OPHIR NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 9

OPHIR NOTES

j (From Oob Own Correspondent.) OPHIR, June 23. THE WEATHER. It is many years since this district experienced such prolonged and dense fogs as have occurred within the last 12 days. The first period began on the early morning of Juno 11 and continued without a break until 6.40 p.m. on the 13th, when it cleared suddenly. Several days of bright sunshine and keen frosts followed until Sunday, June 18, when the keenest frost thus far this winter was recorded, A cloudless sky succeeded l until 11.30 a.m., when the second period of fog began, which lasted without intermission until early this morning—altogether 112 hours. The second period of fog had the usual effect of modifying the temperatures—keeping the day temperature down and the night temperature up. On the morning of the 18th the minimum temperature on the grass fell to 12.8 degrees (over 19 degrees below freezing), whereas the average for the four foggy mornings was 22.8 degrees. On the other hand, the average maximum during the four bright days before the fog was 41.4 degrees, but for the four foggy days only 25.2 degrees. These arc the coldest four consecutive days so far recorded at Ophir station since is establishment. The fog, however, seems to have kept to the river valleys and below about 1500 feet sea level—places above that altitude having had no fog. The barometer has been fairly steady over 30in throughout. GOLD MINING. A good deal of prospecting and fossicking continues locally, though the frosts are retarding operations. There were rumours of a rich find about a mile up the main Raggedy spur behind Ophir, but, of course, the miners concerned are “not making tucker.” Messrs .Love, Wells, and Bcrborough, who have been working steadily for some months 1m Halliday’s Flat, came in this week, the frost having driven them out temporarily. Mr W. Pitches obtained permission from the Vincent County Council to make an open cut into the main street for the purpose of pi-oving the value of a run of gold that was worked up to the road line over 60 years ago, when it was abandoned owing to its depth and encroachment. Mr Pitches and Mr W. J. O’Connor ejected a guard-fence and sank a shaft this week some 30 feet from the side of the street, but struck water at 10 feet deep in what was evidently worked ground. They intend trying further ahead. Mr L. Alberton, who had working for some months beside the south-* ern boundary of the township, narrowly escaped death from a fall of earth in the open face of his claim, which he had undermined to get out the layer of washdirt. The accident occurred in the morning shortly after he started work, when a huge block of solid overlay fell without warning and almost buried him. He got out severely bruised and lias been off work since, but intends resuming shortly. A BUSINESS CHANGE. The stone building known as “ Flannery’s Store,” because the late Mr Brian Flannery occupied it for 35 years before he removed to Poolburn nearly nine years ago, has again changed bands. Messrs Hoskin Bros., who remodelled the shop portion of the building and who had carried on an extensive business for nearly five year) sold out to Mr John Sneddon and Son a few days ago. Mr Sneddon was for nearly 30 years in the general storekeeping business at St. Kilda, Dunedin. The firm will continue the branch at Omakan. A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. To the lover of Nature in her many moods the discomfort and depression caused by prolonged fog are iu some measure offset by the wonderful beauty of the landscape under its coat of rime. Rime is frozen fog as hoarfrost is frozen dew. and for four days and nights'rime settled upon every fixed object out of doors. Poplar trees and willows, fruit trees and shrubs, every dead thistle plant, dog-rose, and elderberry, and every blade of grass received its coat of glistening crystals which increased in size as the fog continued. Telegraph and telephone wires assumed the size of cables and became visible nearly a mile off, sagging with the weight. Every mesh of wire-netted fencing became surrounded by spikes of rime from two to three inches in length, in many places filling up the meshes and forming what seemed a solid white wall.