Coal Mining Terms:
Air
Shaft: Small shaft used in
ventilation, usually located near the end of the mine workings and may connect
with several levels.
Black Damp: Carbon monoxide gas from coal, it displaces oxygen in
the air.
Breaker: Building used to sort, size, wash, store, distribute coal.
Chamber:
Area of the coal vein being worked
Collars: Horizontal
timbers supported by the props to hold up the ceiling and prevent loose hock
from falling.
Drift: Near lever opening, slight down grade outward toward
the opening for easier movement of loaded cars out of the mine.
Face: area of coal being worked in a chamber.
Flushing: Mixing of fine waist rock and culm with water that is
pumped into mined out areas to prevent surface subsidence, and cave in’s.
Fan House:
Ventilation system used to pump fresh air into the mine or draw bad air and gas
out.
Gangway:
Main tunnel connecting chambers, usually the main haulage road for mine cars.
Gobb: Flat
stone or shale used in the mine to build walls for sealing off mined out areas,
or to direct the air flow.
Headframe: Structure above a shaft supporting the sheave
wheels. Also the supports built around a drift or slope opening to prevent
slides from blocking the opening.
Hoist House:
Building that housed the motor and cable drums used to lift the cages in a
shaft or pull cars up a slope.
Mine Motor
Car: 400 volt electric trolley
wire or self contained large battery 24 volt powered locomotive used to haul
cars underground.
Monkey Vein:
Small cross tunnels between chambers used for air flow and emergency escape ways.
Pillars:
Large area or blocks of coal left undisturbed as a means of supporting the roof
of the mine.
Prop: Vertical timbers used as supports for the collars,
lets miners know the roof is moving.
Pump House: Large water pumps used to remove water from the
lowest level of the mine workings. Sometimes located at the bottom of the mine,
and piped to the surface.
Rib: Side
walls of a gangway, chamber, or pillar.
Shaft: Vertical lifting chamber,
may include 2 to 4 cages for lifting cars and men, air shaft for ventilation,
and water shaft for removal of water from the lowest levels.
Slope: Inclined opening for hoisting and lowering cars and men.
Grade could vary from slight to steep.
Squeeze: Area of the mine that is moving or sinking due to
the weight of the rock above and will collapse and crush props and
collars.
Tipple: Structure used to unload mine cars directly into
trucks or railroad cars, for delivery to a breaker.
Trip
of Cars. Several mine cars hooked together, loaded or empty.
Vein: Layer of coal between rock layers.
Washery: Building used to, size, wash fine breaker coal and
re-claim culm banks.