This historic drainage gallery intersects the lower workings of a mine and channels groundwater out to a surface valley by gravity alone. Driving a stulm saves the immense cost of mechanically pumping water from deep shafts. They were often massive, multi-year engineering projects that allowed miners to access deeper ore bodies that would otherwise flood.
Heard on the job
The water level in the lower levels dropped significantly once the new stulm broke through to the main shaft.
Do not mix it up with
- Adit: An adit is any horizontal entrance to a mine, whereas a stulm is an adit driven specifically for drainage.