UPPER THAMES

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 298, 23 December 1897, Page 7

UPPER THAMES

Upper Thames Mining News

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

WAIHI BEACH PROPERTIES.

As a great amount of Interest has centred in the Waihi Beach claims during the past twelve months, both on account of the protracted actions at law by the rival claimants and the reputed size and value of the reefs running through the ground, I determined to visit the locality, and arrived there safely after 31 hours ride from Paeroa. The track from Waihi is a bridle path, but with the expenditure of £150 could be made suitable for wheeled traffic, and this will probably be done before next summer by the County Council, as there is certain to be 4 lot of traffic to the Beach in connection with the 14 or 15 claims held there, besides wbich the locality is a delightful one as a seaside resort, and if a decent road existed from Waihi would be simply rushed during the summer months. The scenery is magnificent, hills and valleys, covered with green forest, including innumerable pohutukawa in full bloom; a beautiful sandy beach, sea air of the purest, and fishing in plenty. In fact, an ideal place for an invalid or to spend a month's holiday. But to return to the mines. The Waihi Beach Company hold 300 acres, extending inland from withm a chain of the shore, and prospecting work is being carried on over this by a party under the direction of Mr W. Tregoweth. Of course two or three reefs have for years been known to exist, and these are now being exploited; but other lodes are

being found, and I am convinced from the ( number and quality of the reefs already I discovered that in the near future this : district will become a large mining centre, i Tregoweth has during the past week discovered a new reef about 4 feet wide on the western side of one of the spurs, and ; if appearance count for anything this latest find should prove a valuable one. The stone has been forwarded for assay, but so far its value is not known. It is of a kindly friable nature, with curlybands of blue sulphides through it, and should open up well when cut into in the solid country. Another large lode averaging about 7 feet wide, has been traced for over a mile across half a dozen ridges, and where trenched upon looks exceedingly well, some of the blue stone carrying a lot of mineral, and probably silver and gold as well. This lode is of great continuity and proves that the reefs in the locality are large and permanent ore bodies. The last and perhaps the most important reef is what is known as the 'big' reef, which is first seen where it outcrops along the sea shore. This is a very large lode, divided into three lodes at the cliff, but probably forming one body further inland. The stone is a good class, but the assays show it to be low grade at this point. The quartz is very similar in appearance to that in the Waihi mine, and it is the opinion of Tregoweth and of many other experienced prospectors that the two lodes are identical. That, however, is a point which only future explorations can decide.

