MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19486, 16 November 1926, Page 11

MINING NEWS.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. New Waiotahi.-— I The drive liillward on the Waiotahi-Cambiia reef has been advanced 10ft., making the total distance driven irons the crosscut 253 ft. The reef, continues the same atrong body of ore and last week tme grained antimony was showing freely through the hanging-wall portion. jSo driving has been done from the winze on the footwau of the main reef owing to the _ time being occupied in timbering both in this drive and at the main level. This has now been completed and driving seaward has been resumed. . . , Hauraki.—Good progress is being made with the overhauling and repairs _to the machinery preparatory to commencing unwatering the mine. The winding, engine from" the Union Beach shaft, which is to replace the one at the Hauraki. has been dismantled and conveyed to the shaft. Excavation (for ltd foundations will be completed and a start made with the concrete early in the week. , The foundations of the pumping engine at« being strengthened, and the bob is under repairs. So far no serious defects have been found and it is anticipated that unwatering operations will be commenced within the estimated time. • Alburnia.—Driving has been continued on the footwall portion of the Orlando reef, the distance driven for the weeK being Bft The reef is now showing the full .width of the drive. It is a little disturbed m the footwall portion and there is a good deal of mullock interpiixed, with the ore. _ On the bangingwall, for a width of 2ft., a nice body of quartz is showing, carrying splendid mineral. No gold, however, was seen m the ore broken during the past week. The rise on this body of ore is now up to a height of 17ft. from the back of the level and is timbered to the necessary height. The reei in the back of the rise averages 3ft. and a little gold is still showing in the ore broken, that of the footwall carrying the best values. Poor ventilation has retarded progress in the winze, a distance of 3ft. having. been sunk. The reef shows a width of 15in., and in a little of the ore broken out nice gold was seen. . Moanataiari. —East Crosscut: /we have broken int& the reef formation in. the floor of the drive. The reef is underlying about 1 in 1 and not much progress has been made as we have to timber close up to the face. The quartz broken is very, heavily mineralised, carrying iron pyrites, zinc blend and a little copper pyrites. We cannot yet tell the width of the reef, but the seam we are in is 20in. thick, with quartz still in the face, but no true footwall showing. There is a rib of quartz about 4m. wide running horizontally with the drive striking south (or seaward -of the tunnel)., which will junction with the reef. This junction will b'e over the top of the crosscut about 12ft. ahoad of the present face and about 4ft, over the top of the drive. There is every indication of getting gold at this intersection as we are in good firm country with no pug showing at any, point. There is still a fair flow of water coming from the face. On No. 9 reef there is no change and we are transferring the men from here temporarily to the op si crosscut so that we can explore the reef quicker.