CABIN. — An underground office, usually near the shaft bottom, where the overman gives directions as to the apportionment and conduct of the day's work; candles given to the drivers; reports received as to the state of the colliery. (See Lamp-Cabin.)

CAGE. — A frame of iron which works between slides in a shaft, and in which since the substitution of tubs for corves, the tubs of coals are drawn to bank, and all passage in the shaft carried on; it is attached to the chain at the bottom of the winding rope by four or sometimes six chains, 8 or 10 feet long.

CALLING COURSE. — The time at which the caller calls from house to house to awake the fore shift men, and afterwards the lads and others; in former times he used to knock at each door and tell the inmate to "waken up and go to work, in the name of God!"

CANCH. — Stone necessary to be taken up or down on account of a rise or dip hitch, or to make necessary tub or horse height.

CALDRON-BOTTOM. — The fossil root of a tree or fern lying on the roof of a seam of coal. It has little adhesion to the overlying stratum, which, where these are present, is usually shale; its presence is difficult to detect, and it drops, often without giving any warning, occasioning accidents which are frequently fatal. It derives its name from the resemblance to the bottom of a caldron or pot; in Somersetshire, it is called with greater propriety a bell-mould.

CANDLES. — "The common pit candles vary in size, but those generally used are forty-five to the pound; the wick is of cotton, and the candle made of sheep or ox tallow, but clean ox tallow is the best." — (Buddle, Report). They are not used so small now, the size being from 20 to 30 to the pound.

CANNEL COAL. — A fine compact description of coal, with a conchoidal fracture; it burns with a bright flame, like a candle, whence possibly its name. Its composition is as follows. (Richardson, Transactions Natural History Society, Newcastle, 1837).

	LANCASHIRE			EDINBURGH
CARBON	83.789	83.698	83.808	67.434	67.760
HYDROGEN	"	5.677	5.643	5.394	5.416
AZOTE & OXYGEN	"	8.077	8.001	12.606	12.258
ASHES	2.548	2.548	2.548	14.566	14.566
		100.000	100.000	100.000	100.000

There are some beds of cannel coal in the Newcastle coalfield; and near the roof, and in the middle of a few of the seams, a few inches of cannel frequently occur.

CANTEEN. — A small wooden flat barrel, containing about half a gallon, in which a pitman carries water or coffee with him to his work. A tin bottle is used for the same purpose.

CAP. — The blue "top" on a candle or lamp when it burns in a mixture of fire-damp and air, not in an explosive condition. (See Show). Also to put a shackle on a rope.

CARTRIDGE. — (See Shot).

CAPHEAD. — A top placed upon an air-box, used in sinking, &c., for the purpose of catching as much air as possible; its front is kept facing the wind by means of a vane.

CASH. — A soft band. Sometimes found separating one stratum from another; when thin, called a cashy parting.

CASTER. — The work of casters was to shovel or "cast" the coals from the keels into the vessels, at the ports in the side of the same for the purpose. Their wages in former times used to be 2s. per day and a pint of beer.

CATBAND. — An iron loop placed on the underside of the centre of a flat corf bow, in which to insert the hook.

CATCHES. — (See Keeps or Keps). Also movable checks by which the tubs are secured in the cages.

CATCHPIN. — A strong oak or iron pin fixed over and to the ends of the beam of a pumping engine, which, in the event of a broken spear, by falling on the spring-beams, prevents the damage that would be occasioned to the top or bottom of the cylinder. (See Spring Beams.)

CATHEAD. — An ironstone ball.

CAVILS. — Lots. A periodical allotment of working places to the hewers and putters of a colliery, usually made quarterly, each person having assigned to him by lot that place in which he is to work during the ensuing quarter.

CHALDRON. — The Newcastle chaldron is a measure containing 53 cwts. of coal. The content of the chaldron waggon (custom-house measurement) is 217,989 cubic inches; and that of the boll being 9676.8 cubic inches, the chaidron is equal to 22.526 bolls, and not as usually, but erroneously stated, to 24 bolls. The weight of the boll of coals is therefore = 2.35284 cwts. The statute London chaldron is to consist of 36 bushels heaped up; each bushel to contain a Winchester bushel and one quart, and to be 19½ inches in diameter externally; and as it has been found, by repeated trials, that 15 London pool chaldrons are equal to 8 Newcastle chaldrons (Rees's Cyclopedia), the London chaldron must be equal to 28.266 cwts. The content of a London chaldron has been variously estimated, viz. —

28.266 cwts. Beaumont's Treatise on the Coal Trade, 1789.
27.000 cwts. Dr. Macnab, Letters to Pitt, 1793.
26.500 cwts. T. Ismay, Evidence on Coal Trade, 1800.
27.762 cwts. W. Dickson, Evidence on the Coal Trade, 1829. (or 11-21 sts. x 53 cwts.)
28.462 cwts. B. Thompson, Inventions and Improvements 1847.

