WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION COMPANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3085, 30 April 1913, Page 28

WAIHI GRAND JUNCTION COMPANY.

LOW LEVEL DEVELOPMENTS. (From Ora Own Correspondent.) WAIHI, April 23. ’iTestcrday, in company with tne mine manager (Mr M'Connachie), your representative inspected the various works m progress at No. 6 level in the Waihi Grand Junction mine, and noted that recent developments on the various ore bodies, with the exception of the Royal reef, have been attended with satisfactory results, while in the case of the Royal, the drive west, which for some distance was in ore of little or no commercial value, is now in quartz of good grade. A start was made on the George reef, tlie southernmost body exposed in the south-east crosscut. On this lode the drive west is out some 70ft from the main crosscut, and the reef shows on average width of 7ft of milling ore, with a well-defined body of stone in the face. On its eastern extension quartz has been followed for the fall distance driven (some 90ft), the first 50ft carrying very fair grade ore. From this point to the face the grade is rather lower, the value at 70ft being £1 6s 2d. The width of the reef is between 6ft and 7ft, with both walls exposed. Quartz is showing in the face, but the ore body is somewhat disturbed. On the Royal reef the drill west is 240 ft in from the point of intersection with the south-east, crosscut, and for the first 50ft driven nice sulphide ore was encountered. Thence on to within a few foot of the face the walls are irregular, the lode is more oilers disturbed, and the values erratic with average low. A few feet bark from the face, however, a marked improvement has come in, the ore here being of good grade with a strong body of sulphides showing over the greater part of the face and no sign of the footwall. Going east from the main crosscut the drive on the Royal has followed a disturbed zone, exposing short and intermittent runs of paying ore averaging from 30ft to 40ft in length. In the face, which is 170 ft east of the crosscut, a little quartz is in evidence, but this is low grade. A few feet in from the south-east crosscut a rise has been put up to connect with No. 9 winze which followed the lode down for rather more than 80ft to No. 5 level, and when tested by crosscut at that depth disclosed about 47ft _ of quartz, averaging £3 10s per ton. I he rise went up for over 40ft in country consisting of rock interlaced wirh quartz stringers, and then ran into good grade ore. Evidently the deterioration in the Royal for the distance followed at the sixth level, compared with the satisfying values and widths, both at No. 5 level and in the No. 9 winze, has largely accounted for the recent drop in share’ prices. The winze and rise have, however, shown that the sloping block between the levels will bo over 100 ft in height while a long stretch of tlfo lode remains to be explored in the bottom workings, more particularly on its eastern extension. The footwall branch of the Empire reef going west junctions with the main body about 300 ft in from the south-east crosscut, and has carried high grade ore all the way. At 250 ft this vein split, and the south section was followed in rich ore of an average width of 32ft for about 110 ft, at which point a second split occurred. Both branches are producing high grade dirt. The beating out of a leading slope on the footwall branch is in hand. On the Empire proper, going west, the pay ore extended about 360 ft, from the main crosscut, and the values then cut out. The average width of the block for sloping purposes is 6ft to 7ft, and a start has been made from alxuit. the centre of the run to beat out a leading slope. On its eastern end the- Empire has been driven upon for over 420 ft, and has carried pay dirt for

the whole distance, but t.he quartz in the face does not look so well as that a few feet further back. The best section of the lode is about 150 ft in length, the values in this portion being very good, and the lode about the width of the drive. At No. 5 level the only run of payable quartz met with on the Empire going east before the 900 ft winze was reached was under 100 ft in length. At present no development work is being carried out on the Republic (which so far as explored has shown a sloping block about 100 ft long) and Dominion reefs, which are on the south side of the main shaft at No. 6 level, or on the lodes north of the shaft, but operations will be commenced at certain points at a later period. The sinking of the main shaft is progressing, and the shaft is down about 25ft below-the chamber at No. 6 level. On the surface the extensive construction works, including additions to the popper and treatment plant, have now been completed, and the large now air compressor was given a trial run this afternoon, when it worked smoothly and satisfactorily. These additions have duplicated the power for general purposes, and so increased the capacity of tha treatment plant that a considerable increased tonnage of ore can be milled whenever the management may deem it expedient to increase the output.