1thickness,
and high enough that their ends, which are cut square, almost
touch the top of the tunnel; then upon them is placed a smaller dressed cap,
which is mortised into the heads of the posts: at the bottom, other small
timbers, whose ends are similarly squared, are mortised into the posts. At
each interval of one and a half fathoms, one of these sets is erected; each one
of these the miners call a “little doorway,” because it opens a certain amount
of passage way; and indeed, when necessity requires it, doors are fixed to the
timbers of each little doorway so that it can be closed. Then lagging of
planks or of poles is placed upon the caps lengthwise, so as to reach from one
set of timbers to another, and is laid along the sides, in case some portion of
the body of the mountain may fall, and by its bulk impede passage or crush
persons coming in or out. Moreover, to make the timbers remain stationary,
wooden pegs are driven between them and the sides of the tunnel. Lastly,
if rock or earth are carried out in wheelbarrows, planks joined together are
laid upon the sills; if the rock is hauled out in trucks, then two timbers
three-quarters of a foot thick and wide are laid on the sills, and, where they
join, these are usually hollowed out so that in the hollow, as in a road, the iron
pin of the truck may be pushed along; indeed, because of this pin in the
groove, the truck does not leave the worn track to the left or right. Beneath
the sills are the drains through which the water flows away.
touch the top of the tunnel; then upon them is placed a smaller dressed cap,
which is mortised into the heads of the posts: at the bottom, other small
timbers, whose ends are similarly squared, are mortised into the posts. At
each interval of one and a half fathoms, one of these sets is erected; each one
of these the miners call a “little doorway,” because it opens a certain amount
of passage way; and indeed, when necessity requires it, doors are fixed to the
timbers of each little doorway so that it can be closed. Then lagging of
planks or of poles is placed upon the caps lengthwise, so as to reach from one
set of timbers to another, and is laid along the sides, in case some portion of
the body of the mountain may fall, and by its bulk impede passage or crush
persons coming in or out. Moreover, to make the timbers remain stationary,
wooden pegs are driven between them and the sides of the tunnel. Lastly,
if rock or earth are carried out in wheelbarrows, planks joined together are
laid upon the sills; if the rock is hauled out in trucks, then two timbers
three-quarters of a foot thick and wide are laid on the sills, and, where they
join, these are usually hollowed out so that in the hollow, as in a road, the iron
pin of the truck may be pushed along; indeed, because of this pin in the
groove, the truck does not leave the worn track to the left or right. Beneath
the sills are the drains through which the water flows away.
A—POSTS. B—CAPS. C—SILLS. D—DOORS. E—LAGGING.
F—DRAINS.