GOLDMINING

Grey River Argus, 4 August 1936, Page 2

GOLDMINING

BRIAN BORU DREDGE. The following is a progre-s report regarding repairs io dredge:—The Supervisor reports that the bottom tumbler has been repaired and replaced, the new method of fitting steel wedges and studding same in position having been used. The stacker rollers etc., have been bushed and the driving gear has also been overhauled. The sand chute s and the main pump hav P Ixtcn repaired. The main winch in partly dismantled for the purpose of fitting a new head lin e brake. New lips are being fitted to the buckets and the screen is being braced. Tli P Supervisor reports that satisfacfactorv progres s is be.'ng made is expected that the alterations and repairs will be completed about the end of August and the Dredge should ■’hen b c ready for a trial run. MOONLIGHT GOLDFIELDS. Moonl’ght Goldfields Company Ltdreports that the wash-up at the company's clabn 011 July 31 was 113 ounces for 250 hours’ sluicing. MATAKIDREDGE RETURN. AUCKLAND, August 3. Th ( . Matakl Dredg P return for the week ended 2nd instant, was 48 ozs., for 138 hours’ work, and 10.000 yards. The. report for the Big River mine for the week to July 28. states. No. 4 Level Stopes: Timbering and filing proceeding. No. 4 Level North End: Timbering and driving level proceeding, also getting air return put through over level to lending stope in North End of this Level. No. 5 Level Crosscut: Th’s is being extended with two shifts; distance driven from chamber wide enough to carry double tram line, is 15 feet. . Rock Drills: It is intended to install rock drills driven .by compressed air in Nos. 4 and 5 Levels. Water pipes from No. 3 Level to Nos. 4 and 5 working faces are now being installed.

Okarito dredge return was 14oz 13 dwt for 133 hours. Gillespies dredge return was 450 z. 13dwt. for 120 hours. The chairman of directors of KingSolomon Deep Lead, Ltd., (Mr. Henry Smith), states that the company has been working low grade ground, and the returns have been insufficient to pav working costs and overhead expenses. As a consequence the company’s cash reserve has been seriously depleted. It is evident that improved returns must be obtained if the mine is to be carried on. The Stafford dredge ran 122 hours in the week ending July 24 for 320 z. melted gold from 9581 cubic yards treated. Previous return, 27Joz. for 817.3 yards. Quotations; Mt. Lyell £l/6/7. £l/6/9; New River —, 9d; Nemona 1/6, 1/10; Okarito 1/6, —; Skippers 31d. 3;jd: Wa’hi 9/5, —; Worksop 2/-, 2/OJd; White’s Electric 9d, lOd; Martha —, 18/-; Alexander, 15/- pd. —, 15/6; Argo Gold 1/7-1, 1/9; Antonio’s 4.1 d. 74d; Big River 2/OJd, 2/2; Blackwater Mines £l/12/0, —; Brian Boru 3Jd, 411; Barrytdwn £l/3/0, £l/9/0; Gillespie’s Beach 1/3, l/31d; King Solomon 91d, 1/5; Maori Gully Bd, lOd. West Coast Dredges LAST WEEK’S AVERAGE 39 ozs The total recovery of Ihe seven smaller --type of Now Zealand-owned dredges operating on the West Coast last week secured a return of 273 ozs. .10 dwts. of gold, or an average of 39 ozs. 1 dwt. Argo Dredge topped the list with a consistently good return of 69 ozs.. whilst Mossy Creek, working only 110 hours, was well up to the mark with a recovery of 47 ozs. 12 dwts. Mataki, 48 ozs, and Gillespie’s Beach, 45 ozs. 13 dwts., also secured good average, returns. Maori Gully continues to show a slight, but gradual improvement. Worksop showed a sharp doeline, but her returns fluctuate periodically, due to th e nature of the reef-like deposits. There is still no improvement in the Okarito recoveries. The individual returns

wete: — Dredge ozs. dwt. hrs. yds. Argo . . 60 0 125 12,200 Matiaki . . 48 0 138 10.000 Mossy Creek . . 47 12 110 10.714 Gillespie’s .. 45 13 1211 Maori Gullv .81 12 1341 Worksop .. 17 0 130 9,800 Okarito .. 14 13 133