Notes from Greymouth.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 21

Notes from Greymouth.

(From: Oujs Own Correspondent.) GIiEYMOUTH, June 19. Gold dredging is dull. All the dredges on the Grey River had to stop last night on acI count of the flooded state of the river, and will not bs likely to resume ivork till to- | morrow night. [ The engineer informs me that the Wareater pontoons are now completed, and ■will be launched in a day or two. [ The contractors for tne Tereniakau pontoons have received instructions to lower them down to the end of the ways, there to await a fresh, .by which it is expected they will be floated. The Teremakau River is very high, and it is probable that the pontoons will be launched to-morrow. A start will be made shortly with the erection of the machinery on the Premier dredge, a large quantity of which is now on the claim. The Welcome pontoons are now finished, but. a rise of Bft in the Buller River is necessary before they can be hauiched. I A start has been made with the erection o£ ■ the pontoons for the Fairdown Company. The Islaud Creek diedge is running smoothly, and should get a fair return this week. The erection of the machinery on the HauHan Company's dredge has been completed. According to the predictions of old settlers of the district, the returns will bs very good. The Leviatha.n dredge is working smoothly. The Waipuna dredge is now out of the boulders, and the wash is improving slightly. June 18. The river is somewhat swollen to-day, and ■will interfere with dredging to some extent. The directors of the Stony and Mosouito Lead Company had a second paddock sunk in the company's ground, 20ft long, 15ft wide, 23ffc deep, measuring 235 cubic yards of wash, with a yield of Boz JOdwt of gold, giving an average ■\ alue of 2s 8d per yard. The directors ars negotiating now for a suitable dredge. The Greenstone Junction dredge is still undergoing repairs to the elevator and ladder. This I work will occupy a few days before it is cornj pleted. The gantry has been repaired and a'- [ ttred to suit the telescope ladder. The wingi dam to turn the creek is being pushed on, and I will be finished m a few days, j The Greenstone Creek dredge is woiklng I smoothly. Although the. wa&h is tight, the dredge is able to work it. The dredgo is alI most in a line with the prospecting shatt in ■which favourable prospects were obtained. The Totara dredge met with a mishap, havm» broken her shaft. Jivie 20 The Grey River Consolidated dredge was stopped for a day or two owirg to the shifting ' of the top tumbler fiamiag, lesuHing in | second motion shaft being shghtlv bent. T li « dredge, however, was able to start again to-day , The Enckson's Reward and Ahiuira Com ' psnies' dredges are running smoothly. j Good piogress is being made with tfc* eics- ' tion of machinery on the Oiwell Cieek diedge, and two months should see a tual inn. ! The machinery for the Watteison's Congo's dredge is nearly completed, and icndeis Joi the election are being cal'ed , At the annual meeting o: the Sliellback Comj pany last night the lepoit and balance =hect ; were adopted, and the rctu.iig chrectois and auditors re-elected. i Operations on Humphrey"? shuoing claims J are progiessing rapidly. A do^eii men are eu- ' gaged erecting a tail race and tab!e£. The electrician is also busy with the pliui foi estabi hshmg the electnc light, nhieh vill be worked by hydraulic power. Theie aie tuo lamps of ' 700 candle-power each alongside the tail race and tables. The manager has 10 men woiking on the water race and tunnelling 16 miles dis- , tant from the claim. I The machinery for the Stafford- Waimea dredge is coming to hand. The boiler and screen have arrived on the claim The site for the election of pontoons has been cleared, and they will be commenced shoit'j It :s estimateJ that three mouths will see the diedge leady for work. j The giound has been well prospected, and good gold obtained by the p:oneeis, but, owing to the inflow of waW, the giound was hardly ever bottomed. This, of eoiuse, is all in favoiu of dredging. The erection of machinery on the Hokitika River is pioceedm° satisfactonlj. The boilei was taken out to the claim yesterday. I June 23 I Gold Dredging Inst week was dull in cou^e- [ q,uence of the flooded state of the rivers s

The Grey Kiver dredge only -worked for one day on account of the fresh in the river. The New Eiver return of 21 oz lOdwt for 120 ihotirs is a record for the claim. The dredgejnaster officially reports that very bad weather and {he high river greatly interfered with him. iA. iwtter return this week is expected. i The opinion is expressed that the Marsden {No. 1 and Cameron's (New River; claims, adjoining the New fiiver claim, are practically proved, as these claims consist of beaches similar to the one being worked by the New (River Company's dredge. The Marsden No. 1 dredge should get a trial in about a month. Cameron's claim has been prospected, with good results. Ths Pactokis return is 270z foi the week. In about a month the dredge will be out of the tailings, when the returns are expected to materially increase. The Nelson Creek return is not yet to hand. The dredge did not close down for repairs on Recount of the non-arrival of the screen. The Maori Queen return of Boz for 129 Lours shows little or no improvement. It onust, however^e remembered that the washdirt is hard and difficult to treat. The Leviathan return of 18oz 12dwt 12gr for 117J hours came as a disappointment, many expecting 50oz. The opinion is that moie giound was woiked in the early days than was expected. - The Buller Junction dredge will not washup till Monday morning. Perry's Reward dredge is running smoothly, end gradually opening out a face. The first return is expected next Saturday. . It is reported that one bore in the Kapai Company's claim resulted in a prospect of 13gr to the yard, and that another went Sgr ; also that the average depth is 20ft. The continued wet weather has delayed repairs in connection with the Greenstone Junction dredge. The dredgemaster expects that the, dredge will resume work about the end of the week. The "Waipuna dredge will not wash-xip till Monday.