MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13746, 11 May 1908, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

THE TAIRUA GOLDFIKLDS. MINE MANAGER'S OPINION'S. [nv I: LEG A 111. —W X CO POX D EXT. ] Wauu. Saturday. I'm; Tairua district, which for just on oO year# has been known to he gold-faring, i.-i at prevent claiming considerable attention. and as quite a numlier of properties arc wow being exploited the pm-pocts of the field • as regard* the value of its mineral content* and permanency should lio disclosed in Urn near future. The field is divided into two distinct districts, possessing geological conditions of an entirely different character. On tho eastern slopes of the main range. which ruin from Cape Colville north t«» ' many miles beyond To Acoha soulh, is what is known as the Lower Tairuu Roldfield, and' the mines in this area embrace the Tainm (Jolden Hill.-, Tairna Broken Hills (a steady bullion producer), Tairna Triumph, Tairna.' \ Extended, Coronation, and Tairus* Consols'. In tlio vicinity of Neave.ivillo and reaching v , well into the western slopes of tin* main, . range are the Champion, Ready Bullion, •>■' Brilliant, and other claims, whilst, immedi- ; ately on the brow of the range, is the Gob den Belt mine. The last mentioned pro- /J perty, like the Champion ami oilier pro- J iv positions til the locality, contains lingo de- c;; posit;) of sedimentary matter resembling al- ■' luvial drifts and beds, all of which carry gold ' in more or less payable quantities. Whether '■ a true fissure vein system exists remains to ■:' = lie demonstrated by furlhet development, which will, of course, also, give a liim"as to | the jjermanency of this section. In tho : north, or Broken Hills section, there is evi- .'-(j dence that the lode series is of the true fis- " "/'' sure type. The Tairua Golden Hills and 1 ' S Teinni Broken Hills properties both embrace a distinct series of ore bodies running parallel to each other. TAIRUA GOLDEN HILLS. - ; || A well-known Waihi resident, and for many years a miner and mine malinger iit various parts of the Ilanraki Peninsula, who - has just returnedV|:tre from an extended ; visit to the Tuiruii district, furnishes mo : '■■ Ay? with the following details concerning tho Tairna Golden lfills initio:--" .pro- ■V; perty," he says, "is well situated to allow of very oxteilsive mining operations being • v ; conducted upon economic lines, and from ; what can be seen I am of the opinion that, ore yielding rather oyer £1 per ton can bo mined at a profit. Tho claim embraces an area of 160 acres, and is bounded on tho ',?'•* north and east by the Broken Hills and on the routh and west by the Tairua. Tri- . umph and Tairua Extended claims. The* * two last-mentioned propositions are tra- ' • versed by the same lode system, of which so far five distinct veins have been exposed, 1 the largest of the series measuring offc in ; ! width. These reefs, which pa«a right through , v,'; the Golden Hills ground for a length of , 5000 ft, liavo all been proved to carry gold, ' *'%} and aooear to be veins of a defined charac- . ; ter. As the lode traverses a main range . ' i"-'l standing at an altitude of 1000 ft above the river level sloping backs to that height will - I i be available from the lowest adit level when it reaches tho reefs, and the intention of the ; management is to commence stoping when <, tho required levels at stated heights have been all carried homo to the lode system. At present two levels aro being driven to .; >/ intersect No. 1 lode nt depths of 100 ft and 150 ft below its outcrop. At.'No. 1 level No..' • 1 lode, which at its narrowest point is 4-ft, wide, is in hand. l! is a strong defined * body, carrying quartz said to be worth on an . ■ average £4 per ton. It has been driven. upon for 80ft north and south of the cross- : ■ : cut, and in both faces good prospects are met with. At the entrance of. the crosscut from the surface about 80 tons of ore have . ■: ■; been