The Men Below
The town that is a mile high and a mile deep. That was Butte's claim to fame. Nearly every day, I was working deep in the heart of the Earth chasing copper ore. It was hard, dangerous work which rivaled that of being in the infantry. This deep the ground was hot and the air was stuffy. We were nearly at the limits of what the air pumps thousands of feet above could supply to us down below. Ever deeper we ventured.
Long gone were the days of the pick and shovel. Sure, such tools still found occasional use in special circumstances, but this was the age of mechanization! Drilling teams would bore out holes into solid rock, then blasting teams would precisely explode the rock, breaking it and extending the tunnel a few feet. Hundreds of men and boys worked around the clock to extend the tunnels out and the shafts down, like massive worms boring into a tree at a snail's pace. Once the rock was broken we came in.
We younger guys were in charge of loading the mine carts and laying track down in the mine. Tiny locomotives powered by air or electricity would shove a line of cars our way, each one holding two tons of rock. We'd then load them up by hand until twenty or thirty carts were loaded to the brim. The copper ore would go up in its own tram to be sorted while the bulk of our material was considered waste that needed to be dumped on the outskirts of town or down by Anaconda.
The tunnels weren't usually the place for bigger people. Unfortunately, I was tall for a miner. Most were barely over five foot but I was only an inch shy of being a full six foot tall. Hunched back and tight shoulders was the norm for me in this cramped space, but it was all worth it. Between what I earned and what mom could net as a seamstress, we had just enough money to keep the family going. Riley now was in school while Liam was nearly finished with high school. Sean had just graduated last year, joining me as part of the first generation of the Kelly clan to complete their studies.
The next shift came in to relieve us, and we made our way back to the chippy with sore muscles. The ride up was quite an experience. It was like the hand of god was plucking us out of Hell and delivering us to the surface. Three or four chippies were stacked on top of each other. The young recruits rode in the lowest car while the most senior miners rode in the top car. I was stuck in the middle with the bulk of the miners. Most of us had been working for Anaconda on and off for several years now, part of a new generation of miners who never knew what it was like to work in a union town. Since the events of 1914 Butte did not recognize a union. Sure, the bosses were nice enough to us. They certainly appreciated the work we did, just not enough to give us more than a few dollars a day.
Waiting to be let out was the hardest part. The older guys didn't move as quickly as we'd like, so the rest of us were stuck only a few feet from the surface waiting for the lift operator to pull us up to the platform. Finally, after the first two chippies were cleared out it was our turn. The bright light of dawn was blinding! We got paid marginally more to work the night shifts. Unfortunately, I couldn't work at night the whole time. Tomorrow was Friday and I would be working during the day. On one hand, that gave me nearly a full day off toward the end of the work week. On the other hand, it would mean a little less money when the family needed every penny.
Once out, it was straight to the dry house. Copper and other metals needed to be washed out of every inch of fur lest the ore cause sores on the skin beneath our fur. At least I didn't have long hair to content with, unlike some of the miners around me. Modesty wasn't really a thing in the dry house. Toilets, showers, and sinks were all communal. Most cats didn't need to bathe every day, but for us it was a matter of staying healthy. The silicosis was bad enough, but to get sores on the skin could prove fatal in our environment. All it would take was an infection or illness and then we'd be up to Duggan's place to be fitted for a casket.
After a hot shower, we all dried off as best as we could. Even though it was summer, Butte was often cold and none of us could afford to miss a shift due to illness. Hanging our work clothes on the rack to dry, we all celebrated another day before heading home. I didn't have a coat to wear on this cold, damp morning. Sean needed it more than me since he would be walking farther from the "Original" mine while I had a shorter walk from the "Con" mine, the deepest in Butte.
The cold wind whipped at my still damp furth and a chill ran from my head down to the tip of my tail. It was miserable working for Anaconda Copper but what was a cat to do? Three siblings and a mother to keep fed was more than enough motivation to keep coming back every day. Still, I could escape into a fantasy dream for a little while before bed each day. We would all be happily living on a midwestern farm where the work was still hard but far less dangerous. The long summer days could afford us some leisure time while the long winter nights would let us all live closely as a family. That was the dream, and every season that passed it had to be pushed a little further down the road. We needed money to move and at the moment the only thing we owned which was worth a damn was a half-rotten house on the edge of the town. IT was cheap when mom and dad bought it and it remained cheap due to lack of maintenance. There was simply no time for all of us to work and keep our possessions in good condition.
