THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 19

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Tl-f vpvnal in mining in Wcstland m^T> be gauged from the fact that 19 special ar.cl: extended claims were registered m Hokinkfu during the month of February. The aretu applied for was 1123 acres, on which a rental is paying the first year of £140 151: second year, £281 10s; third and subsequent years, £122 5".

The engineer of the Rise- and SLir.e "Compaay rejxuts thfit the timber for the diedge has beejt delivered on the churn, and a good deal of tbs iron work for the pontoons has been completed. The wire ropes have been delivered and onc> boat completed. The condenser js partly fir.ishecl, aad the centrifugal pump ha 3 been delivered. Of tiio machinery the air and 2 feec 1 pumps have bcm. cast, turned, and drilled cross heads, rod?, n d eccentrics machined, and the pumps ar= being fitted together All geai - ings are cast, including large tumbler, spu.wheel, and dm ing pinion. The screen gearmj'is finished, and the heavy pivot bracketst machmed and clehveied on the claim. Th^i second motion shaft, scieen driving pivot, and mims'cin other shafts are completed. Al' coil.us for drafting are finished, and the plumniii books leacTy for the lathe. The coup'mgt for shaft atu a!so re?<3y. All shafts have been proiursd. and rue ahaost finished (about sevei> ions). The pulleys are cast, the main frictioa is bei'ii? rna-ehmed, the cast steel straps fo • tame arc made, pnd driver and slider aie corrpktcd, be = -dc 3 rnm»iou9 other parts. Stoic* have brtr. purcbrsed, and all patterns .naclr Tho boile.-, i*ucket«, elevator, Fcrcen, hand v.iroh. wiiieh l.uldsr, foie and at box, schtite c , ■-aye-ails, p'jb hecks, tables, tumbleis, srt! pipes r.o also 1-1 3 1 rclvanced state.

A wel'-attencl^d cxtiaordinaiy g^nci il iiipc - ai<? of bhar'-holdeis m the Miller's Flat Elect ;s Dredging Compary was held m the Dunedin. Stork Exoharf'O iccnis ci the 2nd. The rrsolutto 1 snbin tUd 10 mcip.ise the capital f .-C75 n 0 by the 13 ue of 2500 prpferer^s shs>i£<* a.? tjr'K'J 11 .• ' tt 1 1.1 -' v. nr.cl o\cr ICY} shares v rro <i,]b-") i1)i 1 ) > 111 1 • mi *ho locia

The s«>. re iry <i tK> I.ichdale GoM .Oicd^n p Company (Limj + cci) icpoits that the pontoo* 3 ha-, c L.en ■ircs-itul'y floated, «»ncl v. ill lie leady for the orpction of machinery in a. for.■night. The engine a».J boiler aie aheac 7 y n< the ground, and the contractois will L.r. c MI the nischinery icady in plenty of t.me. Th-> drcdcjemastti of the Moinms Sl.'r GoUI Drpdn v 3v 3 Company washed vp oa Motcljv Poz 13dwt from tv o too mats '01 13 hours. On Tuesday lie wired that the dredse had overturned, but would bs easy ■to refloat. Ansiigements are being mado to ripht the diedar, and as *oon as this is done dredging will be "=- simicd, ps there are r>o biea'kages. Tt is nnfoitunate ha\ ms, tins rai«han, as the r'.cd&e is. 011 gcod wash, wuh every r-ic = y>ect ot gcod icturns :or some months

The directors of the Hiitley and RiW Beach. Dredging Company, at their meeting on Thursday, dcclaied a. dividend of 5s per share, payable on the 17th ;nst.

The secretary of the E'cctnr Extended Dicdglng Company repoits that prc-pects <ue now good. The secretaiy of the Mo a Flat Dredging Company has leecived the following telegram f:om the diedgemaster — " Diedge working splendidly, start shift to-morrow (Fnday)."

The secretary of the White Star Gold Dredging Company was advised by the dredgemaster on Thursday morning that the dredge was dealing with heavy wvsh, and on Friday tho diedgemaster wired that he had bottomed at 19ft, the bottom being soft.

The seeieUry of the Lady ChaiHoa C.i>!d Dredging Company renorts th-U opei.itior.s -v.cie coii'menced oa Thuuday mornir 0

The !Maj?>tic dredge, ov. lrg to the t.'ct.on gciiius scttaig cut 01 oidei, was in icUcucs

tot nearly the whole of this week, dredging being resumed on Friday afternoon. $he secretary of the Sailor's Bend dredge reports receipt of the following on Thursday : — "iPredge stopped yesterday; packing cover steam chest out-, shifting drop shoot back, get deeper; starting dredging to-day." ' The secretary of the Gold King* Gold Dredging Company has received the following report tfrom Mr E. Roberts, the company's engineer: — Since my last report of progress of Ist April iMessrs Sparrow and Co. have continued to make excellent progress with the machinery. The winch is now nearly ready ; ladder all put together, and elevator ladder in an advanced condition. Pontoons: On my last visit they were all planked, and" upper framing in course of preparation. The engineer for the Ross Day Dawn Company reports that good progress has been made •with the construction of the pontoons. Tenders for the cartage of material from Greymouth to the claim are now in. The last portion of the machinery is now ready for shipment at [Wellington. - A Greymouth telegram states- that the North (Beach pontoons were successfully launched on .Thursday afternoon under the supervision of (Messrs Cutten Bros.

