MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13742, 6 May 1908, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

NEW ZEALAND CROWN MINES. I v£3577. FROM 152* TONS. ' .'TOTAL TO DATE, £731,16*."'.. '"." During April,the New Zealand Crown Mines crushed and treated 152* tons of ore for a return of bullion valued, at £3577. • This is an increase compared with the return for March, when 1748 tons yielded £2511. The return for April, 1907, was £*333 from 1813 tone. The total amount won from the mine to date is £731,164, as shown in the following table of details: — £ Bullion obtained prior, to 1896 ... 138.104 To. December. 1898 ... 52.024 To December, 1899 71,636 To December, 1900 ... ... 66.515 To December. 1901 68,073 To December. 1902 ... 75,452 To December. 1903 ... .78.265 To December, 1904 52,002 To December, 1905 ... 38.639 To December, 1906 ... ... 40,821 To December, 1907 ... 57.236 Total ... 718,767 January, 1908. 1646 tons ... ... 2,569 February. 1908. 1891 tons 3.640 March, 1908. 1748 tons ... 2,511 April, 1908, 1524 tons- ... 3,577 Total to date ... ... ... ... £731,164 WAIHI. [BY TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.] . "SVAiHr, Tuesday. The powerful winding plant 'placed in position at No. 6 shaft by the Waihi Gold Mining Company for the rapid raising of ore was tested yesterday, and will henceforth be in use. The engine is capable of lifting a load of three tons of quartz, and can wind at a speed of about 2500 ft per minute. Instead of winding 'thin quartz to the surface by means of trucks in cages the material is raised in self-dumping skips of three tons capacity about 500 ft above the collar of the shaft. The tumbling gear is built on the poppet legs, and here the skips automatically discharge their load, the quartz being run down two shoots built out from the poppet legs on to the hoppers below. The hoppers are 100 ft in length and have a capacity of 5000 tons. At present winding is being carried on from the No. 9 (mine) level £50ft from the collar of the shaft. The engine is capable of raising from this level from 100 to 150 tons per hour when winding at full speed. The plant h one of the most, powerful in the Australasian colonies, and certainly the largest and most up to date in the Dominion. . r GOLDEN PAH. [ill* TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Co.komaNDEL, Tuesday. Preliminary work lias been pushed ahead in the Golden Pah mine under the management of Mr. H. J. Prescott. The smithy and change house has been erected, rails have been laid, and the levels cleaned out. The actual mining operations will be commenced this week, attention being directed to the separate points where gold has been obtained. ____■ PREECE'S POINT. [i»Y TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Cokomandkl, Tuesday. The Tangiaro Gold Mining Company having acquired the Dominion Beach claim and the church reserve at Preece's Point, operations were commenced yesterday under the management of Mr. Bremner. .'■■'' BIG RIVER. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] . Reefton, Tuesday. The Big River Company has declared a dividend of Is 6d, payable on the 9th inst., and carries £750 forward to the reserve. NOTES.. In the Rising Sun mine the reef maintains its size, and good payable ore is coming to. hand. Work in the New Dart mine is being confined to No. 1 reef at No. 2 level. The reef is from 12in to 16in wide, and looks promising- '. . ; The drive south from the winze on the black reef in the Scandinavian mine is in a distance of 15ft, and two tons of quartz have j been taken to the Tara.ru battery for treat- i ment. ... '.'J

At the Temple Bar mine quartz » being conveyed to the battery, and it ™ s /% that 10 tons would be'down by to-day. ine reef is - about 3ft tin thick, and the one shows colours of gold.

While prospecting on the south side « f >°- 1 spur on the line of Foxe's reef last week the manager of the Reliance mine met with several small quartz leaders, carrying some nice-looking minerals, but up till .May t no gold had been seen. -

The low level in the Mount Zeehan mine has been advanced 14ft since intersecting the lode without meeting the foot wall. Ahe locie will be cut through before driving, to prove its width and value. The manager reports that the quartz is promising, showing lair minerals.

The winze on the main reef in the oro "£" lion has been sunk a further distance ot *JMt, and the manager has reported that the quartz looks very well, particularly the hangmgwall portion,' which is about 12in thick, and is composed chiefly of decomposed silica. It is giving good dish prospects, equal to about £2 per ton. ~.■,;.

In the Maguet mine the north drive on the main reef ha* been advanced 7ft, and the reef in the present, face of the drive averages about 2ft in thickness of quartz of a kindly character. The channel of country rock through which the lode is traversing is of a. good firm description of block sandstone, interlaced with small flinties.

Baker's pass in the New Waitekauri mine is now through to the Queen level, and when the necessary timbering has been done a start will be made to drive on the lode, while «toping above it will also be commenced. The last slope going south of Raker's pass under the Queen level continues to show good prospects of free gold.

The reef in the face at the No. 1 level in the Karangaliape mine is about 2ft in width, and is composed of well-mineralised quartz. At the No. 2 level rising on the No. 2 reef has been continued, ■ and the reef is about 3ft in width, white the quartz is similar to that obtained in the winze. The reef has changed its course, and should it continue to keep the same dip the manager considers that it will prove identical with the one worked in the winze. At No. 3 level the country continues hard, and at the present time several'quartz veins are crossing the face.

The rise in progress upon the upstrike of tho liaiigingwalJ lode in the Golden Gross mine has now attained a, height of 10ft from the back of the level, and it continues to open up splendidly. ' There are 4ft of ore showing at this point, the average assay value from this development being £2 4s 6d per ion. The extension of the level north from the crosscut on the Golden Cross lode is in steady progress, and the face is responsible for better values than have been the case since operations were commenced in this direction, a value of 18s 10d per ton having been obtained for a width of 7f(.