GOLD IN THE KAWARAU

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18762, 16 January 1923, Page 2

GOLD IN THE KAWARAU

SCHEME FOR RECOVERY. TTBI/IC interest aroused CHEAT POSSIBILITIES SUGGESTED. 'lho gold dredging industry in Otago has lor some time been at a low ebb, but there are prospects of a revival being brought about by an extensive scheme which wa.« icported in our issue of Friday last ns beinc seriously considered and which is regarded ny Us promoters us being sure of success. -no project is the recovery of gold that is sain to be still existent in the rooky bottom . ttie Iwwaraii River. Some sav that there is even a possibility of a boom bke that of the early 60s. and that once again seekers ot fortune from near and far will be attracted to Otago by the lure of tho precious yellow metal. DAMMING THE KAWARAU. . The scheme for recovering the gold provides for the damming ot the Kawarau Jxnor right at the falls, where it takes its nso Ironi mo outflow of Lake Wakatipu

at I 1 ramiton. A huge concrete dam will bo built, and tho turbulent waters of ihc stream, which are confined to a narrow, rocky bed, will be shut off for approximately £.O days in the year, when tho gold-seekers will set to work. During the winter only "Ll Ihc water oo blocked. r lhis means,. ■ therefore, that in winter the company will to raise llio lake to its summer level. Iho Shotover and other small rivers "ill give the company tho water required to carry out tho operations. Possible Hootlnig of the Shotover has been taken into consideration, and this contingency has been provided against. 'ibis is, in short, the scheme, which, it will lie seen, is an immense one, and will, if it is successful, create nothing short of a ‘•boom.” The’, members of (lie company which has been termed are acting on tho advice of Mr E. J. lies, the well-known and successful raining engineer, and, it their optimism is any inrucation. then success will be assured. Hie promoters have been assured by Mr Ilea that (ho project is a simple matter Loin an engineering point of view. He has reported fully on the subject, and has thoroughly convinced those in touch with tho scheme that the construction of tho dani and the necessary works can bo carried out successfully. His recent work-in (trimming the lower part of the river for

Iho irrigation purposes of the Cromwell Development Company has won for him a high reputation among mining engineers. —o throwing of a steel reinforced concrete span across the river and (ho fixing of steel girders to reduce the width of the waters and raise them to enable them to bo pumped into the main distributing race was a'task which required ability and enterprise; but, under exceedingly difficult conditions, it was

carried to a successful issue. Mr lies is ..an Otago man, who studied at the Mining -School at the U i iversity, and subsequently settled at the Thames, where ho lectured on geology and mining engineering. CLAIMS TO LET. ■ Another satisfactory aspect of the matter is the splendid opportunity that will be provided for relieving unemployment. From where the Kawnrau leaves Lake Wakatipu at Frankton and joins the Clutha at Cromwell to form the Molyneux, the distance is 32 miles, and over the whole of this length the company has applied for. full rights. It is not its intention to hold the river, but to lot it out in sections, the length of which will bo decided at a later date. The river lias been pegged off under the usual conditions. This will mean, of course, that, many other concerns will be interested, and it is estimated that no fewer than 20C0 men will find employment on the works that will follow. Tho question of whether there is enough gold in (he river to justify the expenditure has been considered. There are few who

know anything of the river and tho district who will deny that gold in enormous quantities still lies on the rocky bottom of tho river, and it is considered th/tt only proper working is necessary to obtain it. People from Cromwell and Queenstown who go out now and again to do a little gold-seeking, mostly as a hobby, have obtained quite a lot of gold. During his leisure time one man secured no less than £4OO worth during three months. Some of

this gold will shortly bo placed on view in Messrs Stewart Dawson’s window. A famous old gold-winner, the Hartley and Riley dredge, won from its original 32-acro claim on the Molyneux, just below Cromwell, over 30,000 ounces. A great deal of gold was also dredged from the Kawarau, but operations were brought to a dose because of the rooky nature of its bottom, which did nothing but break the buckets of the dredges, Tho commencement ■ of operations is eagerly awaited by the local residents, who am taking a remarkable interest in the scheme. As the stemming of the Kawarau would greatly decrease the level of tho Molyneux after it leaves Cromwell, numerous local residents have already turned their attention in that direction and have pegged out areas with the idea of profiling by the scheme. One party, it is raid, has pegged off the old Hartley claim, and another party —to all appearances on a shooting expedition—is said to nave pegged an area near Halfway House. Many claims have been pegged out between Cromwell and Alexandra, principally by Cromwell residents. Tho scheme is at pre sent the topic of all-absorbing inte.rest. POWER FOR QUEENSTOWN. Although tho dam to be erected at Wakatipu is primarily to serve the purpose of ■ lowering tho waters to enable the gold to be found, it could possibly bo used as a source of electrical energy for tho town of Queans-

town, to provide lighting and power, which will further enhance the attractiveness of the already popular holiday resort. Another very important feature is that the dam could bo used to control the water at the times of the disastrous floods that periodically occur on the Molynoux about the Clutha district.

Jn providing employment, producing gold, regulating floods, and perhaps providing electrical energy, the project would be a decided boon to many sections of the community, end an instrument to promote the general prosperity of the country and the province in particular. A number of well-known citizens are taking up the venture, which is receiving support from many quarters. Interest is sure to increase as the applications for mining rights come before the Wardens’ Courts in the course of the next week or two.