The Northern Advocate KAMO COAL COMPANY.

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1888, Page 2

The Northern Advocate KAMO COAL COMPANY.

Our readers will be pleased to learn that it now amounts to almost a certainty that the Eamo Coal Mines will again be in active operation. By degrees the vast mineral wealth of this district, other than coal, is being appreciated. To our hematite and limestone, which abounds here in unlimited quantities side by side with coal, is due the immediate working of the Kamo mine. The importance of this three-fold combination of minerals can only be properly estimated on perusing the words of Mr Hughes, the Manager of the Onehunga Iron Worts. He " attributes the many past failures to experimenting in the making of bar iron direct from the sand, instead of following the process adopted by all skilled manufacturers of iron in producing the pig iron first. Since the first production of pig iron by the Earl of Dudley (or Lord Ward as he was then, 1 620) there has not been one work erected that has ever produced the bar iron direct from this ore, to pay commercially. Dr. Siemens, of Wellenborough, near Northampton, England, the greatest steel manufacturer and best authority we have, spent thousands of pounds in endeavouring to make the iron from the, New Zealand iron sand, or any otlier rich ores, but was unsuccessful." Jfc Hughes says he "anticipates

within a short time to produce iron j from a mixture of hemitite iron ore from Kruno (where there is a splendid seam of both hemitite and limestone) and the iron sand in equal proportion, at a cost to compete with any pig iron imported, both as to quality and price. The brick works, foundry, pattern shops, and fitting shops are all complete for producing their own machinery for the works. The rolling mills at present are capable of producing 200 tons of finished iron per week. It is the intention of the Company shortly to commence the manufacture of sheet iron for corrugating and galvanising for roofing, and other puposes." Thus -a tripple industry will be inaugurated amongst vs — the working of our coal and the quarring and utilising of both our hematite and limestone. Nor will the advantage end here. Much of our land requires lime, and there is little doubt but the industry of lime quarrying once on a paying basis, agriculturists will be able to procure it a paying rates.