I would soon pay for my trip in the cold air as a cough and fever developed throughout the day. By nightfall it was bad enough that I knew I wouldn't be able to work tomorrow's shift. Mom, despite being distant since Dad died, was caring enough to get me spare blankets and clothes as I remained in bed, coughing and sneezing. Right at dusk, Sean let himself in.
"Liam, where's Ethan?"
"He's in the bedroom. Mom says he's sick." Liam said, not looking up from his homework.
"Ethan is sick?" Young Riley asked, taking a break from her sketchbook. "Is he going to be okay?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine, sis. But that's too bad." Sean said. "I was assigned to work the Con Mine tomorrow with him."
"Yeah, that's not happening. Sorry Sean." I said, crawling to the door. I knew I looked miserable and the look on everyone's faces confirmed it.
"Go back to bed, honey." Mom said from the kitchen. "Perhaps one of your friends can replace you tomorrow?"
"I wish, mom. They're all already spoken for or got different kinds of jobs."
"I'll fill in!" Liam said proudly.
"No Liam, you've got school. Besides, it's going to be down at the five-thousand-foot level."
"Oh come on! I'm just as good as you and Sean!"
"You're too green. Really, we shouldn't be working the same shift in the same mine anyway. It's too risky and we can't afford for more than one of us to get sick or hurt at a time."
"Well, someone has to fill your shift. The foreman will deduct your pay otherwise." Sean said, doing the math in his head. "We can't afford to lose out on four dollars."
"I know." I said. "Fine. Liam, if you want to replace me tomorrow then go for it. Sean, you watch him like a hawk, understand?"
"Yes sir!" Sean said, giving me a salute.
"And you, Liam…"
"Yes, Ethan?"
"Don't take any risks, understand? Do as Sean and all the other miners say. My clothes will be on the rack. They might be a bit big on you but it's all we have."
That was about the extent of what I could deal with for the night. Soon I was asleep, dreaming of the day we'd finally leave this industrial hell.
The Worst Day
"Alright boys, time to load up!" The foreman called in the dry house. One by one, miners grabbed their helmets and filled up their carbide lamps. Ethan's helmet was a bit big on Liam, as were the overalls. He hadn't quite grown as tall as his brothers though he was hoping for a late growth spurt before graduation. On one hand it was embarrassing to be as big as a lot of the women, but on the other he fit right in amongst the miners. Sean was the odd man out down in those tunnels, just like Ethan. Too tall and lean for mining, both were hoping to eventually be promoted to surface where their size was an advantage. There was one other advantage to his smaller frame though. Sitting on the couch, the youngest Kelly brother was always nested between Ethan and Sean. He and Riley could always count on having a shoulder to fall asleep on or an arm to comfort them. In some ways it was hard to live without Dad, but in other ways it was a lot more enjoyable. Knowing that he was loved by two brothers who would fiercely protect him was a constant comfort to the youngest of the Kelly brothers.
Loaded in the bottom chippy, Liam was nervous as hell being sent down into the depths of the mine. But in the dark, he felt the reassuring hand of his brother there next to him. The cramped quarters didn't give anyone a lot of room to move so he was happy to be pressed up against Sean's chest where he felt some semblance of safety. The different levels clicked by them at a brisk pace. It would take nearly half an hour to make the trip right down to the bottom of the mine. Finally, after waiting for an eternity, the chippy slowed and then stopped. Dim lights lit up the sign before them.
"Five thousand feet." They were almost at sea level despite living at the crown of the continent.
Their assignment for the day was simple. The rock they were drilling into was unstable and it was their job to reinforce the tunnel. Long anchors would be pounded into drilled holes, pinning the rocks above them while drilling teams worked own the tunnel to chase the copper veins. All Liam had to do was hold the anchors in place while Sean pounded away. It was exhausting work and Sean had come close to smashing a finger several times. In the dark tunnel the best way to provide a target for the hammer was to use the reflection of a thumb claw to indicate where the head of the anchor was. The trick was to move the finger before the hammer made contact. At least the siblings worked well together as a team!
An anchor team with two fresh recruits to the mine were working behind them near the chippy. They were banging away but at a slower pace. The greenhorn with the hammer wasn't steady yet and often clipped or missed the anchor. This work was good practice to build up the strength to use a twelve-pound hammer and the confidence to swing it in the dark. Unknown to everyone in the tunnel, the drillers had accidentally broken loose a large chunk of rock in the ceiling. Each anchor the greenhorns put in was fracturing the rock three feet beyond the tunnel wall. As the final anchor was pounded in place, a loud rumbling noise came from above them. Sean, realizing what was about to happen, grabbed Liam and ducked deeper into the tunnel as many tons of rock broke loose. The greenhorns didn't stand a chance. The drilling teams were suddenly without water and without power. Their only lights were the carbide lanterns, but they couldn't illuminate much as a cloud of dust enveloped everyone.
