THE HUNTLY MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 201, 25 August 1919, Page 6

THE HUNTLY MINES.

EXTENT OF SUBSIDENCE. MINE INSPECTOR'S REPORT. NO IMMEDIATE DANGER. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES SUGGESTED. OBy Telegraph.- Special lo "Star.") lIL'NTLV. this il.iy. A report lias been submitted U> t-hc executive of the Tau-piri Miners' Union hv Mr. l'lauk Reed, Chief Inspector ot j t'ual Alines, on the subsidence and under- I gwmud tails at the Taupiri Extended i Colliery on the 2:lrd August, 1ST!). -Mr- j Reed hays in bin rc|M>rt: — "The surface cracks above the nortli-vve-st and east boundaries of the tail-rope suction of the Working's in ibhe. lower I seam are due to drag, by reason of the 1 coal pillars of inadequate- dimensions j becoming crushed by the. superincumbent j weifflit which has fr.u-tiire<l t'nc lower; istrala, which was in tension, ami bent j the ujiper strata, which was in compress- j -.don. As this section is .-'several chains I from tiie W'aikato River, no danger from | irruption of wa.ter into the mine exists. As regards No. II rise section of tiie i working under the W'aikato Riven-, fills i of coal and fireclay from tin- roof have I occurred in six Iw.rile*. There falls have ascended to. and are at present pres-sed j by the upper coal scam at a height of 1 about eight feet above the lloor of the , lower <-onl seam. Above the upper coal i semii t.!.-re is .i.,,ut lUTft of cuvei t ■ I lie | river-bed. Some of tiiis cover is of e.x----ol" fireclay, gravel and .valid, which is but poor cover. At the present time] there is ji-o danger from irruption of | river water into the mine, a- such could n.-t. in my opinion, occur without jti. inj; ample warning underground, by means of collapse of the upper coal .seam, allowing the. fracture.-, to ascend, also by tho eru-hiiig of pillars, and by peircolation of water into the mine. It is possible that dangero-its conditions may thus eventually develop slowly. The area should be carefully watched. Under the riier bord.s should be driven narrower in future, and the pillars should be 'e.rg.-r. Concrete mine dunie may eventually be required as a guarantee of safcU."