Coal Pits (Yama) in the Old Days: Underground Survey (Survey of the Volume of Work Done by Undertakers at Each Heading)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yama: Kentori (Nobisaki no Atoken o Hakaru)
[Coal Pits (Yama) in the Old Days: Underground Survey (Survey of the Volume of Work Done by Undertakers at Each Heading)]
21.2 x 30.5 cm Ink Painting

Text at the Top Right
The underground survey (kentori) was done every half month, in which the volume of the work done (atoken) by undertakers at each heading (nobisaki) was measured.
Most of the executives of the pit entered the pit on the day of the survey, and the underground boss was busy marking benchmarks with limewater, stretching the tape-measure, or sometimes being reprimanded by the executives.
There were a lot of places to be surveyed because coal mining by driving single coalfaces naturally needed a number of small headings for air ventilation. Coalfaces were not surveyed at all.

Text at the Top Left
In this survey, a tape measure was usually used, and a metal chain measure composed of 5-sun-long (about 15 cm) links was also used in the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912).

Text at the Bottom Left
The benchmarks were marked on walls or pillars in case they were erased by blasting, and distances from the benchmarks to specified points were measured.

Words below the Inset
"Shan to hippatte!"
"Pull it tight!"

Words in the Inset
hon-oroshi: main slope
ichikata: No. 1 level
nikata: No. 2 level
oroshi-nubi: slope heading
tsuri-bako: loading a mine car moored in a slope
haiki-oroshi: return air way
kiriha: coalface
nubisaki: heading
kanekata o-nubisaki: level major heading
ko-nubi: minor heading
fudo: air way


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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