1844 F. W. Simms (title) Practical tunnelling, explaining in detail..shaft sinking, and heading driving.
1862 21 Jan. Mr. Coulson..has had vast experience in shaft work.
c1868 C. Warren (1871) 128 The shaft mouth is on the south side of the Sanctuary wall.
1909 Apr. 239 They started to descend the shaft-ladders.
1922 D. H. Lawrence (N.Y. ed.) vii. 70 His father had been a shaft-sinker.