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In early military engineering, a 'saucisson' (French for a large, dry-filled sausage) was a primitive type of fuse, consisting of a long tube or hose of cloth or leather, typically about an inch and half in diameter (37 mm), damp-proofed with pitch and filled with black powder. It was normally laid in a protective wooden trough, and ignited by use of a torch or slow match. Saucissons were used to fire fougasses, petards, mines and camouflets.
Very long fascines were also called 'saucissons'.
Later, in early 20th century mining jargon, a 'saucisson' referred to the flexible casings used for explosives in mine operations.