Rotes from Central Otago.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 20

Rotes from Central Otago.

(From Our Own Coriitspondbnt.) The extremely dry weather still continues, greatly retarding all mining except on Macrao'a Flat, where ground in being woiked that could not be touched for water in an ordinary sea 1 on. At the Gouiim mine an aerial tramway haa been erected from tha mine to the battery, and works very well, a considerable amount of quartz is to gras3 awaiting water 1o crush it. Mount Hifiblay mine is bring opened up preparatory to treating stone at tho battery whenever water is available. A find of considerable richness has been mado near the junction of the Mareburn Cio-k with the Taleri. There is a large amount of wash, and it is water can easily bd got on to the ground. It is reported that a crushing plant is to be put on the reef l.it-ly reuoitcl as being discovered between Macraes and Dunback. 'Jhis reef ha 3 been known for a ct>n*idorable time, as stone was taken fiom it to the exhibition battery, but tho result considered not gool enough. It is a continuation of the same reef as is worked at Golden Point and Mount H'ghlay, and is known to extend for over 15 mile.", ciopping out at different intervals aU along the line. It is of a fiat nature wherever found, and in many places shows la'ge bodies of stone. 'Ihe gold in it U veiy five, much of it requiring a glass to detect its presence, and Bhoulil bo very suitable for treatment with the cyanide process. The other clay, on Macrae9 FHt, a digger of the good old type marked off a claim on Saturday night, aud on Monday found three gentlemen of the Flowery Laud in possession, who said it was thei>s, and took up sbovols ia defence, but the Britisher, ningle-lniuled, put them to flight, and is now in po-setsion of his rights. .GOLDEN POINT BA'TKRY, MACRAES. Thi3 battery, the propi-rty of Messrs W. and G. Donald on, ha- during the last six months been alte ed and enlarged, a>id is now one of the largest and most complete crushing plants iv Otago. It consists of a Giant rock-breaker (Bin x Win), ore feeders, 10-htad battery, ono sft Huntiugton roller-mill (which is equal to 10 head of stamps), blanket tablt s, and two Wheeler's erindin? pans. The plant is capable of treating 30 tons of stone m 24 hours. The battery floor is 40ft below the tip-head, where the quartz is dumped into a shoot, at the bottom of wh'ch is a grizzly, or screen, abutting on the rock-breakers, so that only the rough quartz passes into the rock-breaker, the scieen allowing the fin-- quartz to go direct into the paddork ; the Bt'-ne, which ia roducdd by the breaker to the size of walnuts, empties also into the paddock, or bin, which is capable of holding 100 tons. At the bottom of the bin are three openings which allow the quartz to pass into the ore feeders, two for the battery and one for the mill. The mill is fed by a Challenge ore-feeder driven by a belt from the mill shaft. Iho battery feeders are Messrs Donaldson's own construction, and consist of shaking trays worked by a lever from the centre stamp of each Bet of five-head. They a-lju^t their own feed and work admirably. The crushed stone from ihe b*tte.iyand mill parses over the ordinary quick ilv^r tables and wells on to the blanket tables. The blankets are washed every 20 rpinutes, and the concentrates are put into the grinding pans, where tin y were reduced sufficiently line to float out in still water. The motive powr r ia supplied by a Oft Peltou water wheel, supplied by 15in 14-Rauge iron pipts, 730 ft in length, un^er a head of 110 ft, and using a *iin nozzle, and drives the whole plant with ease. Only one man is required to look after the pant, the whole process is Dy gravitation, with exception of washing the bknketa and feeding the pans. The machine) y runs in firat-cWs style, and rtflects credit on the owners, for they are their owu engineers and constructors.