WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 30

WEEK'S MINING NEWS

December 11. ~ The Chicago drsdg© washed up on Saturday last for 26ojs 13dwt for 106 hours' dredging. The master of the Manuherikia dredge reports under date the 6th December: — " The ground continues about the same ; everything is working well." The Mystery Flat dredge worked the full width of th© cut last week. The ground on the east side was poor, but continued to befaixly good on the opposite side The manager of the Branch Creek Sluicing Company (Limited) reports that everything is going welL and expects to finish the race so .far as what is needed just now during thi* week- There is' some sodding required to b© done, also the fixing of fiuming, the timber I for which is all on the ground, and when the i syphon plant arrives it will J^e put into ' position, and 'as th© elevating plan* comes to hand it will be fixed up. Then everything will be ready io start sluicing operations. A tender has been accepted for carting iam necessary plant from Clyde to Cardrona, If no delay is experienced from the railway then shareholders will soon* be able V> have an idea what they have got for their investment. Th© Saoretary of ths Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company reports, re No. I elevator. th*t sluicing has been carried on during the week, and good progress has been made. The water is scarce", and work could only be carried on by th© assistance of the Lion race, as Diggers' Creek and Mill Cr«ek together only supplied about 10 heads. Tlie weather is still dry and warm, registering 76deg to SOdeg in the shade. No '1 elevator is hampered for want of water. The dam ran dry on Friday, and because of a break in the Lion race in Mathieson's Gully no water was available on Sunday for the dam. The very large stones met with make the wotk slow. At No. 2 elevator th© trestles and slinger* ar© be ; jig put in position. The manager reports that on Wednesday he visited the head of Lion race and found a total at the intake of 24 heads, of which only 18 were reaching the penstock, leaving six heads for evaporation, leakage, and soakage. He attributes this to the dry weather and the dry nature of the country through which the race runs. Because he has not as much water as he would like to commence elevating with he is aow widening out the paddock. December 12. Th© height of the river at Alexandra yesterday morning was 9ft 9in. Rain fell duriug the night. The master of tha Otago No. 1 dredge reports a good week's run. The Telurn was j slightly better, and may further improve as J he is now working right across -the face. The No. 2 ground keeps about th© same. The master of the Koputai dredge -wires thai he has been compelled to close down owing to the breaking of the bottom tumbler. The Rise and Shine No. 1 dredge worked ahead Bft during the week. Th© cut was 4Ooft wide and from 42ft to 48ft deep, with a little coal in the west corner. The ground was fairly free from large stones, and therefor© easy to work. The No. 2 dredge worked 16ft nhead on ft cut 160 it wide, wiifc a depth

