MANAGERS' REPORTS

Thames Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 8324, 15 April 1896, Page 2

MANAGERS' REPORTS

HAZELBANK, The manager reports as fo'lows :— " The drive on the Young American lead at No. 1 level has been c'eaned up and repaired for a distance of 80 feet. For the last 50 feet we have bad a lead on the football, varying from 6 inches to one foot in thickness. The country encasing this lead is a'l that could be desired aud gold has been frequen iy seen iv b caking out the qu rtz. This drive holed to-day to a winze sunk from a level at the bottom of the Hazelbank shaf . This will give splendid ventilation and facilitate the working of tUs block. The lead we are working upon appears to be in the footwa 1 of this winze. Very little work has been done in the c ding stope during the week, the men being required in the drive. Driving on Ke ly's cad wept of the crosscut at No. Jleel is proceeding. The quartz contains a considerable amount of mineral and a though no picked stone has been obtained ,old has been freely seen distributed through the quartz broken out from here. Crushing will be commenced at the Moanitairi battery on Monday morning. — A3. Paul." OCCIDENTAL. The nianaaer reports :—" The drive on the cour-e of the Hague Smith reef has been advanced a distance of 61 feet from he crosscut During the week we have been cuting through a body of quartz stringers about 6ft wide which came in from the hangingwall. Some of these s ringers contain minerals of a very favourable character. Owing to the insufficiency of air to work to advantage during the last week or two I deemed it advisable to suspend driving operal ions both here and on the No. 1 leader for the present, and started to put a rise through to the surface, the distance required being about 84 feet. When this work is completed we shall then have a splendid opportunity of developing all the reefs and leaders in this vicinity. The rise now in progress is penetrating a good firm class of sandstone country inter mixed with quartz stringers, iv one o which good dabs of *old have been seen —Thos. Moyle." CAQ*}RIA. ■"^—

The manager rep >rts:—" The winze on tbe main reef is now about 14 feet. We are still carrying down a strong band of mineralised quartz, which has a very promising appearance, and would lead one to expect to meet with gold at any time. Ihe leader at No. 2 level not increasing in size, and not showing sufficient gold to warrant it payab'e, I hare discontinued work upon it. We are now prospecting upon a leader from the crosscut at No. 3 level, between Nos 6 and 7 leadersj and have seen a little gold.in the quartz, and as the drive advances eastward about 20 feet we will meet the break on which the best of the gold was got in No. 6 leader'; the chances are we will then get picked stone. We are still carrying on the stopes on No. 5 leader, with the hope of meeting with something payable. The quartz coming to hand at present is showing a little gold, and a few pieces of picked stone are also being i saved. — W. Bakeh." PURTJ CONSOLIDATED. I The manager reports :—" In submitting my report of the various works con* ducted in tbe mine during the past week, I may mention that in the extension of the No. 2 level, the country, though of a tight desciiption, is nevertheless of a kindly character for the existence of gold bearing lodes. 7ft have been driven he»-e for the week The south or No. I drive upon the llimu reef has been extended a further distance of 4ft for the week, and there the country surrounding the lode is of a light character. Still it is very kindly in appearance, and highly charged with pyrites. Gold continues to be seen through the lode, which maintains an average thickness of 2 feet 6 inches. The road is completed, and the two men engaged upon it will be occupied during this week excavating a place to load the horses when packing is commenced of the ores for trial treatment. When this is finished the two men will take ap their shift in the extension of the low level, which it is intended to push ