MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 7

MINING NEWS.

THE MARATOTO MINE,

GOLD AND SILVER ORES. POLICY OF DEVELOPMENT. I.BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON, Moniday. A considerable time having been spent 111 exploratory and preparatory work, (lie Ohinemuri Gold and Silvei Mines, Limited, expects to commence crushing operations at its battery at Maratoto within the next two months. The mine and battery are situated six miles inland from Hikutaia, and arc now reached by :i good metalled road. The mine lies within ihree miles of th 6 scenes of past goldmmmg activity at Waitekaun, and located within the Ohinemuri Company's territory are severa' blocks which ii' the halcyon days of mining were . rnoro or less prospected. Maratoto 30 years ago was the scene ol important mining operations Fields were jpened up and a battery established, but owing to lack ol capital little crushing was done and the works were abandoned.

A scene of great activity may be witnessed at Maratoto at present. Hie Ohinemuri Uoid and Silver Mines, Limited. Was formed some years before the war, and * after passing through various vicissitudes has now been re-established and is pushing forward its efforts to produce gold and silver with all speed. The gold and silver-bearing territory ol tho old company, its battery and much of its plant have been purchased at a fraction of their original cost. Tho battery has been remodelled and tho cyanide plunt reconditioned, while additional plant has been purchased to bring the works up to date. There are now about 64 men employed on the half-mile stretch of tramway which connects the mine witfc the battery, and on the reconstruction work at the battery The absence of adequate power to develop the mine was overcome on the completion by the Thames Valley Electric-Power Board of a . transmission lino to Maratoto and the installation of a 100 h.p. motor to drive a new air-com-pressor. This plant is capable of operating six rock-drills simultaneously. All the machinery in the battery will be driven by electric current supplied by the Power Board. Network of Drives. Mr. J. MacConachio, for many years associated with mining operations at tho Waihi Grand Junction mine, has been appointed mine manager for the Ohinemuri Company. Prior to the Ohinemuri Company taking possession at Maratoto a network of drives, each one of which had been named, had been projected for many hundreds oi feet through the hills, and the work of the present -company has been to continue these drives in search ot payable lodes. The object of the drive at No. ?• level was to intersect the Camoola Reel at a dep'th of'3ooft. from the surface. An immense body of ore was revealed. This reef had .been driven on both north and south from iho point ol t-;rsection foi over 3000 ft It had bun crosscut in numerous places and had maintained its size consistently.^ln some places tho value of the ore wai low, but altogether the work done had revealed an encouraging miniug ■ proposition on the - Camoola ~ v reef alone. Tho Julia and Silver Queen drives were intersected Jby the L.drive leading to tho Camoola. Both theso ; ore bodies averaged seven feet across They had been driven in tho northern portion of tho mine only." A large tonnage of gold-bearing ore had been extracted from this area, and had been stacked readv for tho commencement of the battery! >For a period the mine was developed by the returns from picked stone sent-from tho Queen and Julia reefs to Australia for treatment. Reconstruction of Battery. The main drive on the Camoola proceeds in a northerly direction for 950 ft., and parallel with tho Queen and Julia drives. It is thought that at no great depth these ore bodies will junfction. They are similar in character both as regards values and tho typo of ore. A 50ft. ladder gives access to -the "No. l 4 or Telltirules level, which was driven by the Tellurides Mining Company some years ago. The drive has been extended as far as the Camoola. It will be made the main access between tho mine and tho battery. The roar of rock drills, operated by an electrically-driven' air compressor situated at the entrance of tho mine, drew attention to the work •in hand in the face .of the Silver Queen reef. A great deal of work has been done in this locality, and a. good "class of ore is being mined, with sulphides showing. It is intended to continue tho drive a short distance, and then connect with tho Julia, a parallel reef in tho vicinity. This work is part of tho main development schema. Some hundreds of tons of ore aro stacked in various parts of the workings, and with the ex-tensive - developments already accomplished sufficient ore is in sight to keep the battery emploved continuously for a considerable time. The south drive on the Camoola extends for 2000 ft. Various crosscuts have been driven through a large body of ore, which in one instancs is 73ft. wide. Tho work of testint? tho values of the oro in tho Ohinemuri Company's - property and of ascertaining the best means of extracting the gold ?nd silver has devolved upon Mr J. R. Noble, metallurgist. who was also connected with the Waihi Orand Junction mine. The. battery, which is capable of crushing 100 tons of oro daily, is being reconstructed under Mr Noble's supervision. Twenty heid of stamps will bo operated, together with the necessary tube mills and classifiers. The company so far has spent £90,000 on tho project, all tho capital having been found in tho Dominion. THE HAURAKI MINE. PICKED STONE SPECIMEN. A specimen of picked stone recently recovered from the Hauraki Mine is on view at tho office of the secretary,, Mr. H. Gilfillan. . Two lumps of quartz are richly impregnated with gold, and it is stated that tho specimens are the best recovered from tho mine since it has been under tho management of tho present company, a period of several years. The particular quarter from which the stone was taken is not yet being developed. REPORTS OF MANAGERS. Alburnia.—Littlo work has been . fJorio. as many of tlio men are suffering from influenza. Tho crosscut cast at the. Whau level has been cleaned out and retimbered for n total distanr-e of 105 ft. from... Flat S1 Lucky Shot.—The low-level crosscut has been extended 15ft. for tho week, and several sets of timber hnd t to bp put m on account ot the ground becoming vciy heavy back from the face. .A change lias taken place and t.lio face is 1 splendid class of andesito i-. branch with small quartz veins The: flr»t of the Reuben Parr reof shouldj with at any momont now. progress iho rock drill this week.