Coromandel Mining News.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 298, 23 December 1897, Page 3

Coromandel Mining News.

(From Our Own Corespondent.)

SUCCESS GOLD MINES rt„,fP also just completed a crushing of 8 Hal nf general ore and 6 lbs of picked l? n nA for 37ozs sdwts melted gold, worth ?SB fi/7 This crushing came principally PSL m 1 and No. 2 Jubilee and No. 1 EgL£ reefs. Sloping in. these reefs . hpine- continuously carried on, and 'Ivpr in the history of the Company did ?hev look more promising for making rich tn?J than at present. The deep level is i « being extended on the line of No. 1 SPJress reef as rapidly as possible, in ° _»_Tr to connect with the winze sunk to ?hP same level below No. 3. When this Effected a trial shaft will forthwith be nk at a point practically under the 0 f the hill, and in a direct line with STrich runs of gold found during the nSressful career of the old Success comonv The machinery to carry out the p hnve scheme is now on the ground. It diodes compressor pipes, air winch, wirseve* pumps, etc.. and inasmuch as ♦Ms site will be practically in the centre t the auriferous belt of country, which is ?„Xd upon as running deep at this point. lo_?imately successful results should be SSmred to the present Company. HAURAKI MAIN LODES. This Company is now engaged developing a reef intersected in the south crossnt the leader part of which runs from i foot to 4 feet in thickness, the quartz of ihirh bears a very congenial appearance SS Mid while the strike N.W. and dip inst are the same as the Hauraki prinpinal reefs. This is all in virgin ground. a crosscut north has been penetrating hord country for some time, and it is iiiv expected the change will set in. The wrmanent winding plant is nearly comSioted and will be at work m a tew days. Wth this in working the rapid opening up if the property is secured, and judging from favourable locality of the mine, the general opinion is that it will yet prove a gold producer.

SCOTT Y'S.

The above Company, recently reconstructed are now busy continuing the sinking of the main shaft again. Sinking the winze under the line of the recent rntch is also being carried on simultaneously with the shaft. The intention is to sink the winze really on the line of •Rrewer's reef to a vertical depth in the shaff of 400 feet, and at that depth to drive a level connecting the shaft and the winze when developments can be conducted on a practical basis. The manager is of the opinion that the principal branch that carried g-old may possibly have been heaved and therefore still standing intact Consequently as soon as the winze is deep enough, test crosscuts will be driven at right angles to the reef in both directions to prove the. existence or otherwise of the supposed heaved lead. Operations are also being conducted on Muruhy's reef, which is being driven upon in the New City of Auckland quarter of the ■round near the battery. This as far as opened up by the winze sunk on it some 60 feet and a little driving appears to be a true fissure reef. It is noteworthy that its bearings are identical with the best reefs of the locality, viz., N.W. As a body of quartz it varies from 15 inches to 5 feet in thickness, while in the hangingwall portion of the reef to-day a solid band of mineral (Iron Pyrites) has made its appearance li inches in width. As an indication it suggests the proximity of a shoot of gold. It is proposed to thoroughly explore this section of the property and the close proximity of the battery to the same which is worked by water power and consequently means economical crushing, is a point which must not be overlooked.

ROYAL OAK OF HAURAKI. It is our- duty to record still another handsome return as the result of the past month's operations, 36 tons of quartz and 1,074 lbs of picked stone being treated for 1.1650Z3 of melted bullion, valued at £2 9/11 per oz, a total of £2,904 10/6 worth, which leaves a profit to the Company of £1,600, or a total since the amalgamation with the Tokatea of £12,600. The yield this month is not quite so large as the previous one. but must not be taken as an indication of decline in the mine, for all the operations being conducted on a systematic basis, it of course happens that in carrying out the work a less quantity of rich stone is sometimes forthcoming, and no provision is made! by the creating of new works which would be quite unimportant to increase the supply. This comes out in the natural prosecution of the fixed operations. The golden ore which is now being so extensively raised is coming principally from the No. 1 or Tribute lead in Hie Oak section. A level crosscut is now being driven in the centre of the Tokatea section to again cut this reef at a depth of 160 feet below the present workings on gold. This will open up a considerable area of new ground which should continue to supply payable ore. As soon as the new air compressor arrives (it is daily ! expected now) and is erected, together with the new Tangye pump now on the mine, it is proposed to initiate another crosscut at afurther depth of 160 feet vertical, and by the time that this is completed the manager hopes to deepen the Beatrice shaft a further distance oJ 160 feet, and be prepared to drive still another crosscut at the 320 feet level below the No. 1 level. This scheme gives practical effect to the benefits accruing from the amalgamation of the two properties, and it is only one point. The crucial point even then remains that as that level will be 327 feet above sea level and inasmuch as the best of the gold has been raised in Coromandel from below sea level, there should be a marvellous and permanent future before the Company below that level. At the 160 level in the Tokatea section from the Beatrice shaft at every breaking clown strong colours of gold are seen distributed throughout the stone, and periodically stones of very fair quality are selected. This quarter of the mine which is intact to the No. 7 level, will later on all be stoped out and sent to the mill, and in the course of this stopmg no doubt fair grade chutes of gold will oe discovered. While this is being opened out, the shaft deepened and levels and crosscuts being driven under this point, the management are providing for the increased output cf ore in the future by enlarging their present crushing plant. Machine sites and water rights are now being secured and the requisite machinery ordered, so that by the time the programme is completed it is estimated the resources of the mine will be sufficient to keep continually supplied a fair sized battery. This will be driven by water as the motive power, and will generate power for compressing air for carrying on mining work simultaneously, thus securing the most economical methods of producing the bullion. It cannot be gainsaid that the principles on Which the Roval Oak is being worked are | without exception particularly adapted to that mine, and a credit to those responsible for them. NEW HAURAKI. The recent discovery of gold in the Karaka Block adjacent to this property and about 600 feet further south, and like- ; wise the finding of gold on the surface on | a branch striking from the same reef and bearing N.W. with a dip through the New Hauraki ground, has considerably enhanced the latter Company's prospects. As a consequence this Company are at present driving four levels crosscuts at different development points all bearing on the strike of the Karaka reef through their ground. No. 1 crosscut is going N.E. to get under where the first gold was got on the surface. Another 40 feet of driving should see the reef at hand, when 40 feet of backs will be available. The extension of the crosscut past this point about 50 feet will also cut the strike of the main body of stone. No. 3 level is also being extended east to intersect strike of the same reef at adistance of 320 feet further north. Further north still 160 feet, two other crosscuts are going ahead, one at a depth of 90 feet on the west side of the spur which will cut the hangingwall, and the other on the east side which will come • in at a depth of 270 feet on the footwall. The former should intersect in about 50 feet of driving and the latter in about 150 feet. To say the least, another two Months is of the utmost importance to this Company in the matter of development. This Company have also access to me Success battery, to which a ground ""am can be readily constructed from the mine, so that no difficulty will be experienced in treating their ore—a very solid consideration.