Actually in the New Forest cord wood was most often measured in colefires; equal to 3 and half standard cords as this amount produced a cord of charcoal although that was - perversely - measured in sacks and dozens
60 cu ft of timber weighs about 1 and half tons depending on the species and moisture content
I know this is illogical but it happened
J
Peter King <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Your comments surprise me. I have never gathered what a ton on timber
consisted of, but I have only seen cord wood measured in cords (128 ft3,
with regional variants). A standard cord was 4 foot sticks in a pile 4 foot
high and 8 foot long. Its subdivisions were feet, probably 8 feet to the
cord (but I am not sure). The Welsh cord was piled a different way, the
pile being 14 foot long and other dimensions smaller.
Peter King
49, Stourbridge Road,
Hagley,
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY9 0QS
01562-720368
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
JJ GREENWOOD
Sent: 21 August 2008 11:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: mining-nautical terminology
the same unit was used for timber with 10 fathoms to the ton; it was only
used for cord wood
Trevor Dunkerley wrote: In mining terms a
fathom is a unit of volume equal to 6 cubic feet used in
measuring bodies of ore.
The German for fathom is 'faden' - a linear measurement which can now also
mean rope, twine, string.
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Shoebridge"
To:
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:14 AM
Subject: Re: mining-nautical terminology
> Might not the usage of fathoms for measuring shaft depths come initially
> from the rope manufacturers who normally supplied rope for maritime
> purposes.??
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "sougher"
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 5:51 AM
> Subject: mining-nautical terminology
>
>
> Hi List,
>
> Coming from one of the country's most land locked counties i.e.
> Derbyshire, it's interesting to note that lead miners there also measured
> the depths of their mines and shafts in fathoms. I know that it must have
> come about because of the constant migration of miners between Derbyshire
> and Cornwall, and visa versa (also other mining areas of the UK as many
> mining words are common throughout), but I've often wondered when this
> measurement was first used in Derbyshire. Jim Rieuwerts in his "Glossary
> of Derbyshire Lead Mining Terms" says that "shaft depths were usually
> quoted in fathoms from the surface, not as in Cornwall, from the horizon
> of the adit". Nellie Kirkham in her "Derbyshire Lead Mining Glossary"
> CRG 1949, gives an alterative word of Faddom for a Fathom. Has anyone
> the answer?
>
> Margaret Howard
>
>
|