MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14214, 10 November 1909, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION*....

ROYAL REEF AT NO. 5 LEVEL.

ORE BODY. OF SATISFACTORY VALUE [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

; r ', ( . Waihi, Tuesday. The Royal reef has been intersected in the southeast crosscut at No. 5 level in. the Waihi Grand 4 Junction mine .about 975 ft out from the shaft. ■-h So far about 10ft of clean* good-looking mineral •. ore has been exposed, and a full face : of quarts is showing in the drive with the drills apparently still in mineral ore.-?-. The whole of the quartz , coming from the reef is. being sent to the battery, and from its appearanco should prove of payable quality.. The opening up of a strong and compact ore body of satisfactory value at No. 5 level is practically assured, and everything points to the Royal in the bottom workings of the mine proving a valuable asset to the company. The crosscut at No. 5 level interesected the lode some distance east of the point where it was cut at No 4, and that there has been marked improvement going down may bo ' gathered from the fact that at a corresponding > distance east on the ; drive on si the course of the reef in the level overhead the ore body was much smaller and poorer. !: — i ... ■' /i '. '"NOTES. ' . In the Tairua Leads mine tho contractors have advanced the low-level crosscut 12ft for the -week, making ; a total of 422 ft. There is no change to report, the country being still of a very favourable description.

In the Phoenix Tairua Dreadnought mine the contractors are making good progress with the tunnel. The ground is of a puggy : nature, with * bunches of silica distributed through it. The distance driven during the past week was 27ft ■■•■: *. v

The low level in- the Mount Welcome mine, Coromandel, - is now in 153 ft. •>;■ A harder bar of rock was encountered during the week, and a large flow of water is now coming from the face. . The winze is now down 20ft, the reef at the bottom being 2in thick, and composed >of ( kindly looking stone. During the week surface water was met wiih, which impeded progress.

i In-the Tararu mine. No. 4 .level crosscut. to intersect the Vulcan lode has lieen extended 15ft, making 63ft driven from the starting point. The country penetrated during the past week is still a splendid class of mild sandstone, with' quartz and mineral veins crossing the face of the drive of a gold-bearing character. The estimated distance now to be driven to intersect tho Vulcan lode is 138 ft. > ■ :

" During the past week the cross drive in the Karangahake mine has been extended 7ft. Nino feet has also been driven on the reef formation in the drive, but as far as the men have gone it has been of no value, and tho manager is fully .satisfied that the drive has passed tho point'whero the reef should be found.. He has suspended operations in the face of the drive, and is now going in an opposite direction (westward).

Reporting on tho sth inst., tho manager of the Old Hauraki mi no states that at the 400 ft level the rise had been advanced 6ft, and that from then on good progress should bo made, as the country was favourable. At the 300 ft level, No. 9 reef, the north drive had been advanced 9ft, connecting the drive from Bunker's winze. The leading stopes north and south had also been advanced .4ft, some nice colours of gold being seen in tho latter during the week. -"■'■-.'■

At the low level in tho Tairua Golden Hills mine the contractors have finished their contract of 200 ft, making tho total length of tho level 559 ft. The continuation of this work has been let to tho samo party. The ground in tho . present face is similar in character to that referred to in previous reports. At No. 2 level tho south end on the course of No. 1 lode is being driven with one shift, T-ho lode is practically tho full width of tho drive, and is very hard. A slight change, however, seems to be coming in on the hangingwall side. A commencement has been made to stopo abovo the timbers. ■