Dear All,

This really is a 'tricky' subject, and has been the subject of debate in 
certain quarters for a quite a long time. Part of the 'problem' lies with 
those who would dread &/or hate to be called or termed quarrymen!!! Quarrymen 
are actually very comfortable with their description, and, in general, are 
more than happy to leave mining to those who wish to go underground! 

Those quarrymen who work underground, slate very particularly, take pride in 
their terminology and don't actually regard themselves as miners, who 
sometimes I have heard said of by quarrymen "would have difficulty with the 
job". They do not mean to be derogatory, it is simply that they have to 
'read' the rock to get the least amount of wastage from the rock that is in 
front of them, so to get the best recovery - obviously their wages depend on 
effective production techniques and a great deal of skill & experience in 
'reading rock'. Miners of course on the other hand must work the other way 
round since they do not want dilution of the ore being extracted: they must 
read the rock for safety purposes, and seek/calculate the route of the 
orebody they follow through the rock (there is more to this obviously as I 
know only too well). As to terminology, in the English Lake District 
underground slate industry for example, an underground slate quarry is called 
a "close-head" - other uses for this word have previously been proposed by 
quarrymen!. Those who drive tunnels within the slate have always been known 
as tunnellers! (no-one please start another job description debate out of 
this one or all this will go on forever!!!!!!!). 

On a very brief serious note:-
The day is not many decades away were most if not all metal mining will 
change forever. Metals will eventually be pumped using biochemical/enzyme 
technology; the concept is already born in experimentation, adulthood will 
rapidly occur.  (BRMoore quote 31/5/00)

For quite a lot of years I was always led to believe that a mines inspector 
inspected mines, open-sky/cast/pits/holes in the ground are inspected by 
inspectors qualified in both quarrying (IQE) & mining (IMM/IME) & come from 
the HM M&Q Inspectorate under the M&Q Act & Regs. (in the UK anyway where the 
best description (& procedures) comes from so far as far as I am concerned - 
courtesy John Eyre), any company or any individual operating under or using 
the procedures & attitude as described Evan Price should be shot, sand comes 
from a sand pit, gravel came from a gravel pit, limestone comes from a 
limestone quarry (or very occasionaly now a mine) & produces all sorts of 
useful products, guano comes from big birds siting on big remote rocks, 
potash & gypsum comes from mines but occasionally is quarried, marble & 
granite is quarried - but I do know of a granite mine as it happens - slate 
comes from a slate mine or a slate quarry if from a rather big indentation: 
oil, water & brines and all other lovely things that need pumping to be 
produced comes from wells: coal & metals come from mines or a few rather big 
open holes, salt also comes from salt mines where bad men go, & a damn great 
dent in the ground is a quarry, and a *%$£x# deep hole in the ground is a 
mine!!!!!!

Love to All,   Bernard    (!!!!!)




sand pit gravel pit tunneles


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