stacked,'and samples taken from any ■!c :l portion of this will give a pan prospect equivalent probably, to £4 or. £5 per ton. ( This crosscut has been advanced 576 ft due * west, and U now within about 30ft" of the VZ#O, lode known as Collinu' reef, which gives i encouraging prospects at tho-outcrop: Furthei* west the lode known as Wal. Davies'. : ' I'O.i'f will be picked no. This latter ore body -,X in en id in the early days of the field to have • produced six tons of quartz which' yielded lOoz to the ton.' \ \ ; : 4 : "The fine ore bodies traversing the company's area are running parallel to one an- •*. oth:-r, and are encased in a width of.-700ft of country. Owing to their • inclinations into ;rt the earth if is calculated that they will junc- . • tion at a depth of about 1000 ft, or .on the ' . deepest, level that, can Ik* opened; up by tlio • adit referred la above. No. 2 level (pn?*enn lowest) is now forward 90ft,' and it is anticipated that the No. 1 lode. • will' be reached . . - i in from six to seven weeks from date. At ample water power is available for milling opeiatioiw, the timber, required ie; standing r.n the company's ground, > arid-the, miri'i is adjacent to a seaport, the erection'of a bat- ' i.-., 4 tery should not occupy more than 12' .month* once the management decide oh putting up a mill." MAY QUEEN. "■ ' ' ••' [nv IT. I,RGB A I'll. —OWN COB fltfepbi* OeNT.J Thames, Saturday. Satisfactory progress in ' still being made: with (lie sinking of the Queen of -Beauty shaft. The contemplated depth' of 1000 ft should lie reached by the tixno t.lio companies at the northern end of the fiat aro ready to take advantage of (he opportunity _ thus offered of driving the main fi)Kw«cut. from that shaft to prospect their properties at tlx' lower levels. It ie to-be hoped th*i, < in the interests of the field "a praciicablo >V' working scheme will be formulated*-by thoso companies ko that no urinccesaary; delay will ] be . occasioned in v carrying out thia most iro- *-,3* portant work, which barf been looked for-, ' : ward to for so many years. In the workings . in the May Queen section of the mine good; v prospects are still being met with on the footwall branch leader. The stopes on thirf , ' are yielding ore of payable quality, and the drive on the same leader at No, 6 level i* /. fii also opening up an extensive <■* block - of' ground between that and No. 5 level. Front the present prospects it should prove remunerative. A start has also been made to sink a winze on the footwall branch of No. 4 lode beloiv No. 6 level to connect with tho crosscut being driven from the No. II level of the Queen of Beauty shaft. This will open tip another block on theso lodes over. 100 ft in height. ■ • SOUTHERN QUEEN. [nv TET.F/iKAI'H. —own* fonr.K&roscsNT.} * Tumir.a. Saturday. In ill., mine the improved prospect# wet . with in the workings on the Atlantic reef continue, and -preparations for stoping out. the block opened tip are about completed. The leading .stone is being carried along both ways from the rise. The reef looks well in this stope, being from 6in to ISin thick. It shows nice dabsVif gold, and from its appearance more or leas picked alone may bo looked for a:- the »topes progress, in the near future, a-; gold is seen ■■ freely distributed through tin- ore. There is little doubt of the payable nature of the blocj'. so far &s . it is opened up at present. SOUTHERN DREDGING, [BY TELEGRAPH. — PRKSS ASSOCIATION'.] DtrNtiUN", Sunday. iiiiDredging r«>tun.s: Golden Bed, 40oxt' Alexandra Eureka, 31 oz 17dwt; Sandy Point, 2?oie lZdwt ; Waikaka Queen, 250z ITdwt; Glut, ha River, T7oz 16dwt; Oils rig, 170/. 2dsvt; Molynenux Hydraulic/ 12oa ■ Bdwt; Charlton Creek, lloz lOdwt. NOTES. The rise on the big reef in the Ngatiawa C- i mine is in good country. The manager instates that lie is only taking off about iUt. •{.>" of the. footwall of the lode, which looks very • promising. A start has been made to cleau •; : out the upper level, • •