Coal is at present, and has for some years been sold by weight only. By the Coal Mines Inspection Act, 1872, it was enacted that the amount of wages should, after August 1st, 1873, where it depends on the amount of mineral gotten, unless the mine is exempted by a Secretary of State, be paid for by the true weight of the mineral gotten.

CHALKING DEAL. — A flat board upon which the craneman or flat-lad apportions and keeps account of the work done by the putters in the district of which he has charge.

CHAIN PUMP. — (See Bag-wheel Pump.)

CHANGER AND GRATHER. — A man whose province it is to keep the buckets and clacks in order, and to change them when necessary.

CHASE, OR CHESS, THE ROPES. — After the winding-engine has been standing for some time, to run the cages up and down the shaft to see that all is right before men are allowed to get into the cage.

CHECK-VIEWER. — A viewer employed by the lessor to see that the provisions of the lease are duly observed.

CHECK-WEIGHER. — The weigher employed by the workmen. (See Average Weight.)

CHINLEY COALS. (shingly). — Chinley coals are neither round (or large) nor small, but are such as will pass over the skreen and among the best coals.

CHISEL. — (See Bore.)

CHOCK. — Used to prevent the escape of tubs or wagons down an incline. It consists of two blocks of hard wood, one of which can either lie across the rail, or between the rails pointing down the bank and turning on an upright pin placed between the rails; the other also working on an upright pin on the outside of the rails. When the chock is in use the latter block is pointed up the bank parallel with the rail, and the former being placed across the rail, rests against it. When the set is required to move, the outside chock is knocked to a side, and the inside one moves down between the rails.

CHOCKS. — Wooden billets, made of hard wood, usually about 2 feet long, 8 inches broad, and 6 inches thick, built up two and two crossways to support the roof : the column is usually set upon a small quantity of small coal, which being easily picked out enables it to be taken down without difficulty.

CHOKE-DAMP. — The following diagram is illustrative of the combustion of fire-damp or carburetted hydrogen, of which the product is choke-damp, called also after-damp.

(Williams, Combustion of Coal.)
This gas, which is the result of an explosion of fire-damp, is most deleterious and causes more deaths than the fire, in the proportion of three to one. (R. Elliott, Evidence on Accidents in Mines, 1835.)

CINDER COAL. — Coal deprived of its bitumen by the action of a whin-dyke or slip.

CLACK. — The low valve of a pump; its use is to support the column of water when the bucket is descending.

CLACK-DOOR-PIECE. — The portion of a set of pumps immediately below the working barrel in a lifting set; it has a removable door through which the clack is changed. In a forcing set there are two clacks both placed in the column of pumps, one being below the junction pipe in the H piece, between the bottom of the plunger or ram chamber and the pumps, and the other above it.

CLAGGY. — A seam of coal is said to have a claggy top when it adheres to the roof, and is with difficulty separated: it most frequently occurs when the roof is post or sandstone rock, and is uneven or scabby.

CLAM. — A movable collaring for a pump, consisting of two pieces of wood indented to receive the pump, and screwbolted together.

CLEAD. — To cover with planks or deals.

CLEADING. — The plank covering of a winding drum; the deal covering of a cylinder of an engine, &c.

CLEAT. — The vertical joints or facings in coal or stone. There are frequently two cleats in coal, at which, when distinct, the coal is broken into rhomboidal fragments. These cleats do not always intersect each other at the same angle : thus the angles in the Brockwell seam, at West Auckland colliery are 100° and 80°; in the Five-quarter seam at Black Boy colliery, 122° 20', and 57° 40'; in the High Main seam at Willington colliery, 103° 24', and 76° 36'; in the Main seam at Broomhill colliery, 109° and 71°, and in the Main coal at Holywell colliery, 140° and 40°. The following directions of cleat are taken from 73 observations :—

CLEATS. — Pieces of wood fastened to dry spears for the purpose of steadying them, and preventing them from wearing where they pass through the collarings. Cleats are also placed upon wet spears to steady them, and prevent the edges of the spear-plates and spear bolt-heads from injuring the pumps.

CLINCH OR CLINK BOLTS. — Cross bolts under spear bolts to prevent the spears from stripping.

CLINKERS. — A slag formed upon fire-bars by impurity in the coal.

