THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 25

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

June 8. An area of 30 acres in the Nenthom survey district has been appjied for by Messrs J. A. Sligo and. party as a quarts-mining claim. The acting-dredgemaster of the Mokoia Company's dredge wired yesterday to the effect that he resumed dredging on Sunday night. The Loch Lomond dredge lost a day last week (saya the Dunstan Times), some repairs to the screen being necessary. The wash is improving. The secretary of the Junction Waikaka Gold Dredging Company reports receipt of advice from the dredgemaster to the effect that work •waa resumed on Thursday last. Full time was ■feeing worked, and everything was running well. Gold was showing fairly well, but flic dredgemaster stated that it was too soon yet to form an opinion as to the nature of the ground. In the paragraph contained in the report of tbe provisional directors of the New Fourteenmile Beach Gold Dredging Company, published in last week's issue, the returns ■won by the dredge since the inception of the new company were set down, as totalling 4600z. To this should be added the return of 3030z for the week ended 28th tilt., thus making a. total of 7630z tip to the week ended 4th inst. The master of the Alexandra Lead dredge, in his report for last week, stated that the dredge had had a very good run, everything working •well. The ground was very shallow and poor, and there was very little gold on the tables, and the dredgemaster did not think it worth while losing time washing the mats. On Monday morning, however, the mats showed more gold. The dredge was stopped on Friday" and the beaters in the elevator turned, but it is expected; that the dredge will run for another fortnight before new beaters are put on. The master of the Molyneux Kohinoor dredge, in his report for last week, stated that at the beginning of the week the bearing and sole-plates belonging to the second motion shaft broke, and the shaft and pinion jammed so badly that the top tumbler had to be lifted. The bearing has been repaired and a new bottom tumbler bush put in, and a few other repairs to the screen chute, etc., effected. It ■was expected that the repairs would be finished in time to resume dredging at midnight on Sunday last. The prospects were not looking so bright before the breakdown, and the ground •vtsls dipping ahead. Saya the Dunstan Times : — " The Monte Christo Gold Dredging Company, a company ■whose prospects once looked so particularly rosy, is now practically a thing of the past, the dredge having been seized by the trustees of the mortgagees. The financial position is: Liabilities, £778 17s, including £572 16s mortgage and interest, £81 wages, and £119 unsecured creditors. Against this there is cash in the bank amounting to £85. It seems a great pity that the claim could not have been given a further trial, as a fortnight's dredging, and that with an unfavourable' river, cannot be called a trial. There is talk of forming a new company with a capital of £1500." June 9. Mr S. E. Brent, secretary of the Last Chaace Hydraulic Sluicing, Elevating, and Dredging Company, reports a return of 20oz for 14 days' sluicing." The mine manager reports that he is still sluicing, and the prospects are improving. The master of the Golden Run dredge reports a midweek wash-up of 420z 17dwt for 68 hours. The Blackwater River dredge, which has been undergoing an overhaul for the past two ■weeks, resumed opeiations on Tuesday night. The secretary of the Hartley and Riley Gold Dredging Company received a wire from the dredgeaniasteir on Wednesday to the effect that the crossbar of the hangers broke on Monday morning last, and the dredge was not working since them. It was expected, however, to make a start on Wednesday afternoon. secretary of the Cromwell Gold Dredging Company received a wire from tho master of the No. 1 dtredgo on Wednesday to the effect that the dredge was working fairly steadily and the prospects were fair. The master of the No. 2 dredge wired that the dredge was ■working steadily, but the ground was very xough. Mr Thomas Hogg and a party of dredgemen have taken the Grand Junction dredge on tribute, and have shifted her up between the junction of the Nevis and the Victoria Bridge. The following i+ems ars from the Cromwell Argus : —The Voltaic has not been working

lately owing to the breaking of the top tumbler and some part of the winches going wrong.