LIFE AND DEATH AT THE GREAT BEND TUNNEL
                  “Episode 1: Construction”

An original outdoor drama by
Russel Bragg

Tug Creek Productions                          PRODUCTION SCRIPT

676 Tug Creek Road                             February 27, 2017

Hinton, WV 25951                               © 2017 Russel Bragg

(304) 466-8074                                     All rights reserved.
BAEFARM @gmail.com                            

http://greatbendtunnelvison.blogspot.com/2017/02/life-and-death-in-construction-of-big.html

LIFE AND DEATH AT THE GREAT BEND TUNNEL

“Episode 1: Construction”

CAST

ANNOUNCER                The announcer – deep male voice.

Charles Rollyson              Poor farmer /exploited landowner (Age 32)

Aunt Bettie Rollyson        Pragmatic matron. (Age 64)

Captain William Johnson  Contractor and conman with waxed mustache

Booker Hunter                   Young nerdy small man.

Polly                                   Beautiful Black female

John Hardy                         Long arms strong black man sharp features

William C Ridgeway         Goatee -civil war Calvary hat long coat

Ridgeways brother            Ghostly

Mrs Ridgeway                   Attractive young woman

Buck Johnson                    Black man big worn out boots 22 years old

Phillip Hess                      17 year olds

Richard Rhodes                18 year olds

Frank Echols                    42 Black grizzled

Jack Cain                          30 white

James Cain                       32 white

Henry Meadows               26 Black

James Talcott                    36 White nerdy plaid

Doc Bray                          50 English accent

Cummins Grocer              32 butcher’s apron

              

NOTE:

The above list is for a cast of 20. A smaller cast of 10 can be used if the following roles are combined for one actor each:

John Hardy/Announcer/Henry Meadows (with fake hair)/Echols with beard

Cummins /Doc Bray (with stethoscope)/ Talcott (with costume)/ Ridgeway brothers (different costumes)

Hess and Rhodes / Cain brothers

Four sound effects/ lighting artists are also required as well as a projector for news articles.  News articles and photos are projected in announcer's screened off Tunnel.

Page 2

1.  Sound:              Bacon frying, Pans bang , fork/knife on plate

2.  ANNOUNCER:          We join the Rollysons as Breakfast is being finished up in the detached kitchen off of their farmhouse.  This was common in that time when the wood cook stoves heating food would have heated homes unbearably in the summer months.  

3.  CHARLES:            OHHHH Aunt Bettie! I am hurting in my back, legs, and shoulders something awful today. (rubbing back and legs alternatively)  I work hard every day here on our farm but working the land, hauling timbers, building barns, and driving oxen is nowhere close to the work of digging and breaking into that hillside.

                        You know we worked twelve hours yesterday and left a hole no bigger than a root cellar. They are talking about this being a five-year project but I say it’ll be more like ten years. I heard them say it is well over on a mile through to the other side.    

4.  SOUND:              Muffled distant boom! FlAsh of light behind announcer Siouette standing in front of Tunnel-shaped outline.

5.  Bettie:             Charles, I hear and see them digging all over that hillside I always thought you dig a tunnel from one side of a hill to another can’t they decide which way to go?

Page 3 

1.  Charles:            Well Aunt Bettie when I was a working down there yesterday I was explained why they are doing like that. Let me see that dough and I will show you. Okay this dough is the mountain. Here is your farm. Here is Rollysonburg and here is the railroad coming from the West. Now the railroad could go all the way with the riverbank of the Greenbrier and it would be nine twisty, steep rocky old miles; but by going up the holler here and drilling through the mountain they can have a level tunnel of about a mile. It takes lots of time to dig in from both ends but they decided if they dig some shafts from the top like this (pokes holes in dough) and then have men working on each face and in each hole, they can move lots of material and open the tunnel up in just a few years.  So now they have three crews working drilling shafts down through the hilltop to work digging the tunnel in either direction from the bottoms of those shafts and another two crews working from the ends.

2.  Bettie:             Blamed fools the lot of them -I would say, and you right along with them – I first thought we were the most blessed in the valley to have that railroad coming through my Daddy’s old farm so we could take our produce, eggs, and milk east into Stanton and Roanoke. But now all I have seen is them taking our pasture and stealing our timber. They robbing us not only under our noses but hiring you to do it. How much do they owe you now? Have you seen the first red cent yet?

