SHOTOVER QUARTZ MINING

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 20

SHOTOVER QUARTZ MINING

The annual meeting of the Shotover Quartz Mining Company was to have been held on. Thursday evening at the office of Mr S. Brent, Liverpool street, but lapsed for the want of a quorum. Those present were — Dr Brown (chairman), D. Reid, jun., H. Adam, and H. E. WSson. The meeting stood adjourned till Thursday, May 4. The following is the directors' report' for the year ending 15th April : — " A.s mentioned in the last half-yearly reporf, a rise was put in at _ 260 ft with the vi«w of proving the continuation or otherwise of the Bonnie Dundee lode. This step "was only taken afto. much consideration, and at the urgent request of a number of shareholders resident in the vicinity of the mine. Though the result was not successful, the rise has settled a vexed question, and was at the same time necessary for ventilation purposes. " The directors visited thß mine during the Easter holidays, -and were pleased both with the work done, and the economical, efficient, and permanent manner in which it was carried out. Upon a trial crushing of stone from a. neighbouring claim which was lately made, -it was found that the bcttery was in good working order. "All future calls will he levied upon both contributing and vendors' shares, which are now paid up to 2a 6d. The directors recommend that the next call bo ljd per share, so as to clear up all utstanding liabilities, and that a monthly call of Id per share shall be made afterwards. " Your directors have gone into the questidn." of three shifts as againet two shifts in the working of the drive, and on the score cf economy they recommend the latter method."' The report of Mr D. B. Waters, mine manager, is as follows: — Skipper's Point, 15th April, 1899. " I beg to submit the following report of worE done at the mine during the past half year — ■ viz., from October 15, 1898, to date. " Rise at' 2Goft. — As decided upon after my> last general report was submitted, to you, the driving of the machine level was discontinued for a time, and a rise started at 260 ft in from! the month of the level. This rise was put up with the obiect of testing the reef line overhead about that point. The rise wag conthfifecl. to a height of 70f\ but except at 20ft up— where

(Cfe?r small leaders carrying a little gold were passed through — nothing was discovered. From the top of the rise a, drive on the reef line back towards the old company's ore pass was constructed, the drive holing through at a distance of 43ft. From this drive a crosscut to. the footwall was put in, the footwall being struck at lift without any result. Though aiotbing of any value wan found by this, work, *he connection through from the level to the tore pass is of value in itself, as it gives a much better means of effecting ventilation in the machine level than formerly existed. The time occupied in rise, drive, and crosscut was 265| shifts out of a total of 5801 shifts worked during the half-year. The cost per foot of the lise was £1 19s, the estimate given before starting being £2 per foot. " Machine Level. — The time w.orked in the level was 299 shifts, 193 of which were spent in driving, and the remaining 106 in timbering. The distance driven was 106 ft, making the total length to date 662 ft. A length of 194 ft was also timbered, 100 ft of this being portion of last half-year's driving. Almost the whole 'level is now timbered to within 40ft of the face, bo that except in case of repair there will be no back work to overtake. As showing the cost of driving and timbering, the last portion of continuous driving will serve to* form an estimate. During the past seven and a-half ■weeks 92ft have been driven and 62ft timbered, the total expenses for the time being JEI3B 2s. In order to complete the timbering of the remaining 40ft £14 more would be required, bringing the total cost up to JEIS2 2s, which works out at £1 13s per foot. This is practically the same result as for last halfyear's driving. The machine level is still continued along on the hanging wall side of the formation. This turned very hard till about 580 ft, when it gradually became softer and s better looking, continuing so to 621 ft, the last 20ft having small quartz leaders in it, some of which gave a. little sold. Since then the formation has been slightly harder and not so kindly looking, but at the time of writing seems changing again. The machine level has now leached appoint where there is a height of over 500 ft overhead to the surface of unworked ground, and the slight indications of stone and gold in the better-looking portions of the formation now being opened up lead to the expectation of a make of stone being struck at any time. From all the information that can be obtained, though it is difficult to ascertain with accuracy, a further distance of 400 ft of driving should, bring the level within the vicinity of where the original idea was that etone should occur. " Ventilation. — Efficient ventilation is being obtained by conducting air from the rise to the end of the level, a distance of 400 ft, by means of a brattice . cloth air piping 12in in diameter. So far this is working well, but how far it will cany on is hard to say; and in the event of it giving out recourse will have to be made either to a power fan, or on the other hand, put up a rise at 600 ft where the Nugget Gully crosses the line of driving. This would mean about 140 ft of rising. " Surface Work. — During the half-year a halfinch diameter steel wire rope has been erected, stretching from the bluff down to the level mouth — a span of 290 ft. This has proved of great convenience for Uwering timber and stores, and should last a long time. A blacksmith's shop has also been put up alongside the tram,way into the level. The number of shifts ■worked on the surface was 17|, the chief work .being excavating near the level mouth, as the 'epace was rather limited. ' , " Expenses. — Since work.wa3 started by this company the total length of driving, croescutting, ond rising executed is 666 ft, made up as follows: — Driving, 511 ft; rising, 88ft; crosscutting, 67ft; — total, 666 ft. Taking the whole expenditure the cost per foot all round works out at £1 16s 5d per foot. As regards the machine level the cost has kept about the same all through — viz., £1 13s per foot. " During the past half-year it became necessary to get timber from Southland for laths, at an increase in cost of nearly 50 per cent.

" "\j7hile trying to keep the ejipenses as low as possible it has always been the object to carry out all work in an efficient and permanent manner."