MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14294, 14 February 1910, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION. DEVELOPING No. 5 LEVEL. ' '» i •. ' '."/ ' •" " , ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS. ? [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] /■' * Waihi, Saturday. Yesterday your representative paid a visit to the underground workings of the Waihi Grand Junction mine, where both the exploratory work and the development of the lodes exposed are facing pushed forward as speedily as possible, the superintendent (Mr. Grace) having decided, to adopt a vigorous ; policy in exploiting the property in the deeper areas. During the past few weeks operations at No. 5 level have been attended with encouraging results, particularly on tho No., 1 (Martha) reef going west. For some distance low grade material was followed in the western drift, but recently a crosscut to tho footwall section of the lode ; revealed, a band of nice-looking mineral ore, between sft and 6ft wide, worth £2 15s per ton, and as this was driven upon ( towards tho Waihi Company's boundary the mineralised portion opened out to a width of about . 30ft. This big make, of ore has not, however, maintained its width as the ■ drift has been advanced, the values on the footwall • having pinched, , but a band of mineral ore, some Bft or 10ft : Wide, is showing on the hangingwall. From appearances at this point it is quite possible that tho reef will furnish a block of milling ore to the boundary. The footwall band of ore is also being followed back towards the Junction Company's main crosscut with satisfactory results, and' it is understood that tho management will give some attention tof the hangingwall section of the reef in this direction, with a. view to determining the point as to whether the values live going .back. ■ Tho timbering preparatory to utoping having been completed, f the work of advancing the drive west on the Empire reef, which has disclosed a ; good width of payable ore, will be • resumed iin a ■ day -or two.* - On developments overhead, and the results disclosed in . the winzes from No. 4 level, a strong body of ore should bo carried out from tho present face to tho Waihi boundary. The drive east on this reef is still being pushed out, but bo far the lode has been low grade. ' . '/'■ The west face on the Royal is still in quartz of little or no commercial value, but pay ore should com© to hand shortly, 1 as the winze from No. 4 level, about 80ft to 100 ft ahead of the present face, is right down to the No. 5 level, and . crosscutting of the reef in tho bottom of the winze has proved the ore body at this point to be upwards of 20ft in width, the whole of which ' is more than ' payable.- As this : winze is some distance east of where the big make of ore, worth £4- 10s per ton, was met with at No. 4- level, everything points to a.fine block being opened 'up, in' this [section at the bottom workings. In : the drive east on tho Royal a break came in a few days since, cutting" out the values in . the drive, butshort crosscuts thrown out on ei-'oer side of the drive have shown bands of/ mineral ore in both"the. footwall and hailing wall sections , of, the lode, that in the ha.igingwall being. from 4ft to sft of really nice-looking quartz".';- The management regard . the development on the Royal going east as one of considerable/ importance, in that ... payable values have extended so far east. at this depth, while practically nothing was / met with going east from the main crosscut at the level overhead. The Royal promises to give a very fair block for stoping in this direction. Everything is now in readiness for sinking the : shaft for No. 6 level, and a start will be made •in a few days. Under ordi--nary conditions the shaft would be put down ! to tho required depth iii about five months from the time sinking -is commenced., • At the battery the tonnage : of. ore . being treated daily is showing a substantial increase on '. the .previous; month, and the superintendent is effecting-: certain ; changes, with the : object •of - further reducing the treatment costs. y.*'/ . MiA-ORILAND. • ■ . [BY telegraph.—own CORRESPONDENT. ' Waihi, -Saturday.- • The, manager -of the Maoriland mine, »in a' report) / dated ; February 10, ' says:-—The i winze in the north drive on the • Young New Zealand reef has been sunk sft, making 26ft in ■ all. Gold-beaflng ore .is . exposed .throughout the reef after •; every : round of holes fired," with'- gold-bearing • stone , left on the' football vof ' the * winze. On; the 'hangingwall'of the winze r there is _ a brown• oxidised -rib of quartz ' about Sin?' l in width, and'on the hangihgwkll of tins' rib there as mineralised stone showing dabs of gold. As the winze , increases in depth the reef is making into ;;.*) more ; defined body of ore. The ore from itho; south atope, ; 56ft Jup • the" intermediate -rlevel, is looking-much better.; ' • • . ■• >' „ ■•• ' OLD HAURAKI. , [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] t , , CoHOUANDEL, Saturday. $ - * Stripping operations /' are in progress in . a'.l faces -of the r Qld i Hauraki mine. No 'quartz" has, been broken -during the last .two days. ; At'the intermediate level "on the about *3ft ; of ; the lode « stripped,\ and nice gold .is * showing.' The ore body looks ' pro-; mising for hauls/of stone at next breaking down. At . the t 3o&j:t' level "during stripping operations to-day,' some of the. quartz curiae away, revealing § gold; about /J>alf-way down tho face of the drive. ' , . ■/;'.' J, ' ■ '/" v - : - '■ , /•.'.I iv' , THAMES HAURAKI (PUMP. / [BY ' TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] " ' Thames, Saturday. Good progress has been made with the reduction of the water in the shaft during the week. The machinery- is working well, I and the water is now dowA' considerably, be-1 low the No. 9 level, .and will be out .to the ; bottom of the ; shaft to-morrow . (Sunday), . so' that everything will be clear for, i .'.' the commencement .of. operations ;j at >'iha] •1000 ft level on Monday morning. , { \ ' . • - <C j . ' ALBURNIA. , [BY . TELEGRAPH.OWSf CORRESPONDENT.] ; \ \ 0 • * ' ; 'k i' "" Thamks, | Saturday.*. ' The t mabager faf i! the. Alburnia, mine reports v that the ;: rise Ha* now. attained' & > height of 35ft from the back of the drive, ' ana some of the quartt looks well for gold, A general . sample taken'i from wall. to wall ' gave an assay value^ of 17 s2d per ton.. In the- drive the ; reef iIB -being; stripped on ; i the hangingwall, about '18in;~ off quarts -being taken with the drive. A general l sample •from this, face gavq an dssiy v value of 135 'per • ton. .'V :: '•; ; 1 &lAY QUEEN. : ''V •• 7 •£>> ••■V *•• ■.• [BY TiELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ; \ -y 1 Thames, Saturday. -. Tho manager of the May Queen mine re ports for tjie week as follows:—The hangingwall branch leader is being driven on as usual, and quartz is showing, and. gold of fair quality is being won. over the intermediate level. :" Three stopes are m progress on the hangingwall : leader,'and from the quartz coming to hand a little picked stone is being' selected. ' On , the footwall branch of No. 4 lode storing is being carried on with fair prospects, the quartz coming to hand showing good dabs of gold. _ _ • The manager hopes to resume operations at No. 9 . level on Monday, as it _ wask expected that it would be clear of water some time on Saturday. At the battery crushing is in" progress. V • • - is OTAGO DREDGING RETURNS. , [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS association.] .. . Dunedin, Sunday., . The following are among the dredging re-, turns for the week* —Rise and Shine No. .1, 760z 2dwt; Rise and Shine No. 2, 650z; Golden Bed, 640z. I7dwt;; Golden Treasure, 13oz. • > „ ' w