— When the Golden Reserve gets tc work, which will be shortly, that part of the Clutha above Lowburn will receive a thorough test. — The Riley's Beach dredge will most likely start dredging in a few days. The company took the dredge over from the contractors last Thursday. i The master of th.3 Dunstan Lead dredge, in | his report for la3t week, stated that the dredge ■ was shifted up to where he left off in March, 1903, and he expected to get better returns when be made a start there than the dredge has been getting lately. The rew bottom tumbler, which arrived by the s.s. Waimate, was forwarded to the dredge on Saturday last. ; The Lady Roxburgh dredge was shifted down the river on Wednesday of last week, and dredging was resumed that night. The dredge was working steadily and yvas opening out, and bottomed on Thursday night. The wash was fairly tight, and it was expected to take a day i or two before getting properly opened out. Owing to the swiftness of the current an extra headline had to be run out on Saturday iast. The master of the Island Block dredge, in his report for last week, stated that four shifts were lost in the early part of the week owing to the collapse of the lower tumbler bush. Reporting on the operations carried on at the sluicing claim last week he stated that the paddock was finished on Wednesday, and the boxes washed up on Thursday. Since then tho work of stripping for another paddock has been in progress. The paddock now being taken up is fctill on the line of the lead, and should yield proportionately to the one just I completed. Heavy rains fell last week, and the flat was in a flooded state, s;nd considerable trouble was experienced in preventing the paddock from getting flooded. The Junction Electric No. 1 dredge was working steadily during the best part of last week, except on Friday and Saturday, when a stoppage of 13 hours had to be made to take off and repair a number of damaged buckets. The ground was very rough on the Cromwell side of the cut, and was very severe on the buckets, the lips being torn off as many as five buckets, while others were also damaged. The master of the No. 2 dredge reports that be was occupied all last week in lipping buckets, which were completed by Saturday. ' Dredging was commenced on Monday morning, and everything was working well. The master of the Rise and Shine No. 1 doredge, in bis report fov last week, stated that the distance worked ahead was 10ft, and the width of the cut 400 ft, with the depth of the ground varying up to 43ft. The prospects were much the same as in the previous week, and there was very little change in the wash, although the gold was of a much finer sample. The distance worked ahead by the No. 2 dredge was 15ft, the width of the cut 130 ft, with the depth of the ground varying from 3Sft to 44ft. The ground was about the same as in the pre- | vious week, and a little f'ne gold was making ; towards the end of the island, with the indica- : tions improving. The secretary received a wire ; from, the dredgemaster yesterday to the effect that the ground was impiovirg, a lid he ex- ■ pected better returns shortly. The directors of the Cromwell Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the eighteenth) of 2s 6d per fchare, payable nn Wednesday, loth inst. A sum of JESOO was added to the reserve, which now stands at £1500. The master of the Electric No. 1 dredge reports tl'-at the dredge was under repair all la&t week, and the dre-dgeraaster expected to have everything in readiness to start to-day. The weather was very unsettled and stormy lasi ' v/tek, the riveT being above the normal level. I The master of the No. 2 dredge in his report , for last week stated that the return was much 1 poorer than wliat he expected it to be, a3 the ' geld was a coarse sample, and made a better ; show on the mats tlian it eventually turned! ! out to bo. The dredge was still working on the slope of the submerged point, or bluff of clay, and the grotuid was very rough and full -of big stones, and was getting a little deeper i towards the centre of the river, the depth averaging from 18ft to close on 40ft. During ths week the dredge worked ahead a distance of 18ft, the width of the cut being about 80ft. [ June 10. The secretary of the Hessey's Gold Dredging Company reports a return of 330z for 100 hours' work. The dredgemaster wired -that 35 hcurs were lost in bailing silt cut Of the paddock owing to the drift. The master of the Riley's Beach dredlge [ wired on Thursday stating that the bulk of re- ! pairs had been effected, and that he expected to staik dredging on Monday next. The local director of the New Prince. Arthur Gold Dredging Company wired on Thursday | morning to say that the dredge was working I steadily. | Mr J. Richmond, at present engineer of the i Junction Electrio Company's Nos. 1 and 2 j dredges, has been appointed master c-f tlie No. 1 dtroolge in place of Mr G. Morris, who recently received, the appointment of niastetr of the Lyttelton Harbour Board's dredge. i The return from the Golden Blocks mine for the last month's operations Ksayj the Goldieai Bay Argus) was 1740 a melted gold. The average yield per ton was slightly better than lor some months past. The master of the Saindy Point dredge in his report far last "week stated that the width of the cut was 330 ft, the average depth of the ground 28ft, and the distance worked! ahead 12ffc The bottom rose a good d-eal during the week, and the dredge was able to bottom, ajl the way across the cut. Towards the end of last week and at the beginning of the present week the prospects in the centre of the cut were very good, aafd on the inside were looking better. The bottom also started to dip again into the flat. - June 11. Tho directors of the Mat.itt Gold: Dredging Company have secured a secondt-hand set of louckets. Tho buckets wore forwarded to the claim on Fiiday morning, and dredging will picbably be resumed in about a fortnight's time. SQie fflaajsr of the Piifice Arthur dredge.

