25/11/2025
How an underground stone mine is worked -
First an area to be quarried was marked out at the working face (D) at the end of the heading (E); then a picker would remove the top six inches of stone (the picking bed) from above the stone to be removed, this was achieved by using picks of different lengths. Pickers were strong and very accurate, it is reputed that they could hit a fly at the back of the cut, this could be up to eight feet deep. The pick would have been swung two-handed, but only one hand could be used in the narrow cut (A). The depth at (F) would be between six and nine inches, whilst at (G) it would be about four inches. With a shallow depth saw called a Razzer, cuts would be started until larger saws called Frigbobs could be inserted to continue the cut on down (H); these saws can be up to eight feet in length and were lubricated by water dripping from a can placed on top of the cut. Sawing, too, is very skilful as the cuts must be narrower at the back of the Wrist (I), if this is not done the blocks cannot be removed as they would jam. The pillar cut (along side of C) once started had to be finished without stopping the saw or the pressure from the pillar would break the blocks or jam the saw. The Wrist is removed by putting a plug and feathers (a wedge and two tapered plates of metal used in reverse, to break the block off the bed) between the beds (B), and, by hitting them into the stone, they force the block to break down the back. A Lewis is then fitted into the face of the wrist to give the crane something to pull on. Once the block has been removed someone could clean up the back of the wrist with a pick to allow the sawyer with a Razzer to make a cut along the back of the remaining blocks on either side (J). The remaining blocks would be broken from their beds by the plug and feathers and removed with the aid of a Chain or Lewis Bolt (L).
