MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13831, 18 August 1908, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

NEW WAITEKAURT. The New Waitekauri Gold Mining Company have completed the treatment by cyanide process of the tailings from the last crushin!: for a return of 140oz 12d\vt melted bullion, worth £55. WAIOTAHI. The manager"of the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company reports for the week as follows:—No. 6 level: The winze sunk on the, dropper below this level is down a depth of 53ft, and the flat formation is now about 3ft in width. Stoping on the dropper above this level is also in progroses west, of No. 2 rise. Stoping out the small block on the Cure reel above this level is in hand. The reef is about 15in in width, but no gold has been seen. No. 5 level: Driving west, on the Waiotahi No. 5 reef from the Mary Ann shaft has been in progress, and is in a distance of 96ft, the reef so far being of a very puggy nature. The slopes on the main reef under the No. 2 rise are in hand as usual. 'J he third stope on the dropper has been carried east of-the rise for a distance of 48ft, and continues to yield good crushing dirt. r The second stope on the Cure reef has been earied west of the rise for a distance of 20ft. No. 4 level: Driving east on the hangingwall rib of the main reef from the Mary Ann- cros.-cut is in hand, and a distance of 23ft has been driven. The quartz is about I.siu in width, and has shown colours of gold. The rise on the main reef from the northeast drive is up a distance of 56ft, the reef being about 6ft in width, and on Saturday we saw a dab of gold. NOTES. The manager of the Phoenix mine reports that an official trial of the new suction gas engine was held last week, the engine working very satisfactorily. The chamber in the Tairua Extended mine has been completed, and the winze sunk sft. The manager states that the lode maintains its size and value. He has discovered what appears to be a part of the reef being sunk upon about 12ft further in the drive. It is from 12in to Win wide, and gives an excellent tail of gold in the dish. The manager expects to meet with the junction of the two portions in about 30ft of sinking, when he considers the whole should make a valuable compact body of ore. No. 1 level crosscut in the Karangahake mine has been continued, the reef recent!}' mot with being carried along for the last 10ft, and from the direction it is running it will continue in the drive for some considerable distance ahead. The quartz showing in the face at the present time is less in width than where first met with, but is of larger dimensions underfoot. The country encasing the reef is a first-class description of sandstone for gold, and good ore may be obtained at this point at any linn;. Samples of the ■quartz for assaying purposes are being saved. At the Kaukuni low level 10ft has been driven to date, the country being rather hard, but it is apparently improving. Tenders have been called to extend this level 200 ft. l The newly-appointed mine manager of the Kirikiri mine (Mr. D. Loughlin) reports that the north drive on the Horseshoe reef has been continued with two shifts of men, and very good progress is being made. The reef is encased in an excellent class of country, and the formation from hanging wall to footwall is about 2ft. There has been a marked improvement in the quartz on the hangingwaJl, more quartz making, with good mineral showing through it, and some of it has been saved for testing purposes. The love) has been extended lift, and the limber placed in position, and the drain has also been continued up near the face. The country is becoming firmer, and an improvement in the value of the ore may be met with at any shift. The manager of the Kuranui mine reports that in No. 2 st'>pe east, at the intermediate level, the leader has not been broken down yet. but will he this week. The development of Melgrin's leader lias been started, j It runs parallel with Hunt's leader, and is in close proximity to "the Shotovei strike. j Work has also been commenced on the Just-in-Time leader, between Hunt's pass and the old Shot-over workings. The country is good andesite, and the ore very compact and hard. The manager stales that it is favourable for carrying gold. Last week 6ft of the leader was broken out. The drive will be continued until sufficient stone is on hand to get a fair trial over trie plates. If proved to carry high value:-; it will be operated upon systematically. The leader lias been proved to exist at the.-Shot-over intermediate level, 45ft below the present workings. In the Old Hauraki mine the manager lias stopped the drive south at the ,300 ft level on No. 9 reef and has started the second slope on same above the level. He reports that there is a large block available for stoping here. Tie reef averages 6in. and colours of gold are seen in the footwall. The drive north on the same reef has also been stopped, as it continued a pug formation. The manager is opening out on No. 8 reef north, near tin? junction of the west ' branch reef. This, lie says, is -.< fine-looking lode, about 12in wide. In the leading stope west from No. 2 rise on ho west branch the reef averages 4in, and colours of gold artseen in the stone. In the second stope east of No. 1 rise there is an improvement. Stoping above the 220 ft level on Legge's reef has been disappointing, and the manager has come to the conclusion that it is not Legge's reef at all, but a continuation of the New Year reef, north of the fault. He has, therefore, stopped stoping, and is extending the 160 ft level north-west along the fault, with a view of picking up Legge's reef proper. This, he thinks, should be discovered in 25ft or 30ft of driving. In the stopes above the 100 ft level Wells' reef averages 3:n of general ore, but no picked stone.