MINING NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 89, 16 April 1910, Page 9

MINING NEWS.

TALISMAN CONSOLIDATED. ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS AT NO. 13. LEVEL. [IT TCtKOmAFH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.) WAI HI, This Day. Your vepresentativo paid a visit of inspection to tbe Talisman Consolidated Mine at Karangahake yesterday, and was shown over tho principal under; ground working* by the superintendent, Mr. H. S. SUnsficld. At present chief interest is centred in the- operations being conducted at and below the No. 13 lovcl. Of the five winzes being sunk from the level, four (the Nos. 5, 6, and 12 on tho nfain reef, and 13 on the east vein) aro carrying down a strong, well* defined, and good-looking body of oro, which has made stronger with depth. The No. 6 winze, which is about 60ft down from the No. 13 level, show* from 6 to 6 feet of highly-payable sulphide ore in the floor, and in the No. 12 winze, which is of larger dimensions to admit of pumping operations, the lode is wider than tho winze, with no sign of the footwitll, and the quartz is all high-grade material. The winze is botween 7 and 8 feet wide, and has now attained a depth of about 100 ft, thus showing that the main reef (from which the company has won some of its richest ore in this section of the property) is maintaining its strength and width going down from the present low level. A further 100 ft of sinking will reach the point at which the next level (No. 14) is to be spent up. The pump installed in this winze has relieved the pressure of water in the main incline shaft to such an extent that the manager hopes to be able to resumo the work of sinking the shaft for No. 14 level in a few days. In tho south drive on the main lode, at No. 13 level, where the values were recently under paying point for a short stretch, the reef is now wider than tho drive, and for the last 25 to 30 feet of driving has been payable, with free gold showing in some of the stone — an uncommon rence in the Talisman. The face c ..io drive here is about 300 ft south of tho point at which the values in tho Bonanza chute cut out in the drive going south at No. 12 level.- The No. 15 rise, which was started from No. 13 level, in oro worth from £12 to £16 per ton, is now up about 30ft from the level, and so far the reef has maintsined it* size and dip. The rise is to be taken up to No. 12 level, and will determine tho question as to whether this mske of ore going further south in the bottom workings lives up to the level above. Provided the reef maintain* it* prevent dip and carries up, it should be intersected by throwing out a short crosscut from tho wall of tho drive at No. 12 level. Stoping south from No. 12 rise on the main reef over* No. 13 level is in progress, and (he lode, which is being taken out for a width of fully 15ft, shows some very rich ore. Tho first of the two parallel branch reefs (discovered recently in the west wall of the south drive on the main reefs at No 13 level), which was cut oft by disturbed country «ome few feet north of the point of intersection by No. 4 crosscut, has made again beyond the fault, but the values in the face* aro no>. payable. Tho drivo should shortly enter the area parallel with the good values on the main ore body, and may then be expected to givo an indication a* to the importance of the "strangers." Tho No. 4 crosscut Is being puihed out west in a nice class of country to cut the second branch vein, which should come to hand in from 25 to 30 feet of driving, assuming that it maintains its apparent strike going north. Where intersected in the western wall of the main reef the branch carried ore of more thnn payable quality, but so f»r but little work has been done on it here. The drive north on the main reof at No. 13 level in now out about 420 ft from the shaft, and the lode is opening out stronger again, and showing a slight Improvement hi values. The drive will shortly be under the point where a run of pay ore was met with in the level above. In the Woodstock section of tho mine, at No. 11 level, the drive north on thr, Woodstock reef, which followed payable dirt for a distance of some 50ft south of the No. 1 Woodstock winze, got into faulted country just beyond the winze. When the lode was picked up again it was smaller and poorer, and is full of small dimensions in the present north face. The block of ore in this section I* intact from the Tslioman No. 12 level to tbe old Woodstock No. 5 level, and the ground going north remains to be explored right through to the Taukaui HOl section. At the Woodstock shaft, where tho powerful pumping and haulage plant is to be installed, the preliminary work is well forward. Tho fonndatious for the winding engine are going in, and preparations are being made to put in the foundations for the pumping engine and driving gear. Tho chamber for the capstan engine to bo used in tbe first instance in handling the pump workings in the shaft has been excavated and timbered.