COROMANDEL MINING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10060, 21 February 1896, Page 5

COROMANDEL MINING.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES.

[FROM OUR BPKOIAL REPORTER.] Within the last few days some very import* aL j developments have taken place in the leading Coromandel mines, which will have a marked effeqt on the field generally, as well as on the mines particularly iudicated. In many respects they are most encouraging, for in the case of the Kapanga the discovery of gold at the greatest depth yet reached in any part of the peninsula is a most important event, and the continued rich prospects of the new and deoper levels of the famoas Hauraki mine, point to a permijienoe in the prospects of this mine which must be most gratifying. The following description of some of theso developments will no doubt bo read with interest-

HAURAKI G.M. CO.

HEW LEVELS OPENED.

RICH GOLD DOWNWARDS. Generally speaking, I found that the prospects of the Hauraki Company's mine were better than tlioy have been for some time, and the opening up of a new level at a depth'of 220 feet, or 61) feet below the present main working level, has been commenced under such very favourable auspices as to justify the holief that the blocks will prove even richer than those above the 160 feet level. In regard to the] 100-feet mid 160-feefc levels, there is little fresh to report on since my last visit to the mine, but operations on all tho lodes are being pressed forward. These are the No. 2 and No. 3 reots, the New Year reof, and a cross-lode which, although small, has throughout this block proved a most important factor in tho gold returns, for it is very rich. As already stated, the shaft having reached a sufficient depth for opening a new level ('220 feet) a chamber has been excavated, and in this the famous No. 2 reef has been iuterseoted or out into within the last few davs. Had the lode maintained its original underlie it must have been interseoted in the shaft at a depth of 160 or 170 feet, but it lias become more vertical, and this accounts for its not coming to hand earlier. It has only been cut into,and at this point it is small in size, about two inches, and poor in character, _ showing no gold, and of what might be called a " Imcky" character, but _it was not anticipated that tit the point of intersection gold would be found, as it is somo distance from the strike of the run of gold : but I do not think the drive in its course will have to be carried north very far before there is a rich run of ore in hand. The reason I think so is that in winzes which are now being sunk on the lode the prospects are excellent. A winze is being sunk on this No. 2 reef about 60 feet north of the shaft, and it is down 20 or 25 feet. The reef is 10 inches thick, and some of the ore coininn: to hand from it would compare favourably with the best class of specimens ever obtained from this extraordinarily rich reof, and all the indications point to a great improvement in the new level as compared with the class of ore obtained at and above the 100-feet level, which, by the way, hardly met expectations, but which is still producing good ore from the various lodes, with the exception of the No. 1 aud the Green Harp lodes. In the meantime the siuking of tho engine shaft is being continued to a depth of 1100 feet. This will give HO feet vertical depth below the present main or 160-feet level, and as sinking progresses at a rate of 8 feet per week this work should be completed within three months, and it will command a grea'ter height of bucks on all the lodes than has evor been available since the company took charge of the mine, for it will be recollected that a considerable portion of the rich block above the 100-feet level was worked out by Legge's tribute party before their tribute expired. A second winze Ims been started on the No. 2 reel about 100 leot north of the shaft, and in this also the indications are rich and promising, but no winze 3 have yet been started on any of the other reefs below the 160-fcet level, although gold has been left on the floor in several of them. The drive north on the reefs at the 100 and 160-feet levels have been discontinued for the present, the prospects not being sufficiently encouraging. The pumping column for eontinuing the sinking of the shaft is now on the ground, so that there will be no delay, aud the pumping and mining plant is in excellent order. So also is the battery, and the 15 head of stampers are kept steadily employed, although to keep up the supply of ore from a large number of small lodes requires a great deal of judgment and skill. .So far as the ventilation of tho mine is concerned it is excellent. The crossout into the lona ground is now in 316 feet, and it will be necessary now to rise 50 or 60 feet to connect with the lona winzo, and this is started. When communication is effected here the ventilation of this part of the mine will be as perfect as in other portions, and prospecting operations will thou be pressed forward in the lona ground. HAURAKI NORTH. I was glad to find that the prospects of the Hauraki North mine, as indicated by some rich specimen ore forwarded to Auckland recently, fully sustain the hopes of the management. There is a fine ore body in hand, varying in size from a foot to two or three feet, for occasionally it bunches out to the latter dimensions, and it continues to show gold pretty freely. A crushing of 30 tons of ore from it is now going on at Mayn's battery, and Mr. Breumer, the manager, informed me that it appears to be shaping for 2oz to the ton. When, in addition to this, the cwt of picked stone and specimens on hand is treated, the total return should be a very handsome one.