Another property being worked here by J. W. Shaw and party is the Foreshore Special Claim, consisting of part of the foreshore from high water mark and extending some distance seaward, giving an area of 56 acres. A very fine reef from 3 to 4 feet wide runsalong here, partly under the road reserve, and has been cut into in several places by Messrs Falvey and Hyone, the stone being of a white sugary description, and assaying from £4 to £70 per ton. The reef is encased in splendid sandstone. The owners have done some work on the reef, under great disadvantages, and are bagging the ore for future treatment; but the property requires capital to work it properly, and there is not the slightest doubt that a fair amount expended in opening up this reef would be handsomely repaid. It Is the best proved reef so far found here, and will apoarently enter the Company s ground some distance to the north-east. Messrs Gray and W. Comes are also doing prospecting work in this district, so that considerable attention is being already devoted to its development. OHINEMURI SYNDICATE. There has not been any development of an important nature to chronicle from 1 this Company's property at Owharoa during the past month, neither of the drives from the shaft being sufficiently advanced to intersect the lodes expected to be met with. The drive going east, is in 5G feet and that to the west 50 feet, and both are traversing a capital class of brown sandstone country. It is quite likely that a lode will be met in one or other of the drives before Christmas. Some delay has been occasioned by the fittings for the pump not being suitable, but these are now being procured from A. and G. Price of the Thames, and should shortly be to hand. In the Elliott tunnel driving west is still being prosecuted but so far without result. WAIHI SILVERTON. The crosscut from No. 3 level for the purpose of intersecting the lode is in 8a feet and another 100 feet or less should be sufficient to cut the lode. This crosscut is being pushed steadily ahead, and though the country is at present rather tight, it is of a favourable nature for a lode. At the No. 2 level drivingon the reef is only proceeding in a southerly direction at present. The lode is 10 feet wide and the ore is of usual.quality Stoping is going on over theback of this level, and reveals a body of stone averaging 10 feet in thickness. Preparations are being made to sink a winze from No. 2 to No. 3 level to the south of the crosscut. The distance separating the two levels is M) feet. The Company* new water race is nearly completed, and will be a considerable help at the battery, as water is becoming extremely scarce at all the batteries in tho district. GRAND JUNCTION. Work here is still confined to the sinking of the small prospecting shaft at the Grand Junction end, and good progress is being made with this work, tho bottom ot theshaft being now 170 feet from the surface. Pumice formation is still being passed through. At the west section the prospecting shaft has been enlarged to a depth of 120 feet, which is the water level, and operations have now been temporarily suspended hero, as there is no immediate necessity for this shaft, and it would not bo worth while attempting to cope with the water and continue the enlargement. The nanager is expecting to hear from the Home director.;, daily as to the luture working of the property, which was to have been decided in London this month. WAIHI GLADSTONE. This Company is at present engaged in sinking a winze on the reef, which has at that point considerably improved in value The reef is about 7 feet wide, and will require to be sunk upon to prove its value. HIKUTAIA GOLD SYNDICATE. Since my last report on this Company's property the work of development at the I No 7 or low level has been going or. continuously, and capital progress has been made. In the northern drive a contract for driving 100 feet was completed last Wednesday making a total distance driven from the crosscut of o"0 feet. A winze from No. 4 level has been put down to meet this level, and connection was effected on Wednesday. The distance between the two levels is 145 feet. Driving south from the crosscut on the reef is also in progress and the face is now advanced about 2RO feet. The reef which was pinched last month going under the creek has now widened out to over 12 teet and the stone has improved considerably in appearance. In the other end the lode is over 15 feet thick and prospects fairly well At this southern end some distance ahead of the present face a No. 3 winze is being sunk from No. 41evel,and is now down from 40 to 50 feet. WOODSTOCK. This Company has during the month taken the initial step in the conversion of their battery from a dry crushing cyanide plant into a wet crushing one. A test has been made with live stampers and the first vat filled gave a return of S2 per cent, of bullion extraction which must be regarded as very satisfactory indeed. A second vat has been since stamped and treated, the quantity treated being 29 tons and tho extraction by the cyanide process was !)4 per cent, of the gold and of the silver GO per cent. There is every prospect of further improving tills extraction, and tho method appears to be much cheaper and more efficient in every way where the ore is of a suitable nature for the treatment. At the mine stoping at No 2 level, north of the No. 2 break is proceeding. The. reef is from 3to 4 feet wide and the ore is all of good quality. At No 3 level two blocks arebeing taken out over the backs of the level, one block north of the No. 2 break andonesouth-.of the No. 1 break. In both these stopes the reef averages about 4 feet in thickness and the ore is all good. The crosscut from this level eastward for the purpose of picking up tho footwall branch of the Maria lode has been stopped as the manager is of opinion a small body o£ stone cut through some distance back from the face is the lode sought, and driving on the course of this lode will he commenced after the holidays. A rise is being put up from the northern block of stopes to No. 2 level, a distance ot SO feet of which 40 feet is completed. At No 4 level stoping is in fullswing north of the No. 2 break, three stopes being in operation on tho lode, which has an average width of 3 feet, and the whole of this ore is being forwarded to the mill. South of the No. 2 break the lode looks very well and is of large size, from 6 to 8 feet in width. A leading stope is being carried along here. Two rises are also in progress at this level, 150 feet apart, for the purpose of preparing a block for stoping. Both rises are up about 40 feet, and another 40 feet will break through to the level above. The lode in both these rises is very large and the ore is ofhigh grade, so that a valuable block is evidently being prepared at this level for stoping operations At No. 5 level driving southward on the course of the reef is being continued. The drive has just encountered a break which has considerably disturbed the reef, and the ore is low grade, but there is evidence of the lode making again shortly. A rise from this level to No. 4 has been completed during the month, thus preparing a block over the back of No. 5 level for stoping. The rich vein between No. 5 and No. 4 levels is still producing a little ore, and the last 23 tons gave £354 by pan amalgamation, besides which the tailings will probably produce £50 per ton. WAITEKAURI. At this Company's kiln level the drive! on the reef is in 630 feet, and though the! •ore has lately been low grade, the reef for ' the greater part of the distance driven j has been of large size and good quality, j Stoping operations are being carried on ■ as usual and the whole of the ore won is being sent to the battery. Stoping at the back of Corbett's- level on an open face is going on and good grade ore is beingobtained from this point. Tho two crosscute from No. 2 level at the Nos. 1 and 2 shafts are being pushed ahead and both are now rapidly approaching the line of the reef. During the month a huge water reservoir was broken into at the No. 2 shaft, which filled the drive almost instantly and rose in the shaft very

