NEW MACHINERY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 66, 20 March 1933, Page 9

NEW MACHINERY

NOKOMAI GOLD MINING CO

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

DTJNEDIN, March 19,

What was described by several speakers as the commencement of a new era in gold mining took place at the Nokomai Gold Mining Company's claim at Nokomai yesterday when the claim was officially opened by the Minister of Mines (the Hon. C. E. Maemillan) and the new plant,, consisting of a dragline excavator, washing house conveyers, and power plant were handed over to the chairman of directors, Mr. H. D. Kerr. The new plant is a triumph of engineering skill. A huge dragline excavator weighing. 150 tons has been placed at the north end of the workings, and a commencement has been made to work the ground there. The wash is scraped up in a shovel of five cubic yards capacity and taken to the screen. It is then directed through the hopper on to a conveyer which consists of thick rubber belting running on heavy bearings.

Mr. James Fletcher said that the dragline scoop had been tested and had worked at a rate of 300 yards an hour. In a period.equivalent to a fortnight of working hours it had excavated 12,000 yards of material.

The Minister, on declaring the mine open, said that the original Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company had worked this valley, winning gold to the value of £213,050 and paying dividends to the extent of £54,683 in 28 years. The Minister then pressed a button and the machinery of the excavator was set in motion.