CLIPPERS, CLIPPUS. — The hook used, in sinking, to attach the rope to the corf, when it is required to be sent to the surface or down the pit. It is constructed with a piece of flat iron, connected by a hinge joint with the turned up end of the hook which is also flat. When the corf-bow is placed in the hook, this piece of flat iron is put down and kept in its place by an iron spring attached to the shank of the hook, and which requires to be pressed back before the corf can be liberated. A corruption of Cliffe's hook.

In the ordinary pit hook used when coals were drawn in corves, the catch was connected with the shank of the hook near the top, and pressed by a spring against the turned up point of the hook after the fashion of the spring hook, by which a chain is attached to a watch.

CLOUR. — A small depression of roof into coal, mostly in a post roof.

COAL-PIPE. — The carbonized bark of a fossil plant; also a very thin seam or scare of coal.

COD. — The carriage or bearing of cast iron, bolted to the underside of the tram, which rests upon the journal of the axle, which is kept in its place by an iron strap.

COKE. — Cinders produced by burning coal in close ovens, only sufficient air being admitted to combine with the volatile carbons: or without any admission of air, the volatile carbon being driven off by external heat, condensed and utilized. The flame produced by the first named process is now by means of flues, frequently applied to raising steam, by being passed under boilers, and to other useful purposes.

COLLARING. — A framing usually composed of pieces of timber crossed placed under the pump joints in a shaft for the purpose of steadying and supporting the set. Also used for steadying the dry spears of pumps in a shaft. Also for steadying underground horizontal spears, &c. (See Cleats.)

COLUMN. — The water above the clack in a set of pumps.

COMPASS. — A pit compass or dial, will be found most useful when divided simply into four quadrants reckoning 90° each way from the north and south points marked on the dial. In all careful surveying underground, the tram-plates or other iron or metal way ought to be taken up for at least four yards on each side of the compass: the surveying lamp should be entirely of copper or brass, and no iron should be found on any portion of the dress or in the pockets of the surveyor. It is also advisable to read off the course from the north end of the needle — always to look through the same sights (the low ones are preferable) — and to survey the same colliery always as nearly as possible at the same time of day, the diurnal variation of the needle being far from inconsiderable. The following table shows the diurnal variation taken at different hours of the 27th June, 1759, by Mr. Canton. (Philosophical Transactions, Vol. 51.)

					Degrees of
	Hrs.	Mins	Declination West		Fahrs. Therm
	0	18	18°	2'	62°
	6	4	18°	58'	62°
	8	30	18°	55'	65°
MORNING.	9	2	18°	54'	67°
	10	20	18°	57'	69°
	11	40	19°	4'	68½°
	0	50	19°	9'	70°
	1	38	19°	8'	68°
	3	10	19°	8'	68°
AFTERNOON.	7	20	18°	59'	61°
	9	12	19°	6'	59°
	11	40	18°	51'	57½°

At present the diurnal variation at Greenwich is about 12' in summer, and 7' in winter. The mean position of the needle is at about 10 a.m. and at 6 p.m. throughout the year.

In the year 1657, at London, the variation was nil, and in 1819 it had attained its maximum of westing, which was 24° 41' 42".

In	1840	the variation at Greenwich	23°	18'	West.
"	1845	"	22°	57'	"
"	1850	"	22°	24'	"
"	1855	"	21°	48'	"
"	1860	"	21°	14'	"
"	1865	"	20°	34'	"
"	1880	"	18°	33'	"
"	1885	"	18°	1'	"
"	1888	"	about 17°	40'	"

The variation for Newcastle is about 1° 50' greater; that for Derby 1° 10' greater; and that for Manchester 1° 45' greater (1881). But these differences would not be quite the same in 1840. (From Greenwich Observatory.)

CONDUCTORS. — (See Slides.)

CONICAL DRUM. — (See Rope Roll.)

CONSIDERATION. — "Compensation paid to hewers for unforeseen difficulties met with in their work and which are not covered by the score price." (Nicholson.)

CONVOY. — The brake formerly applied to one of the wheels of a coal wagon. It had one breast, made of wood; the lever was also of wood. Wood wheels were discontinued on the Tanfield way in the year 1794.

COTTERED. — Applied to stone or coal, hard, cross-grained, tough.

CORF. — A basket made of hazel, of the capacity of from 10 to 30 pecks, formerly used for conveying coals from the working places to the surface. Leading corves are small corves, containing about 6 or 8 pecks, used for carrying stones or rubbish to a stow-board. Since the introduction of tubs about 50 years ago the use of corves gradually ceased. The corves were made and kept in repair by contractors, named Corvers, who were paid by the score of coals drawn, according to the circumstances of the colliery as to depth, wetness, upcast, downcast, &c., sixpence to one shilling per score, or from 1d. to 2d. per ton.

