Mining. Also stempel. [Of obscure origin; = MHG. stempfel (Lexer), mod.G. stempel; cf. MDu. stympel foot of a piece of furniture.]
1. ? A stull piece.
1653. [see BUNDING].
1671. Phil. Trans., VI. 2107. We under-prop our Drifts with Stemples, and Wall-plates, placed much like a Carpenters square, on the one side, and over head.
1778. W. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 97. The adventurers have been often put to unnecessary expence in stemples and lock-pieces to secure the Mine from falling in.
1883. Encycl. Brit., XVI. 453/1. They put in strong pieces of timber from wall to wall, and cover these cross-pieces (stempels, stull-pieces) with boards or poles.
2. (See quots.)
1674. J. Ray, Coll. Words, Of smelting Silver, 118. The transverse pieces of wood they call stemples and upon these catching hold with their Hands and Feet they descend without using any rope.
1875. J. H. Collins, Metal Mining, 9. The native miners of Chili … continue … to carry the ore to the surface on their backs, mounting the ‘stemples’ which are driven into the wall of the lode to serve instead of ladders.
