Glossary of Mining Terms

In any industry, whether local, regional or national, there exist many 'technical' terms which are confusing to the outsider. In the mining industry these terms also varied considerably between various mining areas.

In an attempt to clarify, I list below some of the commonest terms with (one of) their meanings. If you have a query about a mining term, which isn't answered here, please e-mail me and I will endeavour to define the term for you.

Term	Meaning
Adit	A water level drift
Afterdamp	Description given to the gases (noxious) remaining in a mine after an explosion, usually with a high content of Carbon Dioxide
Anthracite	Coal which is high in carbon with a small percentage of volatile matter
Bank	The surface of the mine, usually referring to the entrance to the pit shaft.
Banksman	The colliery official responsible for overseeing the loading and unloading of the pit cage at the surface (see Bank). The banksman was also in charge of signalling
Barrier	A portion of coal seam left intact between two collieries
Blackdamp	A mixture of carbonic acid gas and nitrogen
Blower	A discharge of firedamp under extreme pressure. (see firedamp)
Bords	The 'gap' left by mining coal in a 'bord and pillar' method. Describes the gap between pillars left to support the roof after mining. (see pillar)
Brattice	A division created in a mine shaft or tunnel which is used to control or direct the airflow in the mine. One side of the brattice would be the air flow intake and the other, the return
Broken (in the..)	Working 'in the broken' was a term used to describe actions in an existing (open) section of the mine as opposed to working on a new face or seam
Corf	A large wicker basket used to transport mined coal to the pit head and then to the surface. Term also sometimes used to describe the wheeled 'tubs'
Datallers	Term used to describe workers paid strictly on a 'Day rate' basis
District	A number of working areas close together but in a separate portion of the coal to be worked
Downcast	The shaft down which fresh air passes into the workings of the mine. Most commonly also used as the winding shaft
Firedamp	The Miner's description for the naturally occurring 'marsh gas' (methane) which results from the decay of vegetable matter. In certain critical volumes, mixed with air, firedamp is highly explosive
Furnace	A fire placed at the foot of the upcast shaft, the gas laden air from the mine would rise with the heat and create a circulatory ventilation process. Replace in later years with powerful fans
Gob, Goaf or Goave	An area of the mine which has been previously mined and then used as a depository for waste from the workings. Such areas were normally left to collapse under the natural pressure of the roof
Hutch	Term used for a box container, later fitted with wheels, for the transportation of the coal to the surface (predominately a Scottish term)
Inbye	Direction of travel towards the centre of the mine
Onsetter	The official whose duty it is to ensure that the cage is properly loaded and unloaded at the foot of the shaft
Outbye	Direction of travel away from the centre of the mine
Overman	The Underground Manager (Oversman in Scotland)
Pillar	A pillar of coal left to support the roof above the workings
Putter	A man (or boy) who conveyed the tubs of coal from the face
Road	A main underground thoroughfare
Royalty	An area of coal leased to a colliery by the landowner
Staple	A vertical shaft in a mine which does not connect with the surface
Stoopings	Regional term for pillars
Timbermen	The men employed to cut and install support timbers
Trapper	Person employed to open and close ventilation doors to ensure uninterrupted flow of air
Upcast	The shaft used, in conjunction with a furnace (or later, a fan) through which the expelled air (and gases) from the mine travel to atmosphere
Viewer	A mining engineer
Waste	Another term for Gob or Goaf