Dear All,
Re miners/banksmen falling down a shaft due to the 'headstone'(s), giving
way. Since we all know the terminology 'pithead', is there just a
possibility that this could be the those stones that might have been laid around the
top of a 'shaft head/top', acting as coping stones to the wall or shaft
lining below. With the amount of constant work (or loading), they would
receive maybe they might worked loose in certain conditions and situations.
Concrete has obviously been in use for a long while, but, if good sized slab was
locally and readily available these might have been used. If a shaft
lining was timber, and heavy stones were laid around the top, there is greater
possibility for such 'accidents' to happen for obvious reasons... but with a
brick lined shaft somehow I think not?... concrete would have been used.
Possibly the financial situation of the pit would determine what was
placed?... or temporary due to sinking, or simply exploratory.
Underground, well, the same thing could just as easily apply to any shaft
stations, or the head of any other internal shafts of any kind.
Many of us will have seen dry stone walled shafts on old metal mines, and
these would have had coping stones... or possibly in coal areas these might
have been called headstones???
Thought I would throw this in just in case it might be of use.
Regards, Bernard
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