A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

W

Wall       The sides of a mine working; rock on either side of an ore body.

Wall rocks       Rock units on either side of an orebody. The hangingwall and footwall rocks of an orebody.

Warrant       See rights.

Washing Up       Recovering the gold at the end of the day from an alluvial gold machine.

Waste       Barren rock in a mine, or mineralized material that is too low in Grade to be mined and milled at a profit.

Water Gauge (standard U-tube)       Instrument that measures differential pressures in inches of water.

Water table       The underground level at which the ground is saturated with water. The level at which water will stand in an excavation.

Wedge       A technique of directing a diamond drill hole in a desired direction away from its current orientation.

Wedge       A piece of wood tapering to a thin edge and used for tightening in conventional timbering.

Weight       Fracturing and lowering of the roof strata at the face as a result of mining operations, as in "taking weight".

Whinze       See winze

White damp       Carbon monoxide, CO. A gas that may be present in the afterdamp of a gas- or coal-dust explosion, or in the gases given off by a mine fire; also one of the constituents of the gases produced by blasting. Rarely found in mines under other circumstances. It is absorbed by the hemoglobin of the blood to the exclusion of oxygen. One-tenth of 1% (.001) may be fatal in 10 minutes.

Width       The thickness of a lode measured at right angles to the dip.

Winning       The excavation, loading, and removal of coal or ore from the ground; winning follows development.

Winze       Secondary or tertiary vertical or near-vertical opening sunk from a point inside a mine for the purpose of connecting with a lower level or of exploring the ground for a limited depth below a level.

Wire rope       A steel wire rope used for winding in shafts and underground haulages. Wire ropes are made from medium carbon steels. Various constructions of wire rope are designated by the number of strands in the rope and the number of wires in each strand. The following are some common terms encountered: airplane strand; cablelaid rope; cane rope; elevator rope; extra-flexible hoisting rope; flat rope; flattened-strand rope; guy rope; guy strand; hand rope; haulage rope; hawser; hoisting rope; lang lay rope; lay; left lay rope; left twist; nonspinning rope; regular lay; reverse-laid rope; rheostat rope; right lay; right twist; running rope; special flexible hoisting rope; standing rope; towing hawser; transmission rope.

Witness post       A claim post situated on a claim line used to take the place of a corner post that cannot be placed because of terrain.

Working       When a coal seam is being squeezed by pressure from roof and floor, it emits creaking noises and is said to be "working". This often serves as a warning to the miners that additional support is needed.

Working capital       The liquid resources a company has to meet day-to-day expenses of operation; defined as the excess of current assets over current liabilities.

Working face       Any place in a mine where material is extracted during a mining cycle.