wired on Friday that the dredge was working steadily, but that the river was unsteady. The Alexandra, Herald states that the Molyneux Hydraulic dredge is working steadily, and the' new silt elevator, recently erected, continues to give every satisfaction. A telegram was received in town on Friday from the secretary of the Ross Day Dawn Company stating that the dredgemaster expected to have the dredge beached on Monday. The master of the Moonlight dredge lepoits that he resumed dredging at the beginning of la&t week, but had several subsequent stoppages of an hour or two. The dredge was cleaning the silt out of the paddock until 3 p.m en Tuesday, 31st ult. Everything on tho dredge was working well, and indications pointed to a- geod r&turii for the present week. THic weather at the end of last, week was very rough. The Alduiga dredge was still working on the right eid'e of the cut last week, but it continued to bo very rough. There were a number of bin; stones to contend with, and this caused a lot of stopx>ages. It was intended to keep the dredge on the right side of the nuddock last week, and to shift it thi3 week on to tho lefthand sidle, where there should be an improvement in the returns. The master of the Sullivan's Lead dredge, re]M>rting under date 6tli inst., stated that the work of erecting the wheel elevator was nearly finished, and h.e hoped in a. day or two from then to make a, start dredging. The weather has been very much, against the erection of the wheel, as i+> rained every day for 16 day£. Reporting on June 3, the master of "the Greenstone Creek Company's cil.-edge stated that the depth of the wash -treated was 27ft; width of iface, 141 f t; length of ground dredged, 6ft; quantity dredged, 11,837 cubic yards, an av>e<rage of 89 cubic yards por hour. The diedge ha.d a good run ut> to June 1, when the creek rose, and) the dredge was tuiable to bottom. "Whilst the dredge was being moved to a. safe place a joint in the main steam pipe burst, but was repaired, and returned the next day. The bottom was about the same as on the previous week, with the exception that o.i the north eidia it was rising a little The dredgemaster feels sure that if ho could get bottom right across the face the leturns would be payable. The manager of No. 1 elevator of the Xokornai Hydraulic Sluicing claim reports that the weather has very imucb retarded operations, and that because of this he was unable to finish washing at the end of May. He baa now been able to do so, -with a result of 98oz 6dwt 12gr. Sluicing was resumed on Thursday. Water is plentiful, a,nd he expects to have a wash-up before frost sets in to interfere with working The manager of ths No. 2 elevator reports that for the last four weeks he has been busy shifting plant and extending the race down tho flat some 35 chains. Tne weather interfered with work to some extent, but lie is hopeful of having the water through the pipes and a commencement of sluicing made by the beginning of next week, weather permitting. Th» manager of the Local Industry clami has (writes our Wetherstones correspondent) for the past two weeks been washing a.way clay and headings off the high reef. He washed down the upper boxes last Saturday, more to clear the false bottom than with the expectation of getting qnuch gold, and obtained 9oz sdwt. The manager of the G-oklen Crescent claim, after a week's elevating, washed down again last Saturday, and obtained 20oz. He was working on the" north side of the paddock, which, together with the centre, was payable. The south side, boweyer, was poor, and is likely to remain so until operations are carried further up the hill. The directors of the Electric Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the twentyseventh) of Is 6d per share, payable on Thursday, 16th inst. The advertisement notifying the above was handed to our reporter on Tinirsday night last, but, by inadvertence, did not appear the following morning. The directors of the Mamiherikia Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the fifteenth) of Is per share, payable on Friday, 17th inst. June 13. There was no wash-up on the Blackwater River dredge last week. There wa-s no return from the JSTew Prince Arthur dredge last week. A wire was received from the secietary of the Rising Sun dredge on Saturday to the effect that repairs were delayed owing to the non-arrival of the material, and that dredging would bo resumed on Monday evening. The secretary of the Electric Company received