WHANGAMATA GOLD CORPORATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1899, Page 9

WHANGAMATA GOLD CORPORATION.

It is now safe to state that the Whangamata Gold Corporation will join the ranks of bullion producing mines on the Ist of June, as the new crushing plant is now rapidly approaching the stage when ore can be treated. It is estimated that there is at least 15,000 -tons of ore in sight worth from £3 to £4 per ton, and when the lowest level is driven this quantity should be at least trebled. As the property is worked by adits, there is no hoisting or pumping, therefore the expenses are kept at a minimum. A Krupp mill equivalent to a 10-stamp battery starts in June, a second mill has already been shipped, and it has been decided to add a third later on. HAURAKI ASSOCIATED.

. The manager in his monthly report states the No. 3 -level has been driven a total distance of 745 feet or 30 feet beyond the point where I expected to find the footwall eader. I therefore discontinued the level, and put the men on to open out and drive on the ealcite leader, which was cut in the drive about IS inches from where we expected the footwall leader. Soon after commencing- this drive several very small stringers of ealcite and quartz were to be sen in the face, these had the appearance of a leader disturbed by a. break or cross-lead. As we met a break in the winze, and some distance back in the drive passed through a leader carrying- gold, it is probable these are the distrabers of the leader. I will therefore drive on the ealcite leader till they are met with, this should be within another 8 feet, when there is every probability it will carry gold beyond them. Have recommenced sinking winze below No. 2 level. Two men ere employed here durinwg last eek, and when breaking don a small portion of tile leader wabout two pounds of picked stone were secured, and gold left showing. Stoping above the No. 2 levl on the

footwall eader lias been proceeding with three or..four men, the ore has been of good quality, thpugh not so rich as that won last month, still it is more than payable, and the leader continues to look well. We have just completed a crushing- of 30 tons for a return .of 302 ounces melted gold, value about £285. ■ ; THAMES-HAURAKI. The enlargement of the Queen of Beauty shaft will be sufficiently completed by the end of the week to enable the cleaning- out .of the level to be undertaken preparatory to driving being started on the Vanguard reef. TALISMAN G.M. CO. This company's mining operations during the month past have resulted satisfactorily. A crosscut has been commenced in the Bonanza section, 120 feet below the surface, which crosscut will intersect the Talisman and other lodes .found outcropping in that part GOO feet. South of the pre r sent workings. This crossc.ut is now in- nearly CO feet, and is passing, through a fine channel of county. During this month also the No. 7 level has been connected with the large hopper at the head of the aerial tramway by means of a ground trmway, supported on large trestles, some of which stand 2Q feet from the ground. At the No. 2 level driving southwards has been continued, and a lode 2 feet (5 inches wide of good payable ore has been operated upon. Some really nice stone is showing in the face of the ref at this level. At No. 3 lev] the men are now rising south of the break, and are up 20 feet. Stoping is also being carried on north of the break, and a large body of ore of excellent quality is being won. At No. 4 the usual sloping is taking place.. At No. 5 a rise has been connected with the winze from No. 4 level and good ventilation secured. The men are now driving south on a lode 4 feet thick of hard solid quartz of good loking quality. At No. 0 level the usual stoping on the main. lode northwards in the Talisman section is proceedings and from this point a large supply of ore to be sent ot the mill. The reef here maintains its size and quality upwards very well. Coming down to No. 7 level, hich is the lowest at present, driving south along the western wall of the reef is still pi-oceeding, and the face has npw been advanced over 300 fet, showing the ore body to be still strong and good. The ref shows a decided ip to the est-.awt present. This drive is being pushed ahead south toget underneath here the winze comes down rfom No. 6 level, and this point will very shortly be reached. WAIHI COMPANY. The manager in his monthly report states that the-Welcome lode in the western end, at No. 4 level, was cut through from wall to wall, exposing a width of 24ft., the ore on -the average of five samples being worth lldwts 2grs of gold per ton. In the south end this lode is 33ft. wide. Altogether 85ft. have been driven west of the main crosscut. The lode is 18ft. wide, and some of the ore in hand is of low grade. In the eastern end of the level on the Welcome lode a crosscut was run through to the level on the Martha. At that point the two lodes were only separated by 4ft. of country rock, and a short distance ahead they functioned. The ore coming to hand from the Martha lode at No. 4 level is of first-class quality,

worth loz 2dwts of gold per ton. At 31ft.. back the, lode is 3Sft. wide, and ot: this 35ft. is free milling, worth on an average 13dwts l.'Sgrs of gold per ton. • The footwall is slightly mineralised, and worth 9dwts gold and I'loz of silver per ton. The ore obtained from the Martha lode, western end of No. 4 level, was too low grade to send to the mill. The ore from the Magazine lode at No. 4 level hits been of low grade for the last 80ft. In the stopes at No. 3 level the Welcome lode ranges from 14 to 15Jft. in width. The Victoria lode at this level split into two sections, and it has not yet been decided which one to follow!! At No. 3 level the Martha lode has been cut into 32ft., and the eastern wall is not A^et to hand. The ore is of low grade. Back from the face 56ft. the lode is 34ft. wide, of which 25ft. is free milling, and an average of five samples showed the ore to be worth Sdwts 4grs of gold per ton, and 2ozs 13dwts of silver. The 9ft. of mineralised ore is worth (from two samples) 2oz of gold and 48oz of silver per ton. The winze under the level on the Regina lode has been sunk down to water level, 74ft. The average value of the ore obtained while sinking was 13dwt lOgrs of gold and sozs of silver per ton. Driving west on the lode has been resumed. Ore of first - class quality has been won from the No. 1 branch of the Martha lode in the fifth stope at' No. 2 level. The lode is from S to 10ft. wide. The block in the Victoria lode at No. 2 level is exhausted. It yielded about 0,000 tons of ore. The north-western crosscut, near No. 3 shaft, ciit a 12 inch leader. Some, 60ft. i-equire to be driven to reach the Martha lode. The stopes on the Welcome and Victoria lodes at the adit level have yielded first-class ore. In the new intermediate level the Martha lode shows an average value of lOdwts of gold and 2ozs of silver per ton. Work has been suspended at that point for the present. The new winding engine worked smoothly at the trial run.