BIG REEFS AND VALUES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 133, 28 February 1908, Page 9

BIG REEFS AND VALUES.

WAIHI MINE. THE EDWARD LODE IN THE LOWEST LEVEL. (I)Y TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL COHTtF.SrONIIE.NT.) Walhi, February 27. Tlio developments at No. 8 level, the lowest in .tlio Wailii mine, show remarkable improvements, both as regards the widths and the values of tho lodes, compared with No. 7, the. lovel above No. 8. . Thoso. improvements apply particularly' to the Edward lode. .

. At No. 7 level tho Edward lode lias been drjven on for 600 ft.; at No. Bit has been driven on for 2ooft. At each 50ft. along this 250 ft. crosscuts have been or are being put in from the drive, so as to test t'.\o width and the assay values at theso points across the. reef.

RICHER, AND MORE OF IT; First, as to width: to show how ; thc Edward lode increases in size as it goes downwards, it may be-stated that at No. 7 level tho greatest width of tho lode does not exceed 18ft.; at a corresponding point below in No. 8 level its width is 75ft. The results shown by the. testing crosscuts (omitting tho third) driven across the'width of the . lode from the drivo on it at No. 8 level show the widths and yalues to bo as follow. •• •: •' Width Av. assay : ' of' ir value ' reei'. per ton. . First crosscut (at oOft.V ... 2Sft-!. ;£4 . 0 0. Second crosscut- (at 100 ft) 1 25ft. .£6 10 0 Fourth crosscut (at 200 ft.); 75ft. £10 0 0 . Tho fifth crosscut is now in progress at a distance of 250 ft. from the starting point of the drift on the lode, and up to the moment' of ■ writing tho lodo has been penetrated 65ft., with the eastern wall ; yot'to bo reached, tho western wall having just been ■locatcd.i The' assay valuo of tlio; lode in 'this crosscut is not yet available,;'but the splendid appearance of tho oro points to high values being obtained. ■ : , ' [It will, bo noted that has omitted (o stato tho width" and "tHei average assay yaluo revealed by the third' crosscut put in across the Edward lode at tlio '150 ft. 'point at tho No. 8-' level.' Tho details- given show .that at 100 ft. the Edward lode is: Oft. wider than , the greatest; width' in the level above (i\ T o. 7), and ,that the average.assay value is,dCC 10s. ; per-ton;: which compared well with ;tlio average value per ton (about .£2 Bs. to £2 10s.) 'of the wliolo of the ore'milled by tho Wailii ..mine'.'; "Tho. : most' striking' .feature' is provided- bv tho crosscut at the 200 ft. point at tlio No. 8 level. Ilero the-Edward lode is 75ft. is, there is four. times as. :much of it as there at' its widest point in, tho -NoV: 7: its assay, value is ,£lO '.per.; ton; which is four, times as great as. the. averago.value of the, Waihi. Company's general ore.. Reefs, of. course, vary in .size and valuo from point to point.] , '' . VALUES OF ' OTHER -REEFS AT NO. 8.

Other, important, works -at: No. 'B.levelv include* developments the Martha; .' Empire, Royal,: and' Welcome lodes. : : The.''Martha, has been driven-on for : 1250 'feet, its greatest width being; 110. feet. •' The Empire has been driven on-. for close upon 1000 .feet, with an average ividth of 29 feet,..the whole of the ore for . the entire length and breadth being sent to. the mill. The. Royal has • been driven' on for 'Upwards of MOO feet, the average width of'the reof being 15 feet, and the whole l of it being payable. ' ':■■■'■. ■ .•/ v•' • An important feature of the development of tho Royal at this level is i the fact that the western. face: is. At present 600 feet in advance' of tho.'face at' No.. 7 -level j 'where' work was stopped, and is penetrating virgin country. ;';,"' -:V-., ... -• ■< ': .yj,, Tile Welcomo has been driven oh for' 200 ; feet: in n '.westerly ; direction, the' greatest width of- tho lodo being 120 feet, and' all of the lode is pay dirt. . , '.A NEW ORE BODY. . lii'tllbLcoilrso of driving a cross-cut north-' west.-frbriiVNo. 4 shaft,-'arid. at'a distance .of 226,; feet from tho % shaft,, a'small .reef was' intersected., Tho result,, of; exploiting this' ;reef on. either -Side of Itlie crosscut.disclosed 'rf 4-feet reef of'sulphidejore... V . : This reef,,which has-not yot'been favoured with' a jiamo' other, thaii; the, 226 feet reef,'' owing to its having been . at' that distance' from the No!. ~4 shaft, .'.has, been driven on' for 50/ feet, and its value is coti-' sidered 'very , satisfactory.' i .', ' ; : Taking, them all round, the development operations' at the Company's lowest level are of a most important character j and atignr' well for the of what is described by Mr. T. W. Riekard, editor and controller of tho ''Scientific American," as -"the; second' greatest mino of tho world."- : ■ . GOING DEEPER YET. Meanwhile, a crosscut from the chamber' at the bottom of- the. No.' 5-shaft, at a depth of 1000 feet, has been commenced. Though the actual sinking to'this depth 'was attained some months ago, it is only just recently that 'preparations' for starting crosscutting were completed. ; . , t , .