GLOSSARY. 407 



Marsh yas. Light carburetted hydrogen. 



Mineral conditional purchase. An obsolete N.S.W. Act, whereby 

 anyone improving his land to the extent of 2 per acre becomes pos- 

 sessed of the right to all minerals on the property, with the exception, 

 of gold. 



Missfire. A charge that does not explode when fired. 

 Mon keij-ch ock. See "Bobbin.' ' 



Morgan. A band of carbonaceous shale occurring in the Borehole 

 seam. 



Mother of coal. See "Dant." 

 Mouth of pit. The top of a shaft. 



\ukcd light.- Any light that is not covered or protected in such 

 a way as to prevent the ignition of fire-damp. 



Harrow place. Working places that are less than six yards wide: 

 those are paid for by the yard in length. 



Natural eofee. Coal that has been more or less coked by contact 

 with an igneous rock. 



Needle timber. Long sticks of timber, the lower end of which 

 rests against the foot of a prop in a steep seam, so as to keep it in 

 position, Avhile the upper end is let into a hitch in the roof. 



Nicking. A vertical cutting or shearing up the sides of a face of 

 coal so as to free the ends of the block that has been undercut. 

 Nominal selling price,. See Declared selling price. 

 Nuts. Coal less than Jin. and over 3-16in. 



Onsetter. A man who has complete control of the pit bottom; he 

 cages and uncages the skips and signals to the engine-driver. 

 Outbye. In a direction towards the entrance to a mine. 

 Overcast. A passage through which one air current is conveyed 

 over another airway. 



Overweight. The settling down of the upper rocks when working 

 by the longwall system. It is regulated by the packwalls. If it settles 

 too quickly, it binds the underweight,, causing the latter to throw too 

 much weight on the face. 



Pack wall. A wall built up of rough stones. They are used, for 

 instance, on either side of a mine roadway through goaf to support the 

 roof, and keep the sides in place. 



I'uncl. A division or district of a colliery separated from other 

 districts by barrier pillars. 



Parting. A thin stratified layer of foreign material in a seam. 

 Pass-bye. (1) A passage round the working part of a shaft. (2) 

 That part of a single track where the lines are doubled, so that in- 

 going and out-going skips can pass one another. 



Patent fuel. Fine coal cemented together with pitch or tar, and 

 compressed into bricks. 



Penthouse or pentice. A. protection built above men when 

 shaft sinking. 



Permitted explosives. Certain explosives allowed to be used in 

 fiery mines, which are mentioned periodically in "Statutory Rules and 

 Orders," issued by the Home Office, London, which are supposed tu 

 be safe. 



l'ick-or punch-machine. A reciprocating machine, used for under- 

 cutting coal by repeated blows. 



Picking belt. A revolving belt made of sheet iron placed hori- 

 zontally or at an angle, used for conveying coal to a bin or waggon, 

 while boys pick out any shale or brasses. 



Pillars. A solid block of coal left as a support or barrier, while 

 working a colliery, e.g., shaft pillar, chain pillar, barrier pillar, bord 

 and pillar, etc. 



Pillaring. The process of extracting pillars. 

 Pit. (1) A shaft. (2) A coal mine. 



