Considering its current definition (see below) and the wish to be politically correct, I wonder whether the word has come to acquire any racist overtone.
What is a coal miner hewer-Ask.com. Coal miner hewer is a person who hews or cuts the coal from its natural situation. The hewer is the actual coal-digger removing it from the coal face.
Steam coal, a grade between bituminous coal and anthracite (It was once widely used as a fuel for steam locomotives. In this specialized use, it is sometimes known as sea coal in the US. Small steam coal, also called dry small steam nuts (or DSSN) was used as a fuel for domestic water heating.)