COUNTER-BALANCE-WEIGHT. (See Staple.)

COUP. — An exchange of cavils. To be valid it must be with the consent of the overman.

COUPLER. — A boy who couples or connects, by means of the coupling chains, the tubs of coal in order to form a set or train.

COURSING. — Conducting the air backwards and forwards through old workings by means of stoppings, properly arranged. Air is usually coursed or shethed "two and two," or "three and three," according to the greater or less quantity of fire-damp discharged; the meaning being that the current in the former case is conducted up two boards and down two, by means of stoppings called sheth-stoppings, placed in every second wall in each headways-course; every alternate line of walls, in which the stoppings are placed, being open either at the top or bottom of the sheth, so as to afford a free passage; that is to say, suppose it to be required to course the air two and two in a panel of twelve boards, and the air to enter at the bottom of the first board, the following sheth stoppings will be required :— one in the second, sixth, and tenth wall in every headways-course, except the highest (or, preferably, the two highest), and one in the fourth and eighth wall in every headways-course, except the lowest (or, preferably, the two lowest). The going headways-course, at the face, is frequently made a part of the course, the stoppings being replaced by doors called sheth doors (1849), but it is far better to conduct the air singly along the face headways-course by means of boardend stoppings, and course the air behind these stoppings, as described above. This, besides saving the expense of the sheth doors, keeps the air at the face in a purer and better state. This mode of ventilation was contrived by Mr. James Spedding, of Workington, 1760. Where the pillars are worked away behind the whole working, which is the most approved plan, there are comparatively no old workings to course, and consequently the above expense is saved. Also, by shortening the run of the air, and consequently the resistance to its motion, a larger quantity is brought into the mine, and the whole placed in a more efficiently ventilated and safer condition.

COW. — A wooden or iron fork hung loosely upon the last waggon of a set of tubs ascending an inclined plane. Its use is to stick into the floor and stop the set in case of the rope breaking. "It is also used on crabs and gins to take the weight off horses or men when standing." (Nicholson.)

CRAB. — A species of capstan, worked usually by horses, for the purpose of raising or lowering heavy weights, such as pumps, spears, &c., in a shaft. Ground crabs are used in sinking for lowering the sinking set of pumps as the pit is deepened. The sinking set is collared to two sets of spears, called ground spears; one spear on each side of the set. At the top of each spear is one of a pair of three, five, or seven-fold blocks, called ground blocks, the other being placed near the pit mouth, and the pumps are lowered by means of the ground ropes which pass through these blocks to the ground crabs. These crabs are worked by men and are of very great power. Steam power is now largely applied to main crab work.

CRAB-ROPE. — Hempen or wire round rope used for pump or other heavy work performed by a crab.

CRACKET. — A low wooden stool or seat upon which the hewer can sit in performing parts of his work.

CRADLE. — A movable stage, supported by a rope, usually the crab rope, used to repair or do work in the shaft. The cradle should be suspended from the rope by not fewer than four chains, In a sinking pit where it is used for putting in tubbing or walling, &c., the cradle is nearly the full size of the shaft when finished. It is furnished with a door when necessary, so as to allow water to be drawn through it. Provision is necessary for ventilation under the cradle. Sometimes a "half-cradle" is used ; for work more easily performed, a "flying-cradle," upon which two men can be seated ; where one man only is required, a still smaller cradle is used, which may he a piece of oak or elm, 24 inches long, 6 inches broad, and 1½ inch thick, with a piece of rope passed under it and firmly secured, the upper part of the loop being hooked on to the suspending rope.

CRANE. — Used to hoist the corves of coal from the tram and swing them on to the rolley, the coals being put by the barrow-man from the working places to the crane, and drawn thence by horses to the shaft. At the shaft the corves were lifted off the rolleys by the winding engine and drawn to bank. Upon the introduction of tubs, attached to the trains, for the conveyance of coals, they were run on to the rolleys, which were constructed with transverse dishplates, to keep the tubs in their places on their passage to the shaft, the place where they were put on the rolleys being called a flat. The tubs are now drawn by horses or machinery along the rolley-ways without the intervention of rolleys, and the place where they are taken by the horses from the barrow-man is called a station.

CRANE-MAN. — A lad 16 or 18 years of age, whose business it was to hoist the corves of coals on to the rolleys with the crane. On the introduction of tubs and flats, a younger description of lads was sufficient, say 15 or 16 years of age; these were named flat-lads; a name which at the stations they still retain. Under whatever name, the crane-man or flat-lad proportions the work, or "places the work," or quantity of coals to be put by the barrow-men among them; so that each may know to which places he is to go for coals, and the quantity he has to put from each place.

