He brooded over it on his way to the fireroom.

There he was set to work passing coal.

He had to stand in a narrow passage scarcely wide enough for him to turn about in.

On either side was a towering black heap which slanted down to his feet.

Midway between the piles was the little door through which he shoveled the coal into the fireroom.
All was stifling hot, with a breath of coal dust and smoke to choke the lungs.