MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13700, 17 March 1908, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

ROYAL OAK. The manager of the Royal Oak mine telegraphed yesterday, stating that he had secured 101b of good picked stone from the cross leader. TALISMAN SHAREHOLDERS. It has been decided by the Auckland « committee of Talisman shareholders to invite Mr. 15. H. Stafford, formerly assistant superintendent of the Waihi mine, who has gone Home, where he will reside in future, to allow himself to be nominated for the next vacancy on the board as colonial shareholders' representative. Mr. Stafford lias been selected in view of his experience of local mining. The Wellington shareholders' nominee is Mr. Geo. Wilson, a London sharebroker, WAIOTAHI. The mine manager of the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company reports for the week as follows: —No. 6 level: Tho drive east on the reef cut in the crosscut from the drive on the branch leader is in a distance of 21ft. The reef here is about 4ft in width, but is of a mullocky character. Going west I have driven *37ft from the crosscut, but have not yet picked up the reef on the other side of the break. The No. 2 rise 1 on the footwall dropper is up a distance of 33ft, the reef here being about 3ft in width, and the quartz is of a kindly nature. In the stopes on the dropper work has been confined to filling in. Cure reef: The eighth slope has been carried west of the rise for a distance of 16ft, the reef here being about 2ft in width, and it has shown good dabs and colours of gold. No. 5 level: Stoping on the main reef under the No. 4 rise is in progress, and good dabs and colours of gold have been seen in the footwall portion. The leading stope on the dropper above this level has been carried east of the rise for a. distance of 91ft, the reef being 12in in width. No. 4 'evel: The stopes on the main reef west of the No. 1 winze are in progress as usual, and are yielding good crushing dirt. No. 3 level: Stoping out the block on the Im.perial City reef is in hand, and good dabs and colours of gold have been seen in the quartz broken. HYDRAULIC MINING. An outline of a scheme for lessening the cost of hydraulic mining has been brought under the notice of the Minister for Mines by a New Zealander who is at present employed in the Malay States. Briefly, the scheme is as follows: — 1. Erect a tower and gantry on a long trolley; hang a strong steel ladder as light as possible to stand the work; put on, say, a set of two cubic feet light buckets fit a grizzly and long stone chute from the drop chute, and work this backward and forward across the face being sluiced, and pick up and stack most of the stones, having a small head of water playing into the drop chute to wash the stones: this, with the sands arid gold, would pass through the grizzly into a matting-box. 2. By using this plant, which would be cheap, the everlasting blowing of stones down the elevator would ba practically done away with, and also the breaking of stones and the carrying or trucking of them away. 3. The ground would be worked at, much less cost in waterthat is, instead of from 18 to 28 yards to one yard of dirt (the usual thing), 10 to 12 yards of water would shift one yard of dirt. 4. The amount of water it would take to drive a Pelton wheel to work the buckets and winches could be spared from the elevator or from coming over the face, seeing that much less dirt would be going up the elevator. 5. By stacking « a large amount of the stones in the paddock, much larger paddocks could be taken out, without shifting the elevating plant, than at the present time. 6. Even if the paddock-men had to lift a certain number of the stones, they would simply throw them into the travelling bucket, and they would be finished with. The writer, who has been thanked by the Minister for Mines for his suggestions, purposes visiting New Zealand in a few months. WAIHT WARDEN'S COURT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN' COKlt ESPONDENT. ] Waihi, Monday. At a sitting of the Warden's Court this morning Mr. R. S. Hush, S.M., dealt with the following mining . applications: — J. Thomes, for 12 months' protection for the Waihi Central Nos. 1, 2, and 3 special quartz claims. Mr. Mueller, for the applicant, stated that Mr. Thornes had recently visited England and America, with a view of raising sufficient capital to work the claims, but owing to the state of the money market was unsuccessful. The application was recommended to ihe Minister. The application of S. A. Shaw for the Southern Cross special quartz claim of 20 acres, also certificate of abandonment of the Royal Standard special quartz claim, was adjourned. MINK MANAGERS' REPORTS. New Occidental: We have been driving on the course of the reef, but have not broken much. What, we have carries colours and dabs of gold. The reef is highly mineralised. The portion carrying the gold 'varies up to 6in. Kuranui: In the hangingwall crosscut a small stringer has been out 18ft from the old drive. This I believe to be one of the stringers from Hunt's re.ef. It. shows an improvement on toe stringers previously cut in this section, and, is about. 