NEW REEF HIGHLY PAYABLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 230, 28 September 1899, Page 7

NEW REEF HIGHLY PAYABLE.

The fresh developments in the Waihi mine prove to be much more important than was at first anticipated, the practical result being that the or reserves of this wonderfully successful company should be doubled. By the courtesy of the secretary of the company, Mr R. Rose, who has returned from a visit to Waihi, we are enabled to give authentic details regarding the recent discovery. Some time ago a crosscut was started from No. 2 shaft at No. 4 level in the Martha section of the Waihi mine in a south east direction, the primary object being for exploring the country with the object of fixing a site for another shaft. It was thought quite possible but not highly probable that reefs of a payable nature might exist in that portion of the property. A number of small leaders were intersected immediately, after starting | the crosscut, and at 2931t; rrura the shaft a reef 6Jft. wide was met with,; which showed fairly well, indicating that almost certainly payable ore would be found as the lode was dri-1 yen upon. Nothing further of importance was met with until the I crosscut had been extended 546 ft. I from the shaft, when another roof j B}ft. was intersected. This also show-j ed in a satisfactory manner, although possibly not quite payable where the point was cut, but still having indications that it also is almost certain to carry payable gold on being driven upon. " About 30ft. further ahead quartz was again cut into, and the footwall of a reef was cut some days ago, which now proves to be fully 25 feet wide. The whole (lis-, tance through, this reef is highly payable, assaying from 13dwts. up to 2J ozs. of fine gold per ton, the average assay for the reef all through being nearly loz, 4dwts. of fine gold, and j 3oz. of silver per ton. As this reef is intact all the way up to the surface, this discovery is one of tremendous importance to the Company, and increases the ore reserves enormously. So far as is known there is no out crop ] of this reef, but as the sandstone is j known to exist to within about 30 feet of the surface in that section of the j mine, there will probably be between j 250 and 300 feet of it above the level j at which it was cut.