When I worked in Ladywash in Derbyshire both terms were used but it
depended on the direction they were originally driven. i.e. Raise upwards,
winze downwards.
Andy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daryl Burkhard [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 19 November 2001 15:38
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Winze
>
> I was intrigued by many of the issues addressed on the mining-history
> list-serve and I was wondering if members could help me with a particular
> mining issue. I am in the process of writing a children's middle-grade
> novel (ages 9-12) that involves travel to a mining town in Colorado, USA
> in
> 1879. My specific question entails the use of the word winze. According
> to
> "A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms" compiled by Paul W.
> Thrush and the staff of the Bureau of Mines, a "winze" and a "raise" refer
> to the same structure, a shaft between two levels, but the structure is
> called a winze when decending the shaft (or looking down it) and a raise
> when ascending the shaft (or looking up). My confusion derives from
> definitions of a winze encountered in documents written in 1879 that
> indicate that a "winze" is simply a shaft between two levels with no
> reference to going up or down. Note that in this smaller dictionary of
> terms, the term "raise" doesn't even occur.
>
> My question, then, is: Has the usage of the term changed over time?
> Also,
> is the term "winze" used differently in Cornwall? The mining community in
> my story has a large Cornish component since the mines were deep silver
> mines and the skills of Cornish miners were needed.
>
> You may wonder why I've asked this question. It's for a silly reason--I
> love the term winze and think it would be a great word to incorporate into
> a
> children's book. But, alas, my protagonist climbs up a "raise" and not
> down
> a "winze."
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Daryl Burkhard
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