21 it wide. The crosscut will he driven a tew more feet, when the Stringer will be driven upon and proved, as good results have been obtained in the past on this block. I intend to prove all stringers intersected. Wo have commenced driving oil the hiingingwall west front the old pass. This stringer runs parallel with the one Ironi which stone was obtained in August last. The quartz is highly mineralised and" the country bard. I believe we will get payable ore here. Kalian's crosscut is going through country intersected with small stringers. The quartz i- still kindly and heavily mineralised. A little water is making from the face. 1 think the stringers will junction soon, and make a compact lode, limit's'reef at the buttery level is compact and adhering to the wall. Consequently it has not been broken down. This work will be commenced on Monday (the 16lh hist). The country is promising. A small leader was cut in the centre of the drive running towards the hangingwull. The main reef has been heaved a little towards the footwall, and about, Sin of country now separates them. This country will pinch, out as the drive advances, mid a junction will' lake place. The indications for stone are promising. old llauruki: In the 300fl level on the foolwall branch of No. ? reel the country is changing a little, am! I think we are getting through the hard bur. At the 220 ft level, in driving west through the broken country between the slide and what. I consider should be No. V reef, we have cut a pug .seam, the dip and hearing of which correspond lo No. '! reef. The country underlying this is of first-class appearance, and should No. 2 oss-rcef be discovered in ibis footwall country a large block of virgin ground is available. Fair grade general ore is coining from the tilth utope on the slide near the junction with No. 2 cross-reef. At the 16QH level the reef in the slopes on Legge's lode averages mo in width, and colours of gold are 'seen occasionally. I am extending the loOft level on the tribute reef into the Hunker's Hill ground at No. 2 crosscut east, at which point a connection is now made. Here 1 intend *o sink a

winze on the lode, hut 24ft south in the Hauraki section a winze is down about 20ft, ami by driving north from the bottom of this on the reef I should be able to connect with the lona 175 ft level. I hope to have the water out of the lona Bhaft by Monday next (the 16th, hist.). No. 1 reef at the 100 ft level averages fain in width, and very good general ore is coming to hand. We have secured 21b of picked stone from here. Royal Oak : Sloping is being continued with payable results. The picked stone is of very good quality and the general ore should crush fairly well." The winze is now down the required depth (30ft), so 1 will now be able to test the block of ground under our present working*. We have started driving on the leader, and the country is very favourable for gold. No workhas been previously done on this leader. New Una: The crushing of ore commenced last .Monday (the 9th inst.) is so far shaping very disappointingly. I cannot account for its poorness, as colours of gold were seen regularly. .No more quartz will he forwarded to the battery unless an improvement, takes place. Tail-tin, Extended : The drive is now in 315 ft, We. should soon get (he solid country.' There is still plenty of quartz in the face. 'The stone 1 had assayed was of poor quality, hut 1 will have some more assayed later. Old Alburnia: The drive on tha Sons of Freedom reef ha» been advanced 12ft. There is still a large lode in the face, which carries good mineral indications. Crushing was commenced at the May Queen battery yesterday (the 12th inst.), but, so far it is shaping poorly. Kapowai: 1 am having the shoot put up to the new reef in a different, place to save extra handling of the ore. Am continuing the tiae above (he new reef to the surface level above. The fine dirt, gives very fair prospects. We will get this diit to the battery in about nine days when the shoot is completed. There is very little improvement in Mclsaae's reef, but as the [lasses from hero to No. 2 level arc all full of mullock, and some need repairs, we cannot, get this dirt away until they are emptied. Kirikiri: The north drive is now in 3utt; size of reef, 10in. The reef doc.* not look so well as previously. The change of country has disturbed it, but 1 hope that once through this I (lint formation it will make gold. The rise lias been extended a total of 22ft. The country is very favourable for gold, but yet. we do'not see any. I think the lode must be stronger above, as there are several large streams of water coining from the back of the rise. Tairua Triumph: The tow level crosscut has been extended a total of 210 ft. The face is in very linn country, intermixed with veins of quartz. These show a little gold by pounding. 1 am of opinion that we are in close proximity to the main lode. 'The recent heavy rains have done some little damage to the first section of the tunnel, on account of which work in the lace has been at a standstill for the past three days. Repairs, however, are now almost completed and driving will be resumed.