THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 69, 22 March 1915, Page 8

THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

WEED TO SXHK LOWER.

SUGGESTED NEW COMPANY.

The collapse of the conjoint scheme to JSevelop the deep levels at Thames, owing •to the Mnanataiari fault having been initercepted, threw a damper over that secifcoin of oar gold-elds, meaning as it did fhe suspension of operations in the leading mines on the flat. That, after spending close on £50,000, nothing is to came of it is not to be thought of, but |the tightness of the money market since Jihe outbreak of war has not been conMncive to the flotation of new ventures. ]A movement has already started to see ff something cannot be done in the direc4km of forming one strong company to •develop the Thames field below I,oooft. afany authorities held, when the Board jwas formed_to irat-Jxi the'lovr lev__ tunaiel at -1000 f- that- a greater depth should 3>e reached hefore opening out from the ehaft, the reason being that borings taken some time ago showed that the •xnmtry at 1,400 ft down was of a reefkearing description, and also the cores rehen assayed demonstrated they carried irallion. If, of course, a greater depth }s attained, the present level at 1000 ft *iH not be wasted. The idea now is to Jryjmd get aU the companies to combine 3d work the flat at a. greater depth, or *fe_ to agree to surrender their rights to Jhe ground at a lower point to a comgrany in which interest is to be given.

The scheme Is to deepen the present SJueen of Beauty Baa ft, another 500 ft. -Oris will entail the expenditure of a -airly large sum of money, but if the Seefs were found to have a second enaachmen below- the barren zone near the present low level, it wuld be a big thing for- the Auckland district, and Shames in particular. In other countries ideep sinking has revealed a second and sven third payable zone of auriferous sonntry below what had been abandoned goldfields, and there appears no reason •why a similar Tesnlt should not be Sound to exist at Thames.

The great cost entailed will be the __Qst serious problem to be faced, as it <vould mean the expenditure of at least £200,000 to get down 500 ft. In the first place, it is estimated that the additional pumping plant required would cost something like f50,000. When the Deep Levels Board was formed, that sum was stated to be about what would be needed, if it was desired to pump from 1500 ft. The deepening of the present shaft 500 ft would probably cost another £20,000, and then more money would be required for driv- • ing and-keeping -the pumps going. Many " years ago Mr. XL Harris formulated ; such arscheme in" which all the land below 500 ft was to be surrendered by the - -present companies, who in turn would be. aßoted shares in a combined one. Bight was also to be given to deepen any shaft, and use the same for ventilation purposes or haulage. One thing is certain, if gold mining is to be revived at Thames, it will have to be the outcome of discoveries at a greater depth than has yet been attained on that field, for down to 500 ft the ground _v "been :weHpw»p«ct-4: • . ">