An underground worker responsible for driving tunnels, drifts, and crosscuts through barren rock. In coal mining, stonemen handle the heavy drilling and blasting required to cut through sandstone or shale roofs and floors to create level haulage roads. They work ahead of or behind the coal-getting crews to maintain the mine infrastructure.
Heard on the job
We need the stonemen on the night shift to shoot down that sandstone overhang in the main return.
Also heard as
- rockman
- Crutter