An Auckland telegram states that for the ifour weeks ending March 30- the Waitekauri (Gold Mining Company treated 1885 tons ore for bullion valued at £8295. v

The Cromwell Argus says : — " Mr T. Shore ■has resigned his position as dredgemaster on the Alpine Consols dredge. — There is some trouble about getting the pontoons of the Golden Standard down the Makarora. If not brought down soon, they will stay up the Mafearora River till next spring brings high ■water."

The annual meeting of the Prince of Wales Gold Dredging Company was held on March 30 at the company's office, Ross, and adjourned for four Weeks so as to enable the directors to include in their "report the result of the tendering for the pontoons. The directors aftewards met, when Mr Wylie (representing Mr Payne, •engineer) was present, and the tender of Mr Wm. Pearson, who has the contracts for the /Woodstock and G^eat Woodstock pontoons, was accepted. The Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company report the gold return for the month of March 104oz 7dwt.

The manager of the Merrimac Company writes that he "bottomed right across the river at 40ft, soft reef bottom, little gold." The secretary of Dobson No. 2 Gold Dredging Company informs us that the directors have appointed another dredgemaster, and that he has now taken charge of the dredge. The Southland Times states that at a meeting of shareholders in the Golden Site Extended Gold Mining Company, on the Ist inst., :t was unanimously resolved to go into voluntary liquidation. • The Dunstan Times is informed that Mr !Donald M'Cormick has been appointed manager of the Gentle Annie dredge.

Mr D. Leslie, secretary Lower Enfield and £3ig Flat Companies, supplies the following reports on the progress of these companies' contracts : — Lower Enfield Company : Machinery — ladder complete, gantry complete, drop chute complete, lower tumbler and hanging gear complete, links and 'pins complete, fair leads well xinder way, feed heater coil made ready for jplacing in position; condenser ready for assembling; buckets being bent to shape. Hearing — Plummer blocks made, first motion whaft cut off, top tumbler shaft turned, and Txlummer blocks and sole plates finished, top lumbler being moulded. This contract should "f>e forwarded early thiß month. Contract has ''been let for cartage, and other matters are 'receiving due attention. — Big Flat Company: The whole of the machinery and material, with "the exception of elevator, holding down bolts, 'and angle iron, which are almost ready, is now 'on the claim, and Mr Melhail, of Lawrence, has •undertaken the erection of machinery and housing of the dredge, and will start immediately. He is to conitdete same in nine weeks' time.

The secretary of the Kawarau Bridge Gold Dredging Company has just received the following advica re erection of machinery: — " Screen : Bearings and rollers bolted in position ; drop chute, top tumbler, intake pipe, end condenser all placed in position. Boiler, engine, and one section of ladder on board. Fully

expect tp have dredge at work by the end of May." ' * Owing to the holidays the result of the Hartley and" Riley dredge wash-irp last -week has not been made known officially. TEe Tuapeka Times states that it amounted to lOOoz. An Auckland telegram states that during the past month the Barrier Reefs Gold Mining Company crushed 1809 tons of ore for a return valued at £3688.

During the fourteen weeks which have elapsed of the present year the gold yieid from Otago dredges whose returns are reported was 14,8890z 18dwt, the average number of dredges pec week being 36. For the corresponding period of last year, when the average number of dredges at work per week was 30, the gold yield reported was 14,0380z 7dwt 9gr, or only 3510z behind the first fourteen weeks of tho present year. The high rivers during the past summer largely accounts for the additional number of dredges at woTk not giving a better account of themselves.

Mr Duncan M'Gregor lias been appointed master of the Perry's RewaTd dredge.

Notes from the Southern Standard, sth inst. : The Central Mataura Company's large dredge has ceased work for the purpose of undergoing alterations. The trouble is that the machine is top heavy, and there is a possibility of it toppling over. The directors, doubtless in the interests of economy, decided not to -avail themselves of the services of a consulting engineer in the erection of the dredge, and too much of the heavy machinery has been placed above the deck, with the result that thei dredge does not balance. It is stated that the intention is to widen the pontoons, which will possibly take about three weeks. The prospects that were- obtained, we believe, were encouraging. — In the original proclamation of the Waikaka Stream as a sludge "channel it will be remembered that the part referring to Garden Gully was wrongly described. The locality was, in.

aonsequence, traced with some difficulty. Mr M'Nab, M.H.R., wrote the department requesting that the eri-jr be rectified, and he has received word that this would be done.

The Austral Otis Engineering Company, South Melbourne, have contracts for no less than 11 dredging plants for New Zealand, as well as several for Victoria. Some of the plants are already completed, and all will be finished inside contract time. ' The Austral Otis Company certainly beat all competitors in the rapidity with which they turn out their contracts, and the quality of the work we have seen is of the best. Besides mining and general machinery of every description, the Austral Otis Company have the most extensive pipe factory in Australasia, and can manufacture cast iron and wrought iron pipes of any size and in any quantity. They have lately completed a contract for 3000 tons cast iron water pipes for the Victorian Government. — Advt.