THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10420, 19 April 1897, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

MAY QUEEN HAURARL The cruihings from the Saxon section resulted as follows :-Clarken's from 51 loads quartz 90oz 2dwt, and Cardigan No. 2 lode from nine loads quartz 18oz melted gold. CARDIGAN. Good headway is being made with the company's shaft. The surface water is no longer troublesome. The solid country will soon be reached and everything made permanent for a lasting work. The trial crushing in the May Queen from the Cardigan No. 2 lode has given 2oz to the load at No. 6 level speaks well for the future of the Cardigan at low levels. WOODSTOCK MAIN REEF G.M.CO. Good progress has of late been made with work on the above property. The ground has been thoroughly prospected, and five tunnels are being put in by the score of men employed. Recently two new reefs have been discovered. The several reefs known to exist in the field vary in width it is said from 2 feet 6 inches to 80 feet, the assays from all of which have been fairly satisfactory, but so far what is considered payable ore has not been struck. Mr. Trelease is mine manager. HIT-ORMISS G.M. CO. Recently, Messrs. Bewicke, Moreing, and Co. of Auckland, secured a three months' option of the Hit-or-Miss property. That period having elapsed, negotiations have just been completed for an extension of the option for a further period of six months. The option, it is said, has been secured conditional on the mine being worked and the present owners paid £1000. NEWS FROM THE MINES. [BT TELEGRAFH.-OWN CORRESFOSDESTB,] Thames, Saturday. foqabty's claim. The proprietor of this claim, which is situated in the Hape Creek district, crushed 2J loads of quartz at the Hauraki-Anchor Company's battery a few days ago for a return of 14ozs of gold, the total value of which was £40 ss, king of OJIAHU. A total length of 56 feet is now opened up npon No. 1 reef, which is 4 feet in thickness, and the footwall portion of its prospects very well. The manager discovered another large ore body upon the company's property a few days ago. It is about 6 feet in thickness, and although no gold has been seen in it as yet, still it bears a very promising appearance, and may possibly open up well ARGOSY. The No. 1 level in operation westward upon No. 1 reef is still entering upon a firm class of country, consequently the reef continues small in size, but shows colours of gold at each breaking down. Another level higher up the hill has been commenced with the view of intersecting the same body. Agood class of country is being penetrated, and the reef is expected to be to hand within the next few feet of driving. THAME9-UACRAKI. Advantage has been taken of the good weather experienced during the greater part of the past week to push forward all the concrete foundations and other works in progress at the Queen of Beauty shaft site, and consequently excellent progress has been made. The concrete foundations on the eastern and western sides of the shaft for carrying the " tee-bobs" and quadrant of the new pumping machinery have been, well advanced, and a start has also been made with the brick work for building in the boilers. This latter work and the building of the large chimney stack will be further facilitated during the coming week with an increased staff of bricklayers. A depth of ten feet has been sunk during the week in the Deep Sinker shaft, and good headway made with the prospecting crosscut in the Deep Levels Consolidated section. ADELAIDE. Operations in this mine during the past week have been confined to driving and stoping upon the Adelaide reef at the low level, which body has averaged about a foot in thickness throughout. The ore won has been of a payable grade, and the prospects continue of a promising character. No work has been done upon the cross reef during the week, owing to the drive leading into it being blocked up by the carrying along of the leading stope southward upon the Adelaide reef, but a trial crushing of three loads was treated from it (the cross reef) at the May Queen Extended battery, and a return of 18dwt of gold obtained, which is equal to 6dwt per load, whilst the value of the gold obtained was £2 8s Bd, or at the rate of £2 14s per ounce. This return in itself is not a payable one, although it leaves a margin over the carting and crushing expenses, but it is sufficient to induce further prospecting being carried on upon the reef in question, especially as there is a length of about 1100 feet available upon its course eastward of the present face, in which it is possible for several good runs of gold to exist. Paeroa, Saturday. WAITEKAURI UNITED. The development of this property is proceeding as usual, and a large staff of men is employed opening up the ground. Both the No?. 1 and 2 tunnels are being continued an usual, but in the latter the progress has been somewhat retarded owing to the hard bar of country that had to be penetrated. A change, however, appears to be manifesting itself, and it is hoped that the face will be more speedily advanced. The Point reef is still being opened up, and where it was crosscutted a short distance back from the face it showed a width of about 1$ feet, whilst it is also well defined. There is no change to note in the low level crosscut, but in the No. 5 tunnel the country being passed through is carrying a large number of mineral seams, and this augurs well for the lode which should be met with in another 100 feet of driving. At all events this distance should see the face underneath the point where a good deal of gold was got on the surface,

