Bank
and Bankhead
The building at the entrance to a mine into which the
coal boxes are drawn and dumped into the mine screens,
and from there to railway. The term is loosely described
as all the surface buildings. |
Balance
An inclined passage running up at right angles from a
main level, into the coal seam, normally tracked with
boxes drawn up by balance and lowered gravity. The term
gradually means a pair of passages, connected at the top,
one of which is upcast and the other is downcast for ventilation. |
Barrier
The coal left at a mine or mine working. |
Bearing
In
Cutting a horizontal groove at the bottom or side of the
coal face. |
Bed
A separate stratum of coal or other natural deposit such
as clay, rock or shale. |
Bench
A horizontal section of coal seam included between parting
of coal or shale. |
Bituminous
Coal
A coal that contains 15% to 20% volatile matter. It is
dark brown to black in colour and burns with a smoky flame.
It is intermediate between sub-bituminous and semi-bituminous
coal. |
Black
Damp
Carbon dioxide gas, sometimes known as choke damp. |
Blower
Gas discharged under pressure from a vein in a coal seam. |
Boghead
Coal
A sapropelic coal resembling cannel coal in its physical
properties but containing algae, not spores. It rarely
occurs in a pure state but rather in forms transitional
to cannel coal. A source of both oil and gas. |
Boom
A wooden support of the mine roof, like a building rafter,
that is set horizontally. |
Bootleg
Coal
The mining and/or selling of coal from an area not owned
by the miner or without the owner's permission. |
Bord
A chamber excavated in coal, off a balance. In some coal
fields, a bord is called a room. |
Bore
Hole
A hole of small diameter drilled or bored to explore the
strata beneath, above, beside or ahead. |
Box
A mine car or wagon into which coal is loaded at the face
and from there is transported to the surface. |
Brattice
A partition normally made of canvas, but sometimes made
of wood, to make two airways where one existed before,
and permit air to move in and out of the mine area. |
Break
Through
As for cross heading. |
British
Thermal Unit (B.T.U.)
Heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree
F (252 calories). |
Brusher
A workman (always an experienced miner) who keeps the
roof, sides and pavement of a passage in good repair. |
Butty
A miner's working partner - also known as "buddy". |
Bullwheel
A wheel, operating freely, around which passes the rope
in a balance - gravity - power system. Most are equipped
with brakes. |