KAPANGA G.M. CO.

GOLD AT 900 FEET DEPTH.

IMPROVED PROSPECTS.

In no part of Coroinandel did I find the prospects moro hopeful than in the well known Kapanga miue, where, within the last few days, developments of a most important character have taken place, and the discoveries made will have an influence 011 deep level mining generally as well as on tlie prospects of the Kapanga Company. Home time ago boring operations were carried on from the 800-feet level and the indications being promising it was determined to sink a further depth of '200 foet, making 1000 feet in all. At the 800-feet level an unpromising dyke was passed through and the reefs when intersected in it were mostly barren but beneath a nice kindly sandstone rock set in, and now at a depth of 880 feet a nice lodo varying in size from two to six inches, has been cut through in the shaft. Its course is apparently north to south-east, and it underlies to the south-west fit an angle of about 45 degrees, and tho ore itself is not only of _u promising character, but when pounded it gives strong colours of gold, and Captain Argall has forwarded some samples of it to Mr. J. A. Pond, to be assayed. This lode is apparently quite new, ana does not appear to have been touched in any other portion of the mine. The shaft is now going through a splendid class of coarse sandstone, most favourable to tho presence of auriferous lodes, and it is no wonder that the manager is somewhat jubilant, as it was on his urgent representations tdat the directors authorised tho extra sinking. The shaft will be continued to 1000 feet, but a fresh level will be opened at 900 foot, and at 930 feet another reef of large size will be out The bore-hole passed through this ore for a depth of 14 feet, and some gold was found in tho cores raised from it, but of course the core gives no indication of the width of the reef, it 9 its underlie is yet anunknownquHiitity,but the faot that the lode now intersected in the shaft is auriferous, and that the larger lode in the borehole also carries gold, and the excellent promise contained in the surrounding anriesite combine to furnish more cheering prospects to the shareholders than they have had for some time. Operations are also in progress above the 800-feet level with very promising prospeots. _ A rise is going up from the level on what is supposed to bo the Kapanga reef, and it has passed through the barren dyke already referred toj The lode is a well-defined compact body about two feet thick, containing fine colours of gold and quantities of arsenical and iron pyrites. Tha quartz is dark and opaque and contains a good deal of caloite,-awl altogether bus a promisingaspeot. The rise, I may add, is now iihout 70 feetabove the level, Hie bearing of the lode, although somewhat variable, ia fairly good, and it maintains its size where seen. At the 500-feet level also very encouraging prospects have arisen, and this was some, what unexpected, for it had never previously been profitable, nor indeed had it been opened to any considerable extent. Here a rise is going up 011 the Kapanga lode, audit is strong and well defined, presenting an oro body about 2 feet wide, the hanging wall being specially strong, and good blotches of gold show frequently in the oro itself. Some of the ore brought to the surface from this rise on Wednesday might fairly be designated good specimens, and the manager naturally, expects this to be |he commencement of a good rich paten of ore, more' especially us it the continuation of tne old Albion 'shot of gold, which was successfully worked soino years ago. In and abpve the 420-foot levtl the prospeofs are now particularly . bright, ami during the last week some spjtm-' [ did spcolmeu ore has come to hand from the

Btopea on the Kapanga reef. Some of these are estimated to be worth 3oz to the pound, and samples will be sent home to the company's London office for exhibition. Before, however, a great deal can be done at this point some dead work has to be accomplished. jjjome work is also progrosjingaboyo this levol on Scotty's reef, and although gold is not visible it is expected from the appearanoo of the ore and the nature of its surroundings that payable ore will uhortly be to hand. Operations 011 ScoUy's reef at the 300-feefc level are continued, driving and stopinp being both in progress, but no gold is showing, Operations in the 200feet level have been resumed, the old workings being cleared ' out with a view to working the Kananga reef. "he engine erected over the Corby shaft was successfully started a fortnight ago, and the shaft has been timbered and secured to the bottom (a depth of 140 feet), and the levels are now being cleared. The surface works also continue to turn out rich specimens from a small leader, on which a winze has been _ sunk to a depth of 80 feet, and it is anticipated that when this is traced to its junction with the Kapanga reef, a rich patch will be found. Altogether thp prospects of the Kapanga mine are now better than they have been for many years. Thar* has not been much ore sent to the mill recently, but a small parcel of 30 tons crushed this month yielded 650z of gold.