3.  Charles:                I am keeping an account Aunt Bettie. Captain Johnson told me just yesterday how it won’t be long now till we are paid for the right of way and the shanties we built. His railroad is going to keep us making money from now on - we can wait a while yet.  Major Menifee just brought a whole passel of freedmen who used to work down there as contract slaves in the mines of Virginia to do the drilling and the mucking.

 Drilling is done by short stout workers who swing hammers in the tunnel and hit longs steel rods that are rotated by other men called shakers with each hammer strike.  The ends of the steel rods are shaped like stars so each time the hammer strikes

                        pieces of stone shoot out.

4. NOTE:                   THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY PHOTOS OF THE OPERATION BEING PROJECTED INTO THE ANNOUNCER’S TUNNEL SCREEN.)

                              Once a team of drivers and shakers get a hole a couple feet into the face of the rock a powder man comes and loads a charge of dynamite in the hole with a fuse hooked to it. Everyone backs away and the charge is set off blasting the hole bigger. (Pause)

5. NOTE:                   (Pause for Projection) (THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY PHOTOS OF THE OPERATION BEING PROJECTED INTO THE ANNOUNCER’S TUNNEL SCREEN WITH ACCOMPANYING “FIRE IN THE HOLE” AND BOOM FLASH. Voice of Frank Echols, Powderman)
END OF SCENE Lights down.

Life and Death in the Construction of the Great Bend Tunnel

Act 1 Home with Rollinsons

1870 Scene: cabin interior

Aunt Bettie Rollinson is cooking oats eggs and bacon for breakfast. She has just mixed some biscuit dough.  Charles Rollinson is dressed for work overcoat, bibs, pocket watch…

Charles : I am hurting in my back and legs and shoulders something awful today Aunt Bettie.  I work hard every day here on the farm but working the land, hauling timbers and building barns, and driving the oxen  is nowhere close to the work of breaking into that hillside. You know we worked all day yesterday and barely left a hole no bigger than a  root cellar. They are talking about this being a five year project but I say 10 years. I hear them say it is well over on a mile through to the other side. 

Bettie: Charles, I see they are digging all over that hillside I always thought you dig a tunnel from one side of a hill to another. 

Charles : Well Aunt Bettie I was explained how they are doing that. Let me see that dough and I will show you. Okay this big lump of dough is the mountain. Here is your farm. Here is Rollysonburg and here is the railroad coming from the west.




They could go all the way around the hill with the Greenbrier and it would be nine twisty steep miles; but by going up the holler here and drilling through the mountain they can have a level grade tunnel of about a mile.


   It takes time to dig in from both ends but they decided if they dig some shafts from the top like this (pokes holes in dough) and then have men working on each face and in each hole they can move  lots of material and open the tunnel up in just a few years.  So now they have three crews working drilling shafts down through the hilltop to work digging the tunnel in either direction from the bottoms of those shafts and another two crews working from the ends,

Bettie:  Blamed fools the lot of them -I would say, and you right along with them – I first thought we were the most blessed in the valley to have that railroad coming through my Daddy’s farm so we could take our produce eggs and milk east into Stanton and Roanoke but so far all I have seen is them taking our pasture and stealing our timber not only under our noses but hiring you to do it. How much do they owe you now? Have you seen the first red cent yet?

Charles: I am keeping account Aunt Bettie. Captain Johnson  told me just yesterday how it won’t be long now till we are paid for the right of way and the shanties we built. His railroad is going to keep us making money from now on - we can wait a while yet.  Major Menifee just brought  a whole passel of freedmen who used to work down there as contract slaves in the mines  of Virginia to do the drilling and the mucking. 

Drilling is done by short stout workers who swing hammers in the tunnel and hit longs steel rods that are rotated by other men called shakers with each hammer strike.  The ends of the steel rods are shaped like stars so each time the hammer strikes pieces of stone shoot out. Once a team of drivers and shakers get a hole a couple feet into the face of the rock a powder man comes and loads a charge of dynamite in the hole with a fuse hooked to it. Everyone backs away and the charge is set off blasting the hole bigger.

Then the muckers come with picks and spades to clean all the small pieces and haul them out of the tunnel.

 The teams of workers are swarming the mountain now. Working two and three shifts in those shafts and both ends- they are calling the ends "approaches".

Bettie: I can tell you are getting some education down there I just hope it isn’t a bought lesson.  The mail carrier told me that a couple of the neighbors have been down to Union to file suit on Mr Johnson to get paid – nobody has been paid yet. You need to hit him up to get some of what is due you. Spring is coming and we need seed money– they ruined the crops last year with their surveying and moving of equipment and cutting our timber-that which they didn’t downright steal.  You haven’t even got paid for any of that yet.

