A chimney in the non-building sense is always a natural feature. However, one can use the climbing technique of "chimneying" to make one's way up or down a man made structure.

A mine shaft is a vertical or subvertical opening used for transporting people, equipment or rock to and/or from the surface. The term is often used incorrectly in reference to a horizontal or subhorizontal tunnel opening out onto a hillside. The correct term is adit, the opening of which is the portal.

Horizontal tunnels throughout a mine are referred to as drives.

A couple of special case of shafts are winzes and raises (or rises, depending where you're from). Both words, like chimney, can be used as a noun or a verb.

A winze is a shaft developed (ie excavated) downwards from a drive - it is not open to the surface.

Similar deal with a raise - only it is developed upwards from the back (ie ceiling) of a drive. Purists will take exception to this because raise boring machines actually develop the raise from the top down. A mere technicality, the hole is still called a raise. Raises may be developed through to the surface, particularly if they are to be used for ventilation (hence vent raise) and/or if they are to be used as an escapeway.

stales