CROWN PRINCESS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2114, 13 October 1875, Page 2

CROWN PRINCESS.

The coatnietora for sinking the main > •haft in jthis mine bfre lost no time is ) patting 4t -down, the required depth, having been one month going down the 70 feet, tize of shaft being 11 feet by 6, exclude of timber. Bj*Friday" the contract willJbfPCompleted, when it is intended to open out for a chamber, and fix up the lßt.and.2nd sets previous to) placing the skids in position. In the ' meantime the rope 4 ply by 2 <(«npplied from Neil Lloyd's factory, Auckland), will be spliced, enabling the cages to be brought from the bottom or 325 feet le>iel;" ten' feet in ore * beifft* sunk as a well hole. Drives will then be put in on. No. 2' and No. 3 reefs, the two winzes on the former being „down respectively 39 and 45 feej;, and on -the latter 13 feet. In sinking the winies the reefs have fully maintained their size, and the quality may be inferred from the fact of 3 cwt of picked stone coming to hand, which will assist to.swell, the yield from the present crushing now going on at the old Bright Smile mill. The contractors for the tramway t acro^ Pollen street have reared the necessary timbers with platform, and it is anticipated that in one weekv the, new'ballast ground will be available, and be the means of saving the charges at present incurred in carting' aw,ay the mullock, besides affording the desired room within the company's j'ard for stowage of coals, timber, and performing necessary surface work. The mine is in good order, and so arranged- that before the supply is beat out from the pre-ent level, the new one will be ready to operate upon; and it promises to be. superior, judging from the indications in the three winzes. Other winzes will be put down, but need not be started until farther progress has been made- The greatest difficulty the manager, Mr Daniel, has had ti) contend with, .is the gas ; this to be carried off rapidly, has necessited considerable dead-work, in breaking down and connecting the several workings by cross-cuts introducing a sufficient volume of air,. ; which by judicious arrangement of doors, and centreing, forces the current down'the winzes, and carries the noxious vapour through j the etopes and passes to the surface. j