"What the hell happened?!" The crew boss called out.
Someone feeling up the tunnel toward the chippy ran into an unstable rubble pile. "The tunnel caved in!" The miner called back.
"Shit…" Was the collective though of everyone involved.
On the other side of the collapse, wires were severed and started sparking. The electricity eventually caught the greased-up cables on fire, and soon the shaft was ablaze being fueled by fresh air from the pumps on the surface.
The hoist operator started getting emergency bells from different levels. The warnings from the different levels deep in the mine were all the same. "Fire." Perhaps the worst thing that could happen in a mine.
"Chuck, cut the pumps from three thousand on down!" He called out while bringing the hoist drum online to evacuate miners with the chippies. He brought one chippy down to the bottom in an attempt to get to the five-thousand-foot level. They'd be the first ones to run out of oxygen. Yet there was no bell from that level. After two minutes there was still no response. Writing a note to the attendant, the hoist operator went back to his work, using every shaft he could to get miners out. The attendant got on the phone and called the fire department and then the mine boss. There was a fire and men were unaccounted for.
I awoke to the sound of my mother, frantically searching for her shoes. "Ethan, something's happened at the mine!" She exclaimed while digging out her boots.
I struggled out of bed, still sick. But my brothers could be in trouble and God help anyone who would try to keep me bedridden. Riley was at school so we wouldn't have to worry about her for a few hours.
We made our way up the Con Mine and the scene that greeted us was the definition of panic. Fire crews were sending men below to battle a blaze while the air pumps had all been shut down to attempt to starve the fire of air. I spotted our foreman as he wrote down names on a note pad.
"What the hell's happened?" I asked, dragging my mother over to the miners.
"There was a fire down in the lower levels. I'm sorry, Ethan, but your brothers are part of the missing crew down there."
I wasted no time, heading for the dryer house. "Get me down there!" I ordered.
"Not a chance, Kelly! No one is going down until this blaze is put out. Even if you could reach them, you'd be going down through areas starved of air."
"Then fire up the air pump for shaft three."
"And risk catching the whole mine on fire? No way."
The foreman and I went back and forth until he threatened to have me arrested and thrown in jail overnight. Finally relenting, I was forced to wait most of the day until the blaze was extinguished. I was on the first chippy down to the five-thousand-foot level, and the scene that greeted us was heartbreaking. Where a tunnel should have been there was a massive pile of rubble. We got to work immediately, removing rock debris and stabilizing the walls. A chunk of rock almost the size of our house had given way and crumbled, completely blocking the tunnel and trapping a crew of a dozen cats down in the tunnel. I hoped and prayed that my brothers were still alive, somehow having enough oxygen despite being isolated from the rest of the mine for almost a full day by this point.
Eventually, the bodies of two miners were found under the rubble, crushed by several tons of rock. It was obvious to us more veteran miners what happened. The very anchors that were supposed to prevent such an event had accidentally dislodged part of the mountain and these two had paid the price. After ten hours of digging we managed to break through to the other side and into the tunnel.
The rain came down hard on the funeral service as we laid my brothers to rest. Mom was catatonic, Riley couldn't stop crying. The poor girl wouldn't leave my side and was terrified every time I went below in the mine. Several days after the fire I was down at the same level and the crew was acting like nothing happened. We didn't speak of death down in the mine, saving it instead for the whorehouses and gin joints scattered throughout the city. Before the caskets were lowered, I willed myself to go up to them and speak to my brothers one last time.
"Sean, we found you still holding onto Liam. You were a damn fine brother right to the very end. And Liam, oh God… It should have been me. I don't- I don't know how we're going to keep going without you both. I was your brother and it was my duty to keep you safe. All I can say now is… I'm sorry I failed you…"
I could hardly stand in my grief, though a little hand grabbed onto my tail. I noticed Riley there, sad just like me. Scooping her up, I buried my head into her shoulder as she buried hers into mine. She and mom were all I had left now.
The boys were lowered into their final resting place next to Dad, and behind them in the next row was Uncle Michael and Cousin Fred next to my aunt who I barely remembered. More of us were in the ground now than still breathing.