a wire from the master of the Xo. 1 dredge on Saturday to the effect that dredging was resumed at 5 p.m. on Friday, when, the river had risen 2ft. The secretary of the Cromwell God Dredging Company advises having received a wire from the claim on Saturday stating that the river was up 2ft. The No. 2 dredge was being shifted to a beach on the east bank, but the No. 1 dredge is to be stopped for two days to allow of the top tumbler being overhauled. The secretary of the Gabriel -Gold Dredging Company reports the following returns for lastweek:— Xo. 1 dredge, 270z 9dwt 3gr ; No. 2 dredge, 12oz 3dwt. The master of the No. 2 dredge reports that he had a broken week's work owing to a flood. An Auckland telegram states that the Crown Mines crushed 2765 tons for a return valued at £3996. The secretary of the Three-mile Greenstone Gold Dredging Company reports a return of 19oz for 105 hours' work. The ground woikcd was very rough. The dredgers pster, reporting for the week ended June 4, stated that dredging was carried on at the south side of tho face, but onerations were hampered somewhat owing to the amount of silt and the presence of a large buried tree. The ground was about the same as in the previous week, but was, if anything, inclined to be lighter. A dividend (the seventh) of Is per share has been declared by the directors of the Hes=ey's Gold Dredging Company, payable on Friday, 17th inst. June 14. A dredgemaster is wanted for the Teviot dredge, Roxburgh. The directors of the Olrig Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the tenth) of Is per share, payable on Friday, 17th inst. The master of the Mokoia dredge wired to the secretary on Monday to the effect that tho liver had been in high flood, but tha< the dredge was safe. There was no wash-up last 'week. The master of the Muddy Creek drecVe reports that he has been repaiiing, but he hoped to start dredging on Tuesday. The manager of the Champion Sluicing Company reports having washed up on Thmsda" last for a return of 19oz 7dwt, the result of nine days' actual elevating. The secretary of the New Prince Aith ir Company notifies that the dredge has teen closed down pending financial airangenicnta being made to carry on. The secretary of the Masteiton Compa.iy has received word from the contractor (Mr TCnewstubb) at Waikaia that the pontoons were successfully launched on Saturday afternoon. The master of the Sullivan's Lead dredge has wired to the secretary that he would resume dredging on Tuesday. A trial of the silt elevator on Saturday proved most satisfactory. The manager of the Golden Crescent claim (writes our Wetherstones correspondent), after another week's elevating, washed down lapfc SaUi^m. siterjiooga and* obtai^i iSoa 3dwt

which, together with a return of 21oz 2dwt for I thf previous week, makes a total of 31oz sdwt for the fortnight. There was no wash down c.n the Local Industry last Saturday. The manager is working on the high reef at present, the clay , there being very hard, but as much of it as possible is being sluiced down into the gully. A progress report issued by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company for the week ended June 1, states that the main stope in the 100 ft level was producing fair grade ore, at were also the " A," '" C," and No. 7 stopes in the 200 ft level. The " B," " D," No. 6, No. 8, and main stopes in the 300 ft level, and the main slopes in the 40ft and 500 ft levels were also producing fair grade ore. The account of the surface work stated that in the North Lyell open cut and the eastern open cut overburden was being broken for filling purposes, and a. little ore was being won and despatched. In the south open cut overburden v.'as being removed and ore broken for the smelters, and thj usual quantity despatched. The smelting and converter plants at the reduction works v/evo both in operation During the current half , year 1503 tons of blister copper ha.ye been consigned. The secretary of the Unity Gold Dredging Company received a wire from the dredgemaster on Tuesday morning to the effect that the river had risen, and dredging had been stopped until hard frosts ba,ve set in. The work of sinking the shaft at the Tipperary mine <Shotover) is being proceeded with. The headway being made, however, is slow, owing to the unfavourable nature of the ground. The reef is about 2ft in width, but is of poor quality. Repairs to the battery are now almost Lompleted, and it is hoped to put through » tiial crushing shortly.