People at Coal Pits in the Old Days #7: Punching Rod (Cutting the Bottom)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi Yama no Hitobito #7: Tsukinomi (Ban Uchiage)
[People at Coal Pits in the Old Days #7: Punching Rod (Cutting the Bottom)]
20.6 x 29.0 cm Ink Painting

The bottom of the heading of each level (kanekata-nubi) through a thin coal bed was cut to lay a track for mine cars after each coalface had advanced about 2 or 3 meters.
The blast hole was bored as deep as about 1.5 meters with a punching rod. When the sakiyama (hewer) got tired, the atoyama (helper) took his place. The pair of them sometimes used the punching rod together at first.
The hewer inserted some sticks of dynamite bound to a thin long bamboo into the blast hole after setting off an attached fuse about 75 cm long. They could not go close to the coalface for some dozens of minutes after blasting because of the thick powder smoke. However, they could not wait that long and had to begin their work before the air cleared up.

Lyrics of "Gotton Bushi" Song at the Bottom Left
Yucha suman ga uchi no kaka tegiki.
Yagu ya futon no maruarai.
Gotton! Gotton!

I can't help telling you that my wife is good at everything.
She washes bedclothes or futons just as they are.
Gotton (Clang)! Gotton! (Interjected chants)


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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