NEW ZEALAND CROWN MINEf The New Zealand Crown mine is maintaining its prestige as a good bullion producer, and the property just now certainly gives great promise, satisfactory results being obtained in all branches. Already several announcements have appeared in the Herald respecting the important alterations in regard to the reduction works, and which are beiug converted from a dry to a wet crushing plant. These alterations are being pushed ahead expeditiously; the contractor is busily engaged erecting the steel tanks, and as soon as these are completed crashing with the new process will be commenced with an additional five head, thus making ten heads altogether on the wet process. Then as the remaining vats are finished additional stamps will be gradually taken from dry crushing aud put to the wet until the full force of the battery is employed working under the system inaugurated by Mr. Daw. In accordance with expectations, the wet process enables the making of a better extraction than by the dry method of treatment now in vogue. Already about 700 tons of ore have been treated by the new process, and although I am not in a position to show the appreciable difference in contrasting the two systems of working, I am at liberty to say the results have been very satisfactory, so much so that no expense is being spared in pushing forward the new plant under construction. When completed, the present battery of 40 head of stamps will crush about 80 tons per day instead of 40, so that it will be seen the amount crashed per day will just be doubled. (Excellent progress is also being made with the other works for the carrying on of operations on a more extensive scale than hitherto adopted. The large flume for conveying the water to the Pelton wheel— will be erected at No. 6 level, north of the Waitawheta River—is being constructed, and over 300 feet of the fluming has been partly completed. An immense quantity of timber is being used in connection with this work, and it is anticipated that at the very least 280,000 feet of timber will be required. Out of this quantity the Kauri Timber Company has already delivered 80,000 feet. The excavation of the chamber for the pumping engine has been completed, whilst the excavations for the compressor and winding engines are well in hand, 'and should bit finished very shortly. No delay is being occasioned in pushing forward these works as fast as possible, and when all is completed and the machinery in motion the Crown mine should prove itself a very large bullion contributor. The ore is to be obtained simply for the working, and as it possesses good values there is no reason to doubt that large and consistent bullion returns will be produced from the Crown property for a great number of years. The mine is certainly developing well, and all the faces on stone are yielding ore of a payable nature. This is especially the cue at No. 6 level, where, in ah underhand (tope, fully IS feet of good ore is being won from the fine lode being' operated upon,. Then, in addition to the Nos. 4 and 6 levels working!, the development of the large block left standing above No. 4 level has been undertaken, and rises are now being carried up to the surface; and these works will subsequently be used for •ending down timber for the mine, aud debris for filling purposes. The No. 3 level has been

commenced about 60 feet above the No. 4 level and in this portion of the mine the reef is from three feet to four feet in width, and gives an average value of from £3 to £3 10a per too, so that it will be seen the stone carries a good percentage of the precious metal. I may state that above the No. 6 level, where so much work is shortly to be done, there is. it is estimated by the management, quite 600,000 tons of ore reserves; with such a vast quantity, together with the unknown and incalulable supply underfoot there will be enough stone to keep a large mill going for generations to come. The mine is certainly a fine property, and should become a regular and consistent dividendpaying concern.