rapidly; but this trouble has been remedied by the aid of the fine pumping machinery available and work has been resumed in the face. A nice firm class of country is being penetrated in both crosscuts, and the completion of these two drives will be watched with interest, as 'On the size and quality of the Cross reef when tapped at these levels will depend the permanency of mining operations here, since it is by the development of the lower levels the life of the Company will be maintained. I think no fear may be entertained about the result. The low level tunnel is also being pushed ahead by the aid of rock drills, and about 80 feet is being negotiated monthly. At the old Waitekauri mine a rise is being put up on the lode with the view of testing it upwards, and so far as it has gone it proves that good grade ore exists above the level. KOMATA REEFS. The important work of developing the reef at the low level is kept going continuously north and south of the crosscut, 120 feet having now been driven northward and 70 feet to the south. In the northern end the lode has carried good ore the whole distance, and the manager is saving about 6 feet of the reef, the eastern or hangingwall portion not being of as good quality. Going south operations are being conducted on a large reef, only 2 feet of which, however, on the footwall side is at present consideredpayable. A rise has been carried up and communication established between the low level and the one above, thus securing good ventilation. The reef in the winze proves to be about 7 feet wide and of good quality right down. At the back of No. 2 level stoping is going on as usual, and about 4 feet of good ore is being saved. Driving north on the course of Argall's lode is also being prosecuted at this level, but the ore is rather low grade at present. The No. 2 rise on Argall's lode has been holed through to. the surface, the object of this being principally to secure tilling for the stopes, though it also improves the ventilation considerably. At this No. 2 ! level driving is proceeding on the Hartridge leader and about 2 feet of payable ore is being won. The necessary timbers have now been put in and other preparations made for the commencement of stoping on this leader. The manager is also driving a surface level on the Hartridge leader to the north for the purpose of getting over the top of a risewhich is coming up from the No. 2 level, and is now up 50 feet. The face of this surface drive is now almost over the rise. In tho Komata Queen section the continuation of the crosscut eastward of Lavington's lode is being pushed ahead, but up to the present without result. WAIHI. The manager in his monthly report states that no work has been done on the Martha lode. No. 2 level, eastern end during the month, but a contract has been let to drive at western end. The face, is now 6GI feet west of the crosscut to No. 8 shaft. The ore is of low grade. No walls are showing but the lode appears 12 feet in width. In the stopes the lode west of Hogan's pass has been broken out for a width of 12 feet, and in the third stope to a width of 29 feet. The Victoria lode is 5 feet wide, composed of ore of fair quality. A crosscut has been started on the western side to determine the position of the Welcome lode. The two lodes are here separated by only 19 feet. In the stopes the Welcome lode is five feet wide in No. 1, $_ in No. 2, 91 in No. 3, and 12 feet wide in the eastern end of the latter stope. In the two stopes opposite No. 1 shaft at No. 2 level the lode is 61 and 13 feet wide respectively. In the stopes at No. 1 level the Victoria lode is 5 feet wide. In the second stope west of the pass the lode is 19 feet in width. The Welcome lode at No. 1 level early in the month was worth one ounce to the ton, and was from 4 to 5 feet in width. It is now from sto 6 feet composed of strong blocky stone, showing occasionally seams of good ore lying between the coarse rocks. The winze on the Martha lode western end of Welcome No. 1 level is down 34 feet. The lode is 5 feet wide, varying in value from 17 dwts. of gold to 4 dwts. As numerous veins are passing through tbe crosscut the reef is bound to increase in size, as these junction with it. The Surprise lode at No. 1 level is from 9 to 15 inches wide and produces ore of fair average quality. Hales' pass has been connected to the surface on the Victoria lode. From the adit to the surface is a distance of 135 feet. The ore was good for 90 feet up. At this point the reef was from 2^ to 3 feet wide. Above this it broke into small veins. From the recent developments in the mine at tnt: western end and also from the encouraging prospects obtained by the Grand Junction Company in the western section of their property it has been decided to sink another winding shaft south-east of the western adit. This should command both the Martha and Welcome lodes foia long distance helow their junction without coming in contact with either. I'he No. _J shaft is now 70 feet below No. 3 chamber, and a strong body of water has been encountered. Although the water has increased in No. 2 shaft the total amount of water in the mine has rather decreased lately. WAITEKAURI UNITED. No. 1 tunnel has been extended a further distance of 110 feet, making a total from the surface of 1,341 feet. During the last 120 feet of driving a very hard bar of ' country was met with, carrying a large percentage of calcite and iron pyrites, which has retarded the progress of driving considerably. Ten feet back from the present face of the tunnel we cut through a small leader carrying a large percentage of-iron pyrites and calcite, which on being assayed Rave a return equal to 13/ -per ton. As the drive nears crossing the line of Butler's f_ode for what is known as the Old Waitekauri Main Reef), the manager would not be surprised if the lode was struck at any time. In No. 1 tunnel the manager hopes to get on to something valuable in the next 200 or 300 feet of driving. No. 6 Tunnel is now in a total distance from the surface of 2(5 feet, and is passing through a splendid class of sandstone country, fairly good for driving and looking exceedingly well for gold bearing. Mine Timber: During the past month the contractors felled, barked, crosscut, and placed on skids 172,300 feet of kauri timber, making the total amount of timber 302,200 feet. There are still another 150 or 200,000 feet of timber to crosscut, bark and place on skids. Tenders have been accepted for carting 10.000 slabs, 1.000 legs and 500 cap pieces, 2,000 slabs, 200 legs, and 100 cap pieces to be delivered at the mine, the remainder to be stacked on the Company's property.