MINING SUMMARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 92, 20 April 1893, Page 12

MINING SUMMARY.

(FROM OOR OWN CORRESPONDEiNT.)

Thames, Wednesday. The past month has nob witnessed an^ revival iv the mining industry, au the agitation in reference .to the development of the deep levels* of the Thames unfortunately does not appear to have yet ad van cod to that stage when thero is a reasonable possibility of this important project being undertaken. Tho people of both tho Thames and Auckland, however, who are interested in the progress and permanent prosperity of the goldfield, seem to realise more fully than ever the vital necessity for unity of action in the matter, and it is to bo hoped thab some definite and practicable scheme will be formulated and adopted ab no distant date. A good deal of public interest haa lately been aroused in regard lo the valuo of*tho gold Baying appliances in use at tho Thames, in viow of the recently published reports from Mr Park, of the School of Minos, and Mr Pitcairn, of the Luhrig concentrating works, upon tho lasb crushiiiga from the New Alburnia and North Star G.M. Cos.' mines. The effect of these reports has been to clearly demonstrate the undoubted loss thab is daily taking place in connection with the treatment of ores from the lodes of this goldlield. This fact was of course geuerally_one might almost say universallyknown, but with that unaccountable apathy for which tho people of tho Tnames are proverbial, comparatively little endeavour has in the past been made to improve in the matter of gold saving appliances. In this respect, as in many others, the Thames has not advanced with che times. It is true that thero are in our midst exceptions, and that several of those intimately connected with tho industry havo on al! occasions gladly come forward and given a helping hand in the direction of assisting in experiments being prosecuted with new processes or appliances. Bub the vast majority of people, including many our leading mining men, havo viewed with the utmost Conservatism the introduction of all new processes, and have displayed truly surprising contentment with the existing order of things. It will porhaps bo contended by somo that we have advanced somewhat in tho matter of gold-saving appliances, aud that the same loss of bullion is not taking placo to-day as was tho case say live years ago. This is of course perfectly true, and a vory largo share of the credit for what improvement has been effected is due to Mr Park, of the School of Mines, whose labours have been the means of enabling the mining community to become more conversant with tho nature of the ores of the district and their value. Notwithstanding the knowledge thus obtained, however, it is estimated by those competent to torm an opinion that a loss of bullion varying from 25 to as much as 50 ;jor cent, is going on at the presenb moment, and this being tbo caso it behoves all interested in the industry to combine and see whether such a regrettable state of affairs cannot be remedied. That a considerable improvement can be ellocted on tho gold saving appliances now in voguo would appear to be undeniable, and itis to be hoped that at no distant date some practical action will bo taken in that direction. Ono of the mosb important and regrettable events of the month ha 3 been the " creep," or, moro corroctly speaking, subsidence of ground in the New Moanataiari G.M. Company's mine, by which the safety ofthe levelsisendangered and the tomporary suspension of the principal operations has been rendered necessary. The subsidence ia taking place in the largo block of ground lying between the hangingwall of the Golden Age and Reuben Parr reefs, at the eastorn end of which the cross reef passes between the two bodies. The block is settling down upon the stopes worked out from below the 100 ft level. These stopes wore tilled up as tightly as possible when the reef was broken out, but it is obvious that it would be absolutely impossible to make the workings as solid as the ground was bofore being operated upon and hence tho cause of tho present trouble. The ground is settling down very slowly, but until it has found its level by compression the " creep" is likely to continue. Mr Clarke is doing everything possible to conserve the interests ol shareholders, and is securing the levels which aro ab present the only open ground in close proximity to the subsidence. In the meantime work will be continued in the Inverness section of the mine, and also at tbe surface workings It may be added that thero is ol course a crushing weight upon the timbers of the levels, but it is hoped that any permanent injury to the levels may bo averted. . As far aa the actual operations in the several mines aro concerned, there has not beon much to chronicle during tho month, inasmuch as no new discoveries of importance have been unearthed, while tho sharemarket has boen characterised by its dulness. The Cambria, Waiotahi and Alburnia aro more than paying their way from the amount of gold won, while the prospects of the , May Queen, Pride of Karaka, Hazelbank, and one or two others show an improvement. In the majority of instances, however, work is being carried on by means of culls. A meeting of shareholders in the.Saxon G M Company is to be held on the _-bh inst. to consider the position of the Company, and a general 'desire is expressed here amongst shareholders that work will be resumed. , The quantity of ore crushed by the Waihi Gold and Silver Company for the four weeks ended April Sth was ,646 tone, which yielded bullion valued at £4 "30 An average of 58 stamps were run"during the month. Splondid ore ia being broken out from the Martha and the reef in the low level at the " blow is opened out to 50ft in width, and neither wall is showing. At Karangahake excellent ore is boing won from the Crown mine, and thero are now about 800 tons ready for treatment. Tho plant is all bub finished, and a run will be taken out of it v aboub J a fortnight.