Betty now gets the dough and opens a large cabinet beside the stove to reveal a moonshine still steaming away. She pinches off some dough and presses it into the steaming pipes on top of it. 

Charles-:  I know.  I know. I am going to be paid but I will ask today again. 

Barrels behind the still rattle spotlight shines on them a big puppet rat jumps on top of them smells the steam coming off the still squeaks and falls back behind the barrels. End of Scene. 

Act TwoEastern Portal Approach

Charles is dirty now from working

Taking a break talking to a pair of freeman diggers: Frank Echols a grizzled older man, and Henry Meadows heavier well fed clean shaven.

Henry:  I tell you I am done in from this tunnel digging I am sore from yesterday and now it is dark in that hole , I’m scared it’ll cave in around me all the time. I am done with this digging work.  I saw young Buck Johnson get knocked in the head when a piece of loose shale fell out of the roof while he was mucking after that last charge.  It knocked his light plum off his head and he lay there in his cart for a good ten minutes.  When he did get up he had blood running out of his ear and he was spitting out teeth. Yes sir it wrung his bell right.  I just want out of here before I get done in by a loose piece of shale like that. 

Frank:   This is good money and room and board I guess it is all right for you to up an quit but I have to get my groceries.  I am just as much stuck in this hole as I was down at the Lewis Tunnel Working for the Virginia statehouse. At least I don’t have to wear the shackles anymore. I learned all about digging down there. I started out mucking, then I was a shaker, spelled the driver a while, and now I can say I am a trained powder man. But this ain’t like those  tunnels. This is all shovel work -old red shale. This slate dries out and what was solid rock yesterday splits and busts today if you just peck it.  If I didn’t have to I’d never crawl down that hole again.

Henry Meadows:  I just want to get my six month contract over with. I load and push a cart all day 12 hours I been through 4 pair of gloves this month sharp edges on this shale rip them to ribbons in less then a week.  If we stay on here a year we get 2 weeks wages and a raise. I don’t care nothing about the raise but if I save a  a nickel every week between now and when my year is up I ought to have near on  five dollars then I can buy … 

William R Johnson approaches with a young man dressed in city clothes:  What’s all this standing around? Echols, I need to you move up to shaft 2 and work as shaker for a piece they have run into some limestone and your experience will be better suited to that.  This here is Booker Hunter,  Mr Hunter he will be the paymaster starting this week. Hunter this here is Frank Echols– he is a good worker trained in tunneling and using a transit.  He is even pretty fair at arithmetic since he learned it while he was working in the warehouses down in Richmond before he was picked up for Vagrancy. He had to pull a year down next to Lexington in the state house. He is going to be the second shift lead on shaft two so make sure and see that his pay reflects it.

Booker :Yes sir Captain Johnson

Rollinson:  Speaking of pay Bill – I am done working  here until I am paid for all that I have already done. I know a few of the others have gone down to Union to ...

WM:  Charles don’t you talk to me about no Union , matter of fact you aren’t needed on this job anymore I have told you am paying you in a few days – as a matter of fact you clear out I don’t have time for you on this job.  You trying to get rich off 20 acres of hillside and swampland and now you come down here taking about unions and making demands. I treat these men well, they have a dry shanty to sleep in

CHARLES: “That I built from timber I still haven’t been paid for”

WM: They have food twice a day

CHARLES “That your cooks  steal from my fields”

WM: And they have a wage and a fine store to spend it at just up the way.

CHARLES: Yes Ridgeway and you have some racket paying these men just enough to keep them in boots and gloves while you work them three shifts and he cheats them at the till.

WM: CAPTAIN Ridgeway is a fine businessman and gentleman. Don’t forget he served and even lost a brother in service to the Grand Army of the Confederacy – so it is no surprise he feels due all he can fairly get from this bunch. They get fair wages , a sight more they would be getting plowing a Virginia field. Now Clear out! That’s the end of it before I decide the Chesapeake and Ohio needs a siding going through the middle of your house and barn.”

Charles leaves and the other workers Start singing as they trek toward the  face of the stone work.

FRANK:
Mother keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
Keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
Keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
For dis world most done 
So keep your lamp & burning for Dis world most done. 

Harry:Brudder keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
Keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
Keep your lamp trimmin and a burnin 
For dis world most done 
So keep your lamp & burning for Dis world most done.