On the walk home Riley fell asleep in my arms. I tucked the little girl in and kissed her on the forehead. I would not let myself die. She needed me now and it was becoming apparent that mom wouldn't be much help from now on. She hadn't said a word all week. She hadn't cooked, cleaned, or played with Riley. In fact, all she seemed to do was sip on a bottle of smuggled wine while staring out the window. This was going to be our life now. I would have to go back into the mines five or six days a week, down into that hell which claimed my brothers.
Guilt
I woke up in a cold sweat after tossing and turning in the bed. For a moment, I thought I was in Butte once again. But as I got up and opened the curtain, the lights of Saint Louis brought some comfort to me. We were over a thousand miles away from that damn place. But three years later I still wish it had been me down there that day.
Opening the door to Riley's room, I could see she was sound asleep, hopefully dreaming about happy things. Despite growing so much in the last three years, she was still so precious to me. My only sibling still alive, my existence was dedicated to making sure that somehow she would have the chance to make a life of her own someday. But for now I could take heart knowing that she was among trusted friends. I kissed her gently on the forehead before closing the door quietly.
Tired, I sat down on the couch, but in doing so I woke up Rocky. Both of us were startled and I fell on the floor in a heap.
"What the-!" Rocky said. "Who goes there!"
"It's just me…" I mumbled while picking myself up. "Sorry, I forgot you were sleeping here."
"It's okay. I don't get a lot of sleep anyway." He said, pointing to that hideous cactus.
"Why the hell did you bring that up here?"
"I gotta have a friend…" He explained. "What kind of friend would I be if I left the poor thing down in the car by itself?"
"Are you talking about the plant, or yourself?" I asked, sitting on the couch while making sure Rocky's legs were out of the way this time.
"Well, at least I'm tolerated…"
"Rocky, you are worth far more than a cactus to us. And I more than tolerate you."
"I guess that's a new concept to me…"
I couldn't help but hug him. "You're part of this crew, Rocky. And Riley is right, by the way. You and Freckle do remind me of my brothers. I miss those boys every single day. They died three years ago today because I failed them. I won't fail again."
"Ethan, I…" But Rocky was overwhelmed. He vaguely remembered Ethan hugging him before when he was pumped full of pain killers, but now he was completely aware of what was happening. Someone was giving him a hug. He hadn't been hugged in years by anyone, not even Freckle.
"Ethan, what's this about?"
I backed off instantly. "Oh, I'm sorry Rocky. It's just, I dreamed about my brothers again. I guess I'm in a sorrowful mood. Anyway—" I was taken off guard and Rocky hugged me, tight.
"Thanks. I'm glad to have a friend." Rocky said.
"…the feeling is mutual. I guess I was concerned for the safety of you and Freckle before when I joined up with this crew, but after all we've been through in the last few weeks I really do care about both of you." I said, running my hand along the back of Rocky's head. I could hear him cry a bit as he pressed his face into my shirt.
"You've really had a rough go of it in life, haven't you?" I asked. Rocky nodded his head.
"Well, like I said. I more than tolerate you, Rocky. You know, I've been thinking. That Atlas May built a crew out of strays like us. Maybe its time some of us strays build a family? I know I'd like that, how about you?"
Rocky wiped his eyes before slumping back onto the couch. "Ethan, I—I'd love nothing more."
"So who wants to tell McMurray that he's been forced into a family of criminals?" I asked, chuckling at the thought. Rocky joined me as he cleared his eyes.
"I'll tell him, he's used to bad news coming from me." He said.
I stood up, covering Rocky up with the blanket. "We'll have to get you a proper bed when all this is over."
Rocky didn't say anything else, but I suspect he was more than pleased. I laid back in my bed and looked out the window in contemplation. There was no way Rocky or Freckle were going to replace the brothers I lost, but now the more rational part of my brain was making the argument clear to me. I couldn't change the past, but I could build a future. That was the goal, after all. A future for Riley and me. But maybe some of our friends needed help building a future too. I'd be happy to help out Freckle in any way he required, and if Rocky needed a home its not like he had a lot of alternatives. After all the help he had been I'd feel bad if he were to keep sleeping in the car. He might have screwed up before in his young life, but no one deserved to be without friends or family while living out of a car.
Even so, Liam and Sean's deaths were something I'd never completely get over. They were my little brothers and I should have done better to protect them. Even if that meant going some days without food or going longer without proper shoes. Liam was smart and ambitious enough that he could have gone to college if we could find a patron. And Sean? That creative boy could have done all kinds of work. They followed my footsteps into the depths of Hell because they trusted that I could teach them to stay safe. Instead, I taught them the trade of mining, and as a result they were buried up on a hill with our parents and other relatives.
I would not repeat that mistake with these two boys I was now working with.