MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14250, 22 December 1909, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

WAIHI EXTENDED. IMPROVEMENT ON No. 1 REEF. [by telegraph.own CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Tuesday.; The last round of holes fired in the drive north on the course of No. 1 (Martha) reef at No. 5 level in tho Waihi Extended mine disclosed a decided improvement in the appearance of the ore. When the reef was intersected recently a strong body of quartz was opened up, but only carried a streak or two of payable ore (worth about £3 per ton), the lode when sampled over its full width not giving payable values. The manager has since been driving on the course of the lode both ways, and the drives have now, been advanced about 30ft from the crosscut on either side. The drives are about 6ft wide, and full faces of quartz have been carried along, but until yesterday no material change was noted in. the character of the ore. The greater part of the face going north is now composed of nicely-mineralised quartz, which is most strongly in evidence on the footwall side, and in the opinion of the manager is of payable character. Before anything more definite can be said more work will have to be done, but if the class of ore showing continues as the drive is advanced the development promises to be of considerable importance to the company. In the drive going south on the lode a bunch of better-looking ore is showing on the footwall side of the face, and the manager intends taking a round of holes out to see whether the same class of ore is making into the footwall section of the reef. •

Shares in the company yesterday firmed on the Stock Exchange, though a decline set in later, sales being reported at from 3s 5d to 4s to 3s 4d, as against 3s 4d sellers, and 3s Id buyers, the closing quotations on the previous day. - . . MOUNT V* ELCOME. The manager of the Mount Welcome mine, Coromandel, telegraphed yesterday, stating that he had cut the Pukatutu reef in the new low level. 1 OLD HAURAKI. [by telegraph.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ■ * Cohomandkl, Tuesday. At the 400 ft level of ' the Old Hauraki mine during the past few days work n the rise has been confined to squaring up tbr face and placing tho timbers >in position. Stripping the reef was started again to-day, and probably a breaking down will take place to-morrow or Thursday. At the 300 ft level stoping operations have continued to produce ore of payable quality. Two stopes aro in progress, and another will lie commenced in a day or two. The crushing will . be completed to-morrow morning. NOTES. In the Bendigo mine in the stope north on the Silver King roof the ore broken contains a lot of sulphide, and the face is looking well. A large quantity of ore has been stacked. The manager of the Scotia mine, Waitekauri, reports that in the winze the reef is 2ft wide at tho bottom: In the leading slope over No. 1 level the lode averages 2ft 6iu. Crushing the Scotia ore is to start on January 4 next. The manager of t';c Tarnru mine reports that No. 4 level crosscut is now in 181 ft. He has about 25ft further to drive to intersect, the Vulcan lode. During the week a nice-looking loader, about Bin wide, crossed the face of the drive, showing favourable minerals, and the country penetrated is everything that could be desired. In the Karangahake mine in the drive on tho big reef (Taukani section) no quartz has been broken down for the last 10ft. The manager states that the last quartz broken had a kindly appearance, some of it being heavily mineralised. Tho rise above Ross' drive is up 50ft. At 40ft the reef was struck, and is now being risen upon. Some of the stone looks fairly well, but on the whole it is of poor value. | The manager of the Mount Zeehan mine reports that in the drive in the north end the quartz broken down looks the best he has seen in this end for some time. The reef is fully 3ft. wide, and apparently carrying good values. Assays of concentrates from the back of the rise show the values of the ore to be encouraging, and the concentrates from the reef at the north end also assay satisfactorily.

The manager of the Scandinavian mine reports that in the drive on the Nightingale reef the hangingwall portion of the reef is heaving over towards the footwall, and the quartz is good, being in firmer country, and carrying good mineral. Lowrie's reef and the country surrounding it is looking well. An improvement has taken place in the south drive. Good country is now coming in, being milder and of a better class. The mine manager of the Tairua Leads, Limited, reports, for the week ended December 16: The low level crosscut has been extended a distance of 14ft for th© past •week, mating the total distance 488 ft. The country still remains a very promising class of sandstone, mineralised quartz veins, and flints still being in strong evidence. The ventilation drive has been carried to a distance of 100 ft, and I expect to have ample air connection in the course of a day or two. During the week the low level at the Tairua Gem mine has been advanced 44ft, making the total distance driven to date 387 ft. The country being penetrated is of the same favourable description as that mentioned in previous reports, and a good deal of water continues to come from tho face. The prospecting tunnel has been extended Bfi for the week, the total distance driven being 60ft. Tho country here has got much harder, and this, in the manager's opinion, •is a vast improvement. * +-t *

The manager of the New Sylvia mine, Thames, reports that No. 2 rise at the north, | end of the low level is now up 65ft. The reef is looking as well as ever. A strong band of galena ore continues on the hangingwall side, and the ore gives good payable values for the full width taken out (6ft). The north face at the low level is now 63ft; north of No. 2 rise, and 230 ft north from the main crosucut. The reef is showing improvement in values, after being slightly . disturbed, the ore showing more galena. M-Bj The intermediate level at the Tairua Extended mine is now in 127 ft. The country now being penetrated is fairly hard, but is of good quality, being intermixed with mineral seams, some of which carry a little gold. In the reef, the manager mentioned in his last report, he is now getting an occasional colour of gold as he drives on it, buit nothing of any value.. In prospecting on the west side of the property ho cut a number of seams, and has been driving on one of them which carried a little gold, but it, has not come to any value. _ El© intends at a later date to return to it, and give it 9 further trial. • 1 At the Tangiaro mine the crosscut south on the Coromandel side of the range, to strike the Golden Shore reef at a lower level, is now in 3fift through an excellent ( < class of andesite country, interspersed with strong veins of bright minerals. Driving has been continued on the Crown leader west, the drive being now in 95ft from tho Golden Shore reef. The leader is about 6in. in thickness, and shows signs of improvement. In the face the men have just passed. through a promising looking leader 3m thick. Water is flowing freely out of it* and it may bo a strong body of quartz. At the Tairua Golden Hills mino during the past week a comparatively small amount of driving has been done. The men are a# present timbering a section of the level. The country penetrated shows a still further improvement, and / the manager-, has hut littlo doubt this will continue to the intersection of the No. 1 lode, which should then give a good account of itself._ JNo. 6 level: Driving and stoning is Wine continued with encouraging results. vln the drive southward the lode is still pretty hard, though the ore looks well, and carries fairly good values. In the stopes a fair supply,of quartz is being broken, but until tno mill is running stoping operations will ~ necessarily be of a limited character- From the leading stope at No. 2 level a considerable quantity of crushing dirt is coming to hand.