Mining Report.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1580, 11 March 1887, Page 5

Mining Report.

I'HIENIX EXTENDED GuLDMIXIXG COMPANY.

Below is a cony of the manager's report to the Chairman and Hoard of Directors of abovenamed compiny : Gbxtlimi.s,—ln sending you my first half-yearly statement and report of the progress of tho various works, I be;.- to -tate that I took charge of your mine on the 2ath day of August, IS»6. My first step was to repair the tunnel, and go through that part which hail fallen in to timber and sec-ire it— which was a difficult piece of work. Afterwards, according to instructions, I called for tenders to extend the main drive :00ft., for which work I accepted a tender at 24s per foot. This contract is nearly completed, being in lUdft , and I am pleased to report that a change is cuminir in. There is a nice reef alsjut 2ft. thick with slate mixed through it, with mundic and galena tbe first I have seen in the mine. I uni confirmed in mv opinion that wc are near goid-bcaring "-torn.* by Mr Ja-. Kvans, who inspected the whole of the mine to-day, and he is quite confident on the matter. I a!-o let a contract to extent the north (I live 60ft., which was let at 27* per foot, and the contract was completed. Afterward" I let a second contract to extend the same drive a further distance r >f 25ft., but after four days work the contractors threw up their contract. I niaj say as regards thb drive, that it is the hardest piece of ground in the j district, of which fact some of your directors, who have lately Msifisl tbe mine, have no doubt seen proof for themselves. The distance now driven in this crosscut i- 138 ft.. and we have just cut through into a bead which i* quite a different country, and we will in a day or two hi thoroughly into it. I think that wc are getting close to the nortli lode, a; there is a quantity of leaders showing in the face, and also inure watery ami softer ground ahead. Acting ntulc r order from yuiir directors, who have lately v : . :ted the mine. I started two men at wages to drive south from .i.ain d-ive to lo«.k for the •ontli lode, as the lode on whi h I e m in drive in driven is very much brolien up. After driving -o..tb ;fuft. wc came to a i-mall reef about 12in. thick, with a ::nod foot wall, but there is no gold in it. and 1 have stopped it till I receive further instructions, but I woill not a lvi-c tl.at it should be tried any further, a- it would be better to cut a;ui:i further west. I ha\e started two men to drive north to c it the nil Idle lode, 27Mt. west of the nre-entcroraci t coing north, and they are now In 10ft i.i nice slate com.try. I cupula:.- that I hall have to drive about 4oft.. as the lode was cut in tlie pre ent crosscut going north ; but those reel's bend atouud -o much ibat 1 m..y strike it loft, sooner, or may have to drive gott. further. As an in-Unce of t.no-e bends, 1 may inen'toii that, from tbe mouth of our present tunnel to the north lode (where it shows in tbe creek) to l.'Stt.. mid or cp-s'' it driving fortbe nine lode is now in liwt., which shows plainly bow the reefs bend or tv. i-t around. I muv sty a-, regard* the north lode, that I have prospected it on the tor of the hill wet from the mouth of the tunnel about 1000 ft,. and can u*et payable prospects in it; on the surface it is Weatherbeaten and soft, but 1 can get jjold pi lillly in the stone. It is, however, so hiirh up, that we cannot do anything with it now, but when we _ - ct communication with the surface it will pay well for working. lam confident we shall -oon have tone for crushing, anl am quite satislied that we have a good mine, but those bends make it difficult to calculate the distances, and the shoots of gold run so flat that one ba» a long distance to drive to overtake them. O.ir roud< in the mine are in pood order. The tram road to the battery 1 had to rem w. for which 1 called tenders and accepted one at iM7 10s, and it i- a good solid road now, tbe length being flOuft. laid with iron rails. The battery hou-e is now in gooq order, the con'ractor having finished it, and the price being £':» -the contractor finding timber, nails, etc. On overhauling the battery, I found that one of the boxes was cracked, and that a good iWI of »old and silver has been lost out, of it. Acting on your advice 1 ordered another, which I expect to arrive daily. I let a contract to put the battery in working order for £3o—the contractor to run the buttery for one week after repair. The contractor has to make the tallies and all necessary rcjiair*. and ami to erect I'eltun whet'. (inexamining the Hunting, I found that it«as-o rotten as to lie imnossihlc to renair it. After taking into careful consideration that we should require more power to work the mine than tbe present supply of water would afford, I decided to recommend you to increase the supply, and to do so, it was nece saty to bring in the water at a hi.'her level, so that we should have a greater pressure, which you decided to do. ActiiiL' on your orders I took levels and surveys, and found it would he practibleto get KK)ft. more |i«rpendicu!ar pressure, niakini.' altogether 170 ft.; but to accomplish thii if was necessary to caTV the water around and ever some very I _-! i Muff-, which could only be done by iron ;>•! i . To i 1 1. li-ntrthof pipintr for thepuri-ose will lie about : :o:ift. a thuu.'h Li.i-s will entail a large outlay, lam corifl-di-nt it is tin beat thin.' that can be done, for, by tbe increased lKjwcr Ll:ii- L'.dned, we wi Ibe enabled to «-ink witen necessary to a dc; tn ol liOOft., and it will itive us power to work an uircompressor, rock drill and winding gear. It will also enable you to work your mine jhcanly and well. The amount of piping laid in position is about 28U0ft.,thc contract price for laying being 30s per chain. There would have been more laid, but the iron is so long in coming to hand which prevents the pipe-maker from getting them made so quick as I should like. The pipes are well made by contract at U3d per foot. When this water is brought in it will he a permanent job, and second to none in this district. I have had to get .SOOft. of piping ! made to force air into the mine the pipes for which cost 6d per foot complete. 1 will take up the water in the ereek above the mine, and when brought in I will have a fall of 30ft. The water will force air into the mine, as the air is so foul that the men are prevented from getting on with their woik. I hope to have this work finished next week, and then the mine will be thoroughly ventilated. Iu drawing this re|K>rt to a conclu ion, I would remind you of the j leasant surprise I got in getting so much gold off the co:nsr plates in cleaning up; as also the large amount of i silver, one and a-half hundred weight. I expect to get 10 or I 12 ozs. more gold out of the blanket sand, hut we have not got j an amalgamating barrel of our own, I have to wait till a fitting : opportunity to get Mr Evans to put them through for us. The i total amourt of gold then will he nt'out SOOou.

I cannot conclude this rejiort wit'nut expre-sing my apprer ition of the universal courte y an 1 kindness of Mr Kred E ■ ins and Mr Jarne* Brans, of the 1 hanix mine, to whom I am indebted for their joint advice on all Occisions, and for their prompt heli> and use of any tools or li ate.'ial required about the mine. I would also express my sati .ucti in at the visit of your directors and secretary, Messrs 11 skins, Laity and Henderson, who by their presence enabled me to discuss many things about the mine, and they will be in a better position to discuss the prospects of your m'ue than I explain by letter. Trusting that you are satisfied with my endeavors to get the mine and appliances into a good way of working, I übmit the above report, and remain, gentlemen, \ours respectfully, T. C. Pieacs, Mine Manager, Phoenix Extended, Skippers.