IMPROVING BAR HARBOURS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 200, 22 August 1905, Page 2

IMPROVING BAR HARBOURS

The great drawback to progress of any district that is cursed with a bar harbour naturally creates interest in any invention- that is calculated to do away with >uch a menace to safe navigation. Captain Horace Norgrove has patented what he claims to be an invention that will do awa™ with the bars. What that means to places like Manukau or Kaipara can easily be estimated. Captain Xorgrovc, having sailed for many years in and out of bar harbours on the New Zealand coa-t, decided to try and do away with thp evil. His system has the merit of simplicity and cheapness, while at the same time he claims it to be thoroughly effective. The idea is to place near the bar at low water wooden structures of pyramidical shape, the lower corners of each interlocking. On the tops of the outer row of pyramids is run a wooden bos. which is tilled with sand for the purpose of holding the row firm. At the base of the pyramid is a mat formed, about live feet high, of brushwood interwuven with wire. This is so hung tha£ the iiU'omuig wave pushes it up, carries in the sand, and as the water recedes, locks, so that the ?and is retained. Similar mats are placed all round the structures, wi.h the result. so the inventor claims that the sea reclaims the ground automatic-ally, and by pushing out the structures sieadily deep water is reached ami a straight channel formed. E-ven when the "reclamation is above high water levp] matting is placed, and the wind continues what the waves commenced. The patentee claim- that the strueiure will hold firm until the sand is inside the matting, after which every wave makes it heavier owing to increasing the sand deposit inside and out, as it will bank up in front after filling inside the structure. Another row is then placed outside and the work of reclamation continued until deep water is reached. Thn system applied by Captain Nor-rove is that of equilaferal triangle with a 40ft ba>e. They are constructed so as to be 12ft above high water. A small syncucate is bow being formed for the purpose of testing the process on some havl, -, in the vicinity T •= it.tbe-floating. sand can tip , .- p> . . .-.- .., , - j

■^, SHftRS&ARKZr. Business was quiet on the ExcUAnge to-iay. Waiotahj shares sold -at ?A, in the morning, and .by the noon c*H 51/ was reached, with buyers offering 30/6 /and sellers as ss/. Kuranui-Caledonian ! shares were in fair demand. s)=les being j made at 2/12, while "rights' , changed hands at 1/* and 1/5. New May Quee'i shares werfi a shade firmer, sales b:ing made at 2/8 and 2/9, iut Victorias (were easier, beinar offered at 1/1, although a penny pall was mace yesterday. The upward movement in Talis maa Consolidated shares continues, safes being made to-day at 12/4. at which figure there was still further demand, and no sellers were quoted. Waihi Extended shares were easier to-day, and Jthe market generally showed little life. 'Iα standard stocks B.N.Z. shares were a little better, being wanted at 127/, while the buying Auckland Ga3 advanced to 281/, but no sellers quo-ted.

WAIOTAHI.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

THAMES, this day.

In No. 5 level crosscut in the Waiotahi mine, the face of the drive is still penetrating sandstone, which is carrying quartz stringers, one of which

-hows gold freely. The pug characteristic of the hangingwall in the levels

above is still absent, but a favourable indica ion is that the stringers appear to be making, and may widen out into the mineralised band met with above in the Xo. 4 level, 20ft back from the winze, about the same distance as the present face of the No. 5 level is from the point where the rise will be put up to connect with the winze. The same characteristics appeared. and the stringers gradually made until they developed into a rich mineralised band. There is even- indication that this wiN occur again, and the fact that the gold is coining down strong in the winze strengthens this belief. The run of gold may dip more eastwards than is generally anticipated, so that they will have to drive further in that direction to get it. In the winze the last breaking down of the mineralised band re-lilte-d in 701b of picked stone being obtained, and not a large portion was broken down to secure this result. In the winze the quartz looks as'well as ever, the mineral being very strong, while the quartz carries the usual quan.ity of gold. No. 6 level from the shaft has been extended 9Sft towards the lode and the eountrj- is all that could be de-

