COROMANDEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 212, 6 September 1892, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

IMPROVED PROSPBCaca

OPERATIONS AT VAjfTOUS MINES.

(iT.OM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Coromandel, Saturday. Mining matters have been at rather a low ebb of late in Coromandel, bub there aye now eigns of improvement. Two or three events have happened during the past month which should have a tondoncy to bring about a better state of affairs. The Kapanga Goldmiaing Company's now machinery has .been started, and is sufli•rfoiilly powerful to enable sinking to be carried on to a greab depth (2,000 ft, if js;>C£Bßary,) so as to test the lodes in the fctiaia below. This Company is now doing lingle-handed what has been advocated for tlio Thames companies to combine to do, viz., tesb the deep levels, and the results will be anxiously looked forward to by all who take an interest in the development cf the Auckland goldfields. It ie thought that the Kapanga and Scotby's reef will come together at a depth and the theory is that when this occurs a heavy deposit of the precious metal is likely to be met with ; it is to be hoped that the Company will reap a rich reward tor their energy and enterprise. The Fukepoto holding and adjoining property known as Trie Hill, eituatod between the old Union Beach ground and the Kapanga and in the Golden Belt, has been acquired (freehold by a gentleman of ineana for mining pu.;""es, and I understand work will be commenced at an early (!at:e. In your iasuo of August 27th, under the heading of the "Coromandel Peninsular " there was a statement or two respecting this property which is most misleading. The contributor of the article, after expressing doubt as to Air Thomson's object in purchasing the land (Pukepoto), goes on to say that he ha 3 been over it and "saw the puny pit holes and trenches." Well, I also have been over the holding many times, and with my eyes open, and caw something more pretentious than would be inferred from the remarks referred to. There are two levels which were put in recently, besides an old tunnel driven a distance of 3GO feet; the drives I saw being put in are 250 ft and 150 ft respectively, tho upper one boing th« longer of tho two, and ia this there ia a nice looking reef which has carried gold f long distance ; ii- tho lower level tho reel has"also been intersected. Tho Prospec tor's Claim, Manaia, about S miles frotr town, has been acquired by a local syndi cate who are now carrying on operations, and judging by past results, wo should heai •woll of it before long. Scottt's.—Operations are confined tothf oid workings, and during the month i parcel of 330z of gold was banked as thi result of a crushing. To be successful it this mine would require a shaft to bo sun! towards the Kapanga and operations carrier on from it, and as the roefs are the same a. the Kapanga's that tnino would drain this thus doing away with tho necessity of erect in!_r machinery. A thousand pounds wouU make a mine of Scotty's, if expended in tin rk'ht direction. Kapanoa. — Tho new and powerfu machinery erected by this company wai started on Auguat 21st, and has been work ing satisfactorily ever since. Sinking th< main .=hafb (which is down 570 ft) was resumed on the 30th, and is now proceed ing. The new pumping machinery is ver) powerful. Tho engine has a capacity cqua to 280 h.p. indicated, and is of the styh known aa a Cornish pumping engine (direel action), having a cylinder 40in in diameter the stroke is 60 feet in tho cylinder, and is •working 9 feet in the shaft. The steam is supplied from two huge boilers, nine anc ten tons respectively. Tho machinery i; being worked four strokes per minute (which easily cope 3 with tho present infliu of water), and as it is capable of bein« •worked up to nine strokes per minute il will be seen that there will be no ditficultj in keeping the mine drained when tho shall is deepened. The way in which this large work has been carried out reflects great credit on Captain Argai; <manager) and Mr Battens (engineer), and it is satisfactory to be able to state that nob an accident occurred during the progress of the work, even though some ot tho parts weigh as much as 10 tons. Operations are also being carried on in the surface portion of tha mine, that is, from the 300 ft level upwards. During the past fortnight Borne very good 3tone has been -won from the southern portion of the

mine. " Bi-agrove's Freehold.—Thi3 property al?o belongs to the Kapanga Goldmining Company.. A shaft is being sank, and is now down about 80ft, bub the reef has not yet been intersected, although ib will probably be in band before lon». Machinery is to be erected on the ground as soon as the weather becomes settled and the roads dry, to enable it to be carted to the holding. So far, the shatt has been sunk by jhand power. Tokatea.—Several parties of tributers are at work in this holding, bub they havo nob been doing co well of late. The heavy cost of cartage and crushing prevents them sending any stuff to the battery that will not yield over an ounce to the ton, and the consequence is that a lot of very fair oro i 3 . thrown away. Royal Oak.—Negotiations for the salo of this 'property are under way in Sydney, and it is believed that they will be brought to a satisfactory issue this time. The tributers have been doing fairly well, and have just had 1J tons of ore crushed for a jTCtuni of oi'czlodwcof gold. Coromandel.— This mine is also being worked on the tribute system, and threo parties are meeting with satisfactory results although carting and crushing is an expansive item and is the cause of a lob uf gold bn'w thrown over the tip-head. Daviea and Mclntosh have juet had 4 tons of ore crushed for a yiold of 18oz of £old ; they are now getting out another parcel for'the battery. Stewart and party arc also having 3 tons crushed, from which .the-,- expect, a good return. • Coromastdei, Mint.—Two or threo atop• pa res have been caused through breakages In fciie pumping gear, but everything is now running first-class. Two drives have boon start.cd"from the shaft, one north and the ■ othor south, to intersect known gold-bear-inr reefs ; good progress is made, and there should bo something worth whilo to chronicle from the rnir.e ere lonjj. NkfTO^E'— This holding join 3 the two above named, and is owned by Strongman and party. They have a large reef in hand ■which would pay handsomely if a good battery waa near afc hand : a trial crushing of 3 tons yielded 2oz 16d«?t, and the owners nrs endeavouring to make arrangements for cheaper carting and crushing. Pukkvuto.—Mr Reilly has been busy of late laying-offa main-level and battery eito, and there is every prospect of active opera- • tions being carried on ore lone. The pro perbyis one that should prove remunerative, toeing situated so as to afford every facility for economical working, and there is a stream of water running by which would enable cheap crashing to be done. The holding is a mass of reef? of various size.* from 3 or 4 feet downwards, the whole or Which carries cod, and in the hands oi mob of means it should prove t-. be one of thqrop->t.reiaunativo mines on the FeninProspectors (Manaia).-A level is being not in to get under several rich runs of 7oA ; about 50ft out of 30ft have been driv.on, so that the reef should be in hand in a couple of weeks. Thia mine has a capital record, and the gold from it) 18 of Very high value (£3 5s per oz.).