"Widowmaker’s” Drill
This pneumatic (air-driven) drill was once used to help make mining ore more efficient. Compressed air was fed into the drill, which operated a piston that hammered the bit into the rock as it rotated in the chuck. Once the hole was deep enough, explosives were placed inside to break the ore into more manageable pieces. Water was not used in conjunction with this particular drill to lubricate the bit so a huge amount of dust was created. The drill earned the nickname “widowmaker” because many of the men who operated the drill died from illnesses related to inhaling too much dust.
Marker can be reached from Discovery Lane, on the left when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
