MINING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11199, 23 August 1898, Page 2

MINING.

DREDGING RETURNS. Mr N. P. Hjorring, secretary of the Maniototo dredge, reports a'return of IBoz 3dwt 12gr for 109 hours' dredging. .... The Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company (Limited) obtained last week 21oz 16dwt of gold for 116 hours' dredging. The Jutland Plat (Waipori) Gold Mining Company (Limited) obtained last week 38o>! Sdwt of gold for 1-14 hours' wages time; 132 hours aqttial dredging. Our Cromwell correspondent gives the Alpine return for last week at 2030z. PRESERVATION INLET GOLDFIELD. The Preservation Inlet correspondent of the Southland Times writos: — Wintsr, which is never very severe in thesa parts, has passed away, and .we have had somi) splendid weather lately—in fact, much too dry, as all tho alluvial diggers are complaining of want of water. Mining in all its branches js fairly brisk, and very few men are out of employment. Alluvial work is getting more attention than it has had for many months, and, what is more, it is attended with considerable success. ' Some new ground has been found lately by Messrs Fessy and Johnston, in Sealers No. 1, formerly known as Burgin Gully. The gold is heavy and rough, some of it with quartz adhering to it. Messrs Ferguson, Clearer, and Roberts have taken up tho claim in Wilson's River known as Gobbetts. -lhey have & timed water across the river from Miadyen's Creek; and they should do well, as the claim is au exceedingly rich one, only abandoned on account of scarcity. of water. Several men have taken up alluvial claims lately on Coal Island, at the southern end, and all report doing fairly. One lucky digger.while walking up No. 2 Creek the other day picked up a nugget -weighing 3oz sdwt. It was lying ' on the top of tho wash, and had been exposed by the rain. The beach at Sealers' Creek, which lies about half way between the lighthouse and Windsor Point, has been pegged off as a dredging claim. It has been known for years that a rich deposit of fine gold was mixed with the sand on the surface, where the creek meats tho sea, but it was too low to be saved by any of tho ordinary methods. A dredge of course will easily get it, and it is quite possible that heavy gold may be found on the bottom, but'so far this has not been proved. Messrs Seator and M'Kenzie, who have taken up the claim, will be deserving of success if they introduce a, dredge to the district. In reeffing matters everything is much about the same. Tho. Tarawera is still at a standstill waiting for pumping machinery. 'Tho Alpha Company will commence crushing vei-r shortly now, and have abundance of stone to work on. At tho Goldan Site tho reef has been cut at the low lev*], but although the formation is wide tho cjuartz is somewhat broken and mixed with pug. The manager is now putting in a level half way between ths top and lower level. He is highly pleased with the prospects obtained fr6m the reef thus far.. The Morning Star battery was idlo for a few days, but is now going ahead steadily -under the management of Mr Keam, who has succeedfd Mr Davis,, who left to attend to his alluvial claim at Quoonstown. Another claim has boen taken up adjoining, tho Just Reward; it is called the Beta. v THE OPHIR DREDGE. The latest addition to the inland fleet is the Ophir dredge, which started steady dredging at Blacks on Monday last. Tho dredge (says the Dunstan Times) was designed by Mr Leslie El. Reynolds, A.M.1.C1E., of Dunodin, and has been completed in six and a half months. The

T dredge, in general design, is somewhat similal Ito the Lion Kock. The hulks of hardwood and kauri are constructed on Mr Keynolds's principles, with top and bottom chords which take the longitudinal stresses. These tresses ! are transmitted to the chords by through bolts j in tension and diagonal timbers in compresI sion. With ths system greater rigidity of stiffi ness in the hulls can be obtained with lesa timber than by any other. The dimensions ol the hull are as follow: —Length, 58ft; width, 24ft; depth, sft; her draught is 2ft Bin; tin ; kdder is 45ft long; and the buckets 3£ cubic feet holding capacity, and they travel at the I rate of 14 per minuate. The lifting capacity of j the dredge is therefore 105 cubic yards per hour. The motive power is supplied by a Robey 14-n. h.p. boiler and a 12-n. h.p. compound en- '■■ gine of the same maker, obtained through the National Mortgage and Agency Company. The i poppet heads arc 15ft above dock level. The drop shoot rests on flanges wheels, and is ati ranged so as to come and go automatically, and thereby adjust its position with respect to that of the ladder. This arrangement worlis very well, and is successful in reducing to a, minimum the quantity of spoil falling to the' saveall. From the drop shoot the spoil passes through 26ft of revolving screen, and is dis- . charged a distance of 15ft clear of the hull. The fine stuff from the tables is carried xa shoots 6ft further aft than the above. The winches and winch engine are Air Keynolds's design and are specially neat. They are giving great satisfaction. The winch was "built by Messrs ;John M'Gregor and Co., Otago Foundry, Dunedin, and the engine by Messrs Morgan and Cable, Port Chalmers. Messrs Cosens and Black supplied most of the heavy machinery and gearing. The dredge was built under the supervision of Mr David Kobertson, who.'was ably assisted by Mr John Crighton in the .erection of the machinery. The dredge is completely housed, and is very roomy. She was started to dredge last Monday, and worked like a clock. , That the Ophir dredge Is a splendid piece of machinery and design appears to be the general opinion of those who have inspected her. ■ The mine manager of the Bed Hills MiningCompany, Zeehan, Tasmania, in his report dated July 29 states that the'open cut north had been extended north 14ft, and the ore body would be cut in a few days. No. 1 bench on! big face, 160 yds removed; copper in face, about the same as last reported. No. 4 bench, 76yd3 removed, showing copper all through.