CREEP. — The rising, or heaving, or lifting up of the floor in the excavations in a seam of coal occasioned by the pillars not having been left sufficient or not having a sufficiently large area to prevent them from being forced into the thill by the superincumbent pressure. The rising up of dough or clay between the hands when pressed upon it, will illustrate this. The softer the thill, the greater the liability to creep. The progressive stages of creep have been well described by Mr. Buddle (Evidence on Coal Trade, 1829). — "The first appearance is a little curvature in the bottom of each gallery; that is the first symptom we can perceive; but we can generally hear it before we can perceive it. The next stage is when the pavement begins to open with a crack longitudinally. The next stage is when the crack is completed, and it assumes the shape of a metal ridge. The next is when the metal ridge reaches the roof. The next stage is when the peak of the metal ridge becomes flattened by pressure, and forced into a horizontal position and becomes quite close, just at this moment the coal pillars begin to sustain part of the pressure. The next is when the coal pillars have taken part of the pressure. The last stage is, when it is dead or settled; that is, when the metal ridge, or factitious ridge formed by the sinking of the pillar into the pavement, bears, in common with the pillars of coal on each side, the full pressure, and the coal becomes crushed or cracked, and can be no longer worked, except by a very expensive and dangerous process."

Subsidence of the surface has now taken place.

CREPT PILLARS. — Pillars of coal which have passed through the various stages of creep.

CRIB. — Common cribs are circles of wood usually oak, from 4 to 6 inches square, used, with the backing deals placed behind them, to support the side of a pit when the stone is bad.

A wedging crib is a large crib, made of metal or oak, always used as a foundation for metal tubbing, and most frequently for walling. These cribs, which are from 12 to 14 inches in the bed, and 6 or 7 inches thick, in a large pit, are, when of metal, cast hollow (the hollow part being next to the pit), and weigh about 1 cwt. per running foot. They are set to the centre of the pit by baff ends and spares, a thin sheeting of oak being placed between the joints, and are then wedged from the back till they are perfectly firm and tight.

A ring crib may be made of metal or oak of the same size as a wedging crib. It is open at the top for the purpose of collecting water, which would otherwise fall down the pit. For a few feet above the crib, the side of the shaft is cut gradually to the back part of the channel, so as to allow the water to drain into it. The cutting is also necessary to allow the crib to be wedged. The water is then boxed or piped away from the crib to the standage, or elsewhere if required.

CRIBLE. — To curry favour.

CROOK-YOUR-ROUGH. (See Hough.)

CROP. — The basset or outburst to the surface of a seam of coal or other stratum; also to leave a portion of coal at the bottom of a seam in working; also to set out. (See Set out.)

CROSS-CUT. — An excavation driven in any direction between headways course and broadways course.

CROSSING. — An air crossing is an arched way of bricks by which one current of air crosses over another current, or the same current, after having traversed its district ; it is also called an overgate or overcast. The roof is taken down on the crown of the arch and sloped down each way into the airway, the current in which is to pass over the crossing. The area of the airway upon a crossing should in every case be fully as large as its ordinary dimensions. The best air crossings, as taking up the least room, are made with the top of 3-inch plank, slivered at the joints, or with laths nailed upon the joints at the top side; the whole covered with a coating of lime. They have sometimes, on account of their liability to destruction in cases of explosion, been constructed with the cover to work with a hinge, so as to admit of its rising when exposed to a blast, and again falling to its place. Sometimes the return is taken under instead of over the intake; in this case the crossing is made in the floor, and is then called also an undergate or undercast. This can only be done when there is no liability to the drowning of the air course under the intake airway.

CROWN-TREE. — A plank about 2½ inches thick and 6 or 8 inches broad, used to support the roof in coal workings, each end of the crown tree being supported by a prop. Crown-trees are best made of larch fir, as being most durable. They are also made of Scotch fir. The price may be from 30/- to 35/- per hundred (1849).

CRUSH, OR THRUST. — This occurs when both the roof and floor of a seam of coal are hard, and when the pillars, insufficient for the support of the superincumbent strata, are crushed by their pressure. The coal is much more injured in this way than by creep.

CUBE, OR CUPOLA. — A shaft sunk near to the top of a furnace upcast, and holed into the shaft a few fathoms below the surface, with a wide chimney erected over it, rising 30 or 40 feet above the surface. It relieves the pit top from smoke. Called also a tube.