WAIHI AND OWHAROA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 125, 29 May 1896, Page 4

WAIHI AND OWHAROA.

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Waihi; Thursday. WAIHI EXTENDED.

A starb has been made to sink a shafb near the soutb-wesb boundary, and this is down about 20fb, and passing through splendid country. It is intended to sink aboub 100 or. 120 ft, and then to open oub in order to cub ab bhis depth bhe reef found some weeks ago, besides any others which may oxiab. This appears a very good! plan, ns the reef was cut in the drive only about 30ft from bhe surface, which did nob give an idea of iba value, and little difficulty should be experienced in sinking 100 ft from bhe site chosen, as bhe usual difficulty of water should hardly exist.

GRAND JUNCTION G.M. COMPANY.

Tho shafb is now down 290fb and passing bhrough a very sofb formation of bluesand--Bbone, which haa exisbod during bhe past forbnigbt. Ib is likely bhab this will shortly give place to bha solid sandstone which is usually found encasing a reef, and when this is reached, little trouble will be met in finding bhe Marthareef, if iblives outside the Martha Hill. The pump, which gave some trouble ab tirsb, is now working well, and keeping bhe waber well under conbrol. Two pumps are in uae, one ab the bobtom of the shafb, pumping the water into a large cistern, and the other on top emptying the cistern below. A splendid engine shed ia nearly completed, whilst everything aboub bho mine appears in excellenb order, and shows the power and advantage of a sufficiency of working capital. WAIHI WEST. This property is included in the above Company, and is under the management also of Mr Evans. A shafb has been sunk 166fb, and a crosscub north is now advanced 270 ft, wibhout, however, encountering auy opposition in the way of a reef. Tenders are being called for a crosscub south from bhe shafb of lOOfb, whilab the norbhern crosscut will still be continued, so that Bomebhing should be gob from one of the drives. •WAIHI SOUTH. The shaft being sunk to geb through tha boulders ia down 50 feet, and appears bo be nearly into bhe pumice formation which was encountered in bbc old shaft. If bbi3 is so, a sbarb will ab once be made wibh bhe boiingrodabo prove ab what depth aolid counbry can ba meb. WAIHI CONSOLS. Here greab brouble haa been experienced wibh bhe pump, aomething goea wrong with the worka, and stoppages have been nearly constant for the pasb two weeks. Consequenbly sinking haa been almost aba sbandsbill, bhe shafb being now down 138fb. The counbry seems to be changing from the loose boulders and rotten rock class, to the pumice formation, and another 200fb of sinking may see the end of this. But before very long more powerful machinery musb be obtained or ib will be impossible to cope with the waber, which is already aboub as much as bhe little engino can manage. Ib seems a pity three or four of these companies with small capital did not combine and pub down a good shaft inbo the auriferous counbry, then each drive from that into their own ground ; instead of each company frittering away a few hundreds in half doing the work, and then perhaps having to abandon ib for wanb of funds. HEITMAN'S FREEHOLD.

The new pump has been gob into poaibion and has emptied the shaft of water, so thab a ebarb can be made again. The manager considers he has gob bhe aolid eandsbone, and. he is making a starb opening oub a chamber from which bo drive easb or wesb aa he may bhink mosb advisable. The sandstone appears bo rise rapidly in the bottom of bhe shaft, so bhab a little driving should

get well into it. The pump ia working very well, bub ia only draining aboub 1,5.0 gallons an hour, although ib is guaranteed bo iifb 3000 from a depth of 500 feet, -he shaft ia down 260 feet. KINSELLA'S FREEHOLD. '•" The contractors have gob in aboub 55 feeb, and have had easy ground until bho lasb few feet, when shooting baa had bo be resorted to. However bhis is nob expected bo lasb long. The country is exactly similar to what was gob in Heitman's adjoining, and is likely to conbinue so ab that depth. OPHIR. Here, a crosscub is in from the road aboub 270 feet, but as yeb bbere is no appearance of the solid. There is a chance that it may rise at the back and the presenb level may cub inbo it, bub I should consider it more likely that it will be found by sinking under bhe level of the river.