HIGH PIT WILMA 396 Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share As in the picture,these men aren't strictly "underground"!.....they are shaft-sinkers,in the process of putting the shaft down to the first available and commercially-viable coal seam. The two men at the right upper part of the pic are drilling a shot-hole,using a ratchet handled drill operated by one man on the left of the drill,while his Marra is holding the top of the drilling "machine"[!],to steady it and keep it vertical...no electric or compressed-air drillers here!...just bloody slavery! At the centre right top,another two miners are watching,with their hands loosely holding onto their "machine".....machine!!!!! In the foreground,one man is holding a steel spike,whilst the three others are synchronically hammering it into the ground,using what I judge to be seven-pound "Mels"..[the most used one in our time were 5-pound mels,with a seven-pound,and a forteen-pound mel,to use for braying in straight steel girder legs at each end of a horizontal roof girder.] Hard,bloody,HARD work!! Link to comment
HIGH PIT WILMA 396 Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Forgot to add,due to very slow,painfully slow exposures in those days,these men had to keep this pose for maybe a few minutes!!!!...holding a heavy mel in the air like that!! Correct me if I am wrong on that point!! Link to comment
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