MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15729, 2 October 1914, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

i TALISMAN CONSOLIDATED. LOW LEVEL DEVELOPMENT. [BY telechaph. —OWX COKRESPOXDEXT.] Waihi, Thursday. Accompanied by the superintendent, Mr. Stansfield, a Herald representative in-!vw-tcd the principal development and ore-producing points in the low levels of the Talisman mine at Karangaliake yesterday. The drives, both north and south, on the Maria reef at No. 15 level, are being pushed out as speedily as possible, the face of the north drive being 130 ft from No. 12 ( winze, while the distance driven-south is 125 ft. In the northern extension the reef as a whole carried ore of payable quality to within a short distance of the face, where a fault was met "with, and for a few feet the quartz was low grade. The values then came in again, and for the last 10ft to 12ft nice sulphide ore has been exposed, and a well-defined lode of payable quality is showing in the face of the drive.

Going south, the reef has so far proved somewhat erratic as to values, which appear to have been influenced by several cross veins, though these veins haje not in any way affected the main ore body. At 88ft from No. 12 winze there were indications that the main portion of the lode was going away into the hangingwall side of the drive, and a short crosscut, put out east, opened up a strong body of pay ore, which was followed south for some little distance and then became smaller and poorer, with the result that the drive was again turned to the west to intersect the original vein carried along in the south drive; which may prove to be the main section of the lode.

The water which hung up the sinking of No. 6 winze which went down for the full distance sunk, from No. 14 level, in high grade ore, has disappeared, and sinking will immediately be resumed, but there is still water in No. 19 winze, though it is expected that an outlet will be found for this very shortly.. Preparations for the sinking of the main Talisman shaft to Eando*i, of the fifteenth level, have been completed, and a start will be made in a few davs to carry the shaft down. The various ore-producing points over the fourteenth and thirteenth levels, including the large flat reef over the latter level, continue to open up satisfactorily as regards ore quantities and values, and the stope going south about No. 13 level (where the reef was poor on the level) is still being carried along in milling quartz. Development works in the Woodstock section of the mine, at a'-depth equivalent to the Talisman No. 14 level, are being prosecuted. The west crosscut is now out 540 ft from the shaft, and is penetrating a good class of country rock. In the last 100 ft driven several quartz stringers/ from an inch or two to 12 inches in thickness, have been passed through, and a mixture of quartz and country is showing in the face. Provided it lives down, the' Woodstock reef should soon be intersected by this crosscut.

The drive north on the Maria reef, | which is hugging the wall of the lode, is out 360 ft, and the more favourable class of country traversed in the last 25ft to 50ft driven indicates a change. I The drive south, now out 540 ft, is 'being advanced to line in order to connect with the north drive from the Talisman No. 14 level, and is consequently I off the reef. It should, however, pass [through the Maria reef about 150 ft farther on-, and again some 200 ft later. Meantime, a crosscut thrown out to the least from the drive some distance back from the face encountered the hanging* waH section of the Maria after being advanced 50ft. This exposed a compact body of stone about sft wide, carrying a nice streak of sulphide ore, and although the lode is not payablo as a whole this must be regarded as distinctly encouraging in view of the fact that nothing of value was met with in the corresponding section. In the old Woodstock Company's No. 6 level workings overhead two samples taken across the full width of the reef gave assay values of 10s and 18s per ton respectively. The development of the Maria from this point will be prosecuted later on.