■ired. ~So. 6 level coming from the Kuranui-Caledonian has now been extended 210 ft, and a contract of 219 ft has now been let to Dunstan and party, I who are mak ; ng good progress. The face is in a splendid class of country, and it is estimated that with 209 ft more of driving the face should touch ihe hangingwall of the Waiotahi lode. VICTORIA. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) THAMES, this day. In the Victoria mine developments are progressing satisfactorily. The face on No. 4 level is now in 54ft from the shaft- and the country is beeiming much firmer. At No. 1 level operations are bring continued on the leader in the hangingwall of the Mariner's reef. Colours and dabs of gold are seen in the quartz at No. 3 level. MINE MANAGERS , REPORTS. Waiotahi. —The mine manager reports:— The sinking of the winze below No. 4 level was resumed on Tuesday last, and is now downa depth of 24 feet. The mineral band it the bottom is cojtlnuin;; downward as strong- as ever. So far the mineralised sf>ue has uoi shown au.v dip westward, and is going down, if anything, strongest in the eastern end of the winze, and we may have to drive eastward at the No. 5 level for some distance yet to pick up the rich chute of ore. The crosscut at this level is being pushed on, and quartz stringers, from haliinch to one inch in thickness, continue to be met with, showing nice dabs of gold. So far we have not iner with the pug hangingwall which is characteristic of the hangingwall in the level above, and also in the winze. There is, however, a quartz formation forming on the eastern side of tne crosscut, which may prove to be the point west where the rich hangingwall portion commences. The same feature occurs at Xo. 4 level, and as we are still about 20 feet west of the winze, there is plenty ol room for an improvement to take place. No. 6 level: Good progress is being made with the crosscut, which is now in a distance of 9S fett. leaving about 132 feet to reach te footwall of the main reef. The crosscut being driven from the KuranniCaledouiau is now iv a distance of 210 feet. The first contract for 2uu feet having Inen completed, a contract for the remainder of the distance, about "219 feet, has been let to the same party. In the stopes above No. 4 , level good crushing dirt continues to come to hand. A large amount of filling is now lequired. A start is made this morning with this work, which will take several days to complete.

May Quetn Extended.—Operations for the past week have beeu confined to driving on No. 2 reef aud stoplng on No. 3 reef: these works have been suspended for a time. A start will be made on Monday to open up a Mock of ground from SullivaiTs level, on Xo. 4 reef: the reef at this point averages from two feet to four feet in thickness. As soon as the timbers are put in position, stoplnjr will be started. Crushing was started at the company's mill to-day. Ilauraki Freeholds.—Gold continues to be seen it) the stope being worked on the south side of the break on the I«aa reef. The reef here is composed of quartz veins and mullock, intermixed. The gold seea is confined to the hangingwail portion. On the north side of the break the reif Is looking well In the back of the drive. I decided to rise, with a view to ascertaining us value upwards. The is up four feet, and the reef, which has narrowed between walls, has shown some nice blotches of jrold. Mahara Royal. — Driving north ou the hanyinijw-all part of the Royal reef has been coutiuutd. The lode in the face is not looking quite so well. A start will be made to rise for a slope. In the stopes above the bottom level there is a large tonnage of low on? coiniui; to hand. Operations in the stopes over the intermediate level ou thi . Royal reef are proceeding vigorously, and Is seeu frequently iv the ore taken out. ~ The battery is crushing full force on the day shift. New Monowai. —Up to last night thp contractors had put in two weeks' work on the rtef. and succeeded iv squaring up 40 feet. This makes a total of 379 ftet ou the reef in from crosscut. The contractors are still on tlie hau^in^ r wall portion of reef, aud are driving iv a hill face of quartz, which to all appearance Is of a more friable nature, and heiinuii!!; to look better than any hit.hert worked upon in this level. From the present show. I have every reason to btlieve we shall soon be on very good ore. The machinery generating air for drills is working well. WViilil Extended.—During the past week thi- .ro.---.-ul and the drive towards the i oundaiy has beon manned two shifts with two v.en on each. The crosscut has been Juvauct'd lift, making it a total length of -;."it fruai rue shaft. Then? is no change iv the class of country rock, which still con tains miueral. The drive has also been advanced lift, makiug it 2Sft in lengUi from the crosscut. The head that is beii.g fo lowed is keeping a regular course, ahil b:is not inclined auy more to the south of :i". However, if it does cot come aronnd i:e as it is driven on during the next v «-Tibs. I intend to make a direct • foe a point underneath where the ...'- driven on in the Kα. 2 Ural.