ranging from 42ft to 45ft. The bottom was chiefly sandstone and free clay. December 13. The Koputai return is 790z 19dwt for 130 hours.. The directors of the Manuherikia Gold Dredging Company yestercley declared a dividend of Is per share, payable on the 19th -mat. The Maaterton return is 19oz 12dwt for 137 hours. The Mastery Flat dredgemaster reports a wash-up for 15oz 14dwt fear 82 hours' work. The Kura master reports a return of 88oz lOdwt for 139 hours. The Waikaia dredgemaster reports a return of 41oz 13dwt for 188 hours, and says: ' East section; shifted into western section on Wednesday." Switzers dredge obtained lOoz Bdwt for 106 hours. The Bignell's No Town dredgemaster wires : Have had dredge above water 24 hours ; now stopping leaks." The Sandy Point dredgemaster reports :— "We were dredging up to Tuesday morning, and stopped then to put on screen liners and main buckets and do other necessary repairs. -I expect to resume dredging about Monday." Th© Punt master reports a fine run for the week, having get across the cut three times and worked ahead 12ft. " Prospects are fail right across the cut. There are a lot more wash-stones coming in since Wednesday. The depth below water .is 39ft, and above the average is lift. The 'dredge is free from tailings." The Waikaia dredgemaster reports: — " Dredging was carried on in west section up to Tuesday, and a new drop sheet was put in, and at 5 a.m. on Wednesday dredging was commenced in the east section, where good returns have been obtained. Here the ground changed sharply, owing to the intrusion of coal measures. The face being worked since Wednesday is about three chains wide, with a depth of from 14ft to 18ft. The bottom is of red clsy overlaying ooal and pipe-clay. The west section at the east corner improved during the last two 'days on the east side. The length of the face is 5J chains, which makes the total face 8J chains. December 14. The Gold Song dredgemaster wires: — "Ground poor towards river; inmproving towards bank." The following are extracts from the general manager's report of the Maoriland popper Company (Ltd.) for the week ending December 4, 1907:— United Mine (Eo. 3 level): The ore body is now Bft wide the full length of the winze, and .is of fair quality, assaying 10.15 per cent, of copper. Monster Mine: Tli* crosscut from the low level hae bean, driven 6ft, making the total length 62ft. Ore was met with in. this drive assaying 8.86 per cent, copper. The rise hae now been started to connect with No. 2 winze. This rise should connect after 'being put up 22ft, which the mine manager hopes to do before Christmas. Champion Mine: The doctor's level ha* been, reopened another 12ft 6in during the" week, the ..total distance being 250 ft 6io. One side of the drive is also being opened out, where ore was seen, in clearing^ but the 7 extent of the ore body cannot be ascertained until more work has been done. General: The sawmill has been working full time during the week, and fair progress has been made in laying the rails on tne champion track. The telephone line to the Champion mine has been completed. This should save a lot of time, as things required from the store here are now being ordered by telephone instead of a man being sent down. The winding engine at the Champion has all been put together, and the boilers are now being placed in position. Mr W. E. C. Reid, secretary of Bignell's No Town. Company,, last night received the following- wire from the dredgemaster : — "Able to hold leaks with dredge ejectors; busy taking off buckets and preparing to take off ladder." December 16. The river height on Saturday morning was 9ft 6in; the weather was mild. In foiwarding his return the Alexandra Eureka dredgemaster says : — " Two days lost in couMquence elevator spur wheel breakTire Punt dredgemaster advises; "Pro3peots fair." The following telegram re the Talisman mine was posted at the Exchange on Saturday :— " No. 11 south — Progress 86ft reef wid[er thai' drive, assay average lla 9d; No. 12 winze— 4oft, reef wider than winze, assay average £1 8a lid ; No. 12 level jiouth-^4lft. width of reef 6ft, assay average £4 2s; No. 12 rise— 3ft. reef 4Jft wide, assay average £2 9s; No. 18 rise— 47ft, reef 2ft wide, assay average £8 19s; No. 3 level south— lift, reef 6Jft wide, assay average £14 17s 6d; No. 8 rise— 34ft, reef 12in wide, average- assay 4s 9d. Tho Golden Bed. dredgemaster wires from Miller's Flat:— "No washup for week ending December 14; ground very poor." The Golden Gate master wires :— " River A splendid yield ha* been obtained by the Portuguese Flat Hydraulic Company, Ballarat (Victoria). During a month's wotjc 409J0z of gold were won, and a further 21oz were obtained from concentrates, making the total gold output 430j0z, which would itKutt in a profit of approximately * 1003 - ' T-, t. December 17. Th© height of the river at Alexandra on Morday morning -was 9ft Bin. The weather was overcast and threatening. The Roxburgh Jubilee dredgemaster reports a return of 18oz 3dwt. The Nelson Creek return is 320z for 114 hoars. , The New Trafalgar return is 12oz ldwt for 126 hours. A return of lOoz for 4£ days is reported from the Go'den Gem dredge. . Th* following telegram has been received from the master of the Bignell's No Town dredge:— "Have half of buckets off; got ladder lifted above deck level; weather unThe Molyneux Hydraulic dredge obtained 18oz 2dwt last week. The master of the Rising Sun dredge reports that he dredged 180 hours last week and worked ahead 16ft. He is still widening •the cut, which is now 120 yd» wide. The bottom is getting more sandy, with more big boulders in the wash. The deep gutter on the east side is getting shallower. Th© statutory general meeting of the South Waikaia Dredging Company was held on Friday evening. Mr J. A. Sligo occupied tha chair. The following gentlemen were elected directors of the company: — Messrs W. 3. Love, C. G. V. Jeijon, A. Sligo. W. T. Taltoys. and W. ~R. Frost. Mr Vivian was appointed auditor. The Chairman intimated that the plans and specifications for alterations to the company's dredge and for the dismantling, transference, and re-erection at Waikaia were considered at a meeting of provisional directors on -the 2nd inst.. and tenders close on the 20th. Tbe alterations are to be completed, by -the 30th April next. New Zealand mining men are finding their way to all parts of the world. Messrs Haezard and Banks, metallurgists, Waihi, have lately received lucrative appointments outside the Dominion. A letter recently received from Mr Ormsby Gore Adams states that he was getting ready to leave London for the Republio of Columbia, where he will act

* as metallurgist for the Santa Isabel United Gold Mines (Ltd.). At the time of writing "MV- Adams was learning Spanish, so as to be able io converse with the natives of Columbia. Mr Adams was for some time director of the Thames School of Mines. Ths returns from 32 dredges operating in the Urals and Siberia during the year 1906 show that they won 36,G060z of gold and $f72oz of platinum. The working days of the dredges ranged from 100 to 223 J. and the number of yards operated, on from 14,551 to 365,404.