w:Two hun-dred-and for-ty-two col-liers were lost,
G/G/ |GDE FED | C3-C2 |]
w: And three men of a res-cue brig-ade.*
W:You've heard of the Gresford disaster,      
W:Of the terrible price that was paid,
W:Two hundred and forty-two colliers were lost,         
W:And three men of a rescue brigade.
W:
W:It occurred in the month of September;
W:At three in the morning the pit
W:Was racked by a violent explosion
W:In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.
W:
W:Now the gas in the Dennis deep section
W:Was heaped there like snow in a drift,
W:And many a man had to leave the coal-face
W:Before he had worked out his shift.
W:
W:Now a fortnight before the explosion,
W:To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried,
W:"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell",
W:And no-one can say that he lied.
W:
W:Now the fireman's reports they are missing,
W:The records of forty-two days;
W:The collier manager had them destroyed,
W:To cover his criminal ways.
W:
W:Down there in the dark they are lying,
W:They died for nine shillings a day.
W:They have worked out their shift and now they must lie
W:In the darkness until Judgement Day,
W:
W:Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting,
W:To help out our children and wives;
W:The owners have sent some white lilies
W:To pay for the poor colliers' lives.
W:
W:Farewell all our dear wives and children,
W:Farewell all our comrades as well;
W:Don't send your sons down the dark dreary pit,
W:They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.
W:

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