WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 51, 1 March 1909, Page 5

WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION.

WAIHI, Saturday. Development work at No. 4 level on the Royal and No. 4 lodes in the Waihi Grand Junction mine is being vigorously conducted. A visit to the mine to-day showed that there are now five faces in active operation on the Royal lode, including a vein of mineralised ore, evidently a branch of this ore body. The main Royal lode in its eastern face is now composed of low-grade ore, while the face in the western end is not the lode, as a divergence was made in order to keep the drive straight; but the lode may be intersected any moment. The winze now being sunk on the Royal lode is down about 13 feet, and is passing through two or three feet of high-grade mineral ore which is typical of that met with on the Royal lode in the Waihi mine; the vein or branch lode of the Royal was met with about 20 feet before the main lode was intersected. This vein, 15 inches of which is mineralised, has been driven on both sides of the cross-cut, and it is intended to stope out a block for a length of about 40 feet on either side of the cross-cut. Two winzea have been sunk on No. 4 lode. One hat reached a depth of 30 feet and the othei 53 feet. The former is in progress, while the sinking of the latter at 53 feet was interrupted by an inuow of water. This has now drained out, and sinking operations will be resumed. The last assay values of ore at the bottom of the winze showed it to be worth about £9 per ton. Authorities are unanimous that this mine has a great future, and that important developments will take place on No. 5 level.