THE PAPAROA COAL COMPASY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 37

THE PAPAROA COAL COMPASY.

i IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS. ! (FEOM OIJB OWS COREESPOXDENT.I ! GREYMOUTH, December 4. The Paparoa Coal Company brought their extensive iiospecting work at Mount Davey to a successful issue, and everything is now in training to prepare the mine for an output. The placing of the coal on the market will mark an important epoch in the history of Australasian progress, the mineral be-ing the only anthraci+ous variety won soutli of the Line. For quality f-ho coal is literally unbeaten in the world, th-e numerous analyses made by Dr MacLaurin and others showing the lower seams to bo , nearly 93 per cent, carbon, and containing an almost unrecognisable- trace of sulphur. The conditions laid down as necessary in coal for use at sea by commissioners appointed by the Admiralty to inquire into the merits of several kinds of steam coal in use- in the Royal Navy ate: — (1) That the coal be of quick action in raising steam ; (2) have a high evaporative power, and should not be bituminous on account of spoke generated; (3) should possess considerable cohesion of its particles, so as to permit of shipment ; (4) should have considerable density, and be of such structure as to stow m a small space ; (5) should be .free from any considerable quantity of sulphur, and not progressively decay, both of which circumstances render it liable to spontaneous combustion. The Paparoa Company's anthracite is the only known coal in the Southern Hemisphere possessing these qualities. It is non-bituminous, practically free from sulphur, of high specific gravity, great coheisiveness of particles, and has evaporative power unsurpassed by any coal in the world, and is in every other respect coal identical with the very best products of Welsh collieries.

As to quantity, the surveys and observations of Messrs Cutten, Daniel, and various other experts show conclusively that over 6t,000,00!> tons are in sight and proved by three tunnels, and over 80 outcrop faces opened upon, and that two-thirds of the vast deposit can be won level free. The Dunedin Board of Directors are taking vigorous action in connection with the property, and hold a meeting in a few days, 3A* Daniel, engineer, having left for that city last evening.

The Rangitikei Advocate states that four Maoris at Kakariki who refused to pay dogtax fines imposed at th-e Martop Courthouse returned to the pa after serving seven days' imprisonment. On the 26th ult. another batch of six were arrested and taken to Wanganui Gaol.