OUR COAL MEASUEES.

Colonist, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6067, 23 March 1891, Page 4

OUR COAL MEASUEES.

Mb M'Kay, assistant geologist, has been engaged for the past fortnight in examining the Mokihinui watershed of the lower part of Jhe. river from the western side. The result, so far, has been very satisfactory, showing, as anticipated by previous flying surveys, that the Buller coalfield extends very widely in that direction. _ The works now opened by the Mokihinui Goal Company give the starting point, and it is found that there is, to commence with, a S2ft seam, and underlying this two other, seams from 10ft to 12ft each. Prom that the coal, which lies on uiidulatinglied; rises gradually and in unDroken* strata, through the Mokihinui Company's lease, and thence to the south-ward, that is in the direction of the present workings at Coalbrookdale. The greater part oi the coal in this field can thus be brought down to the railway level free. It is difficult to ever-estimate the value of this coalfield to the Colony. It will be sufficient to know that the area cf coalbearing Government land thus connected with the Mokihinui— besides the leases held by the Mokihinui, the Cardiff, and Moynihan's Companies — is estimated to be 7,000 acres. Taking the contents at only Byds deep of coal, instead of 14yds — which is shown in the Mokihinui Company's workings at Coal Creek— the acreage referred to contains, at a rough estimate, one hundred and one million tons of coalThat is wealth indeed, and the knowledge thai such a store, as this has been laid fey nature proves that the coal measures of the Buller are more than sufficient to develop an enormous trade in the future. In addition, there are the properties under lease both at Mokihinui and elsewhere on the field, which would add probably another hundred million tons. Finally, there is large area both in the centre of the fiejd and east of the Mokihinui which hal been very little explored, but is known to be coal-bearing country, — 1 Westport News-'