Convicted Firesmen
This song was composed in January 1880 concerning two firesmen which were tried and convicted in Hamilton. Their crime being gas lying in the main drawing road, and also convenient the coal face. It is as follows. Air. original.
Here I am a collier boy
My age is scarce seventeen,
I work in Dixon's colliery
Where loss of life has been.
There was an explosion in 1877
And one in seventy nine,
And a number now appear to us
Is two hundred and thirty nine.
After this catastrophe
That was in seventy nine,
Miners were elected every month
For to inspect the mines.
To examine roads and places
That all was safe and clear
And the benefits derive from this
I mean to let you hear.
One of those month's inspections
I mean to let you see,
When the inspector viewed the north side
Of the splint coal number three.
With Dougal McNichal the firesman
As the places they went round,
Seventeen places in his charge
Lying gas was found.
There was another firesman
In the ell seam number three,
George Watt is his name
His neglect I'll let you see.
There was lying gas found in the waste
Which he did not report,
Not many yards from the face
And the miner there at work.
Those men were summoned
To Hamilton had to go,
They were tried for neglect of duty
Their sentence you should know.
George Watt was fined one pound
Or the term of fourteen days,
Dougal NcNichal [in] two pound
Or confined for forty days.
Miners all of this take note
Think on those fires men,
Despite those great disasters
On them you can depend.
Consider how they went each day
And signed the workings clear,
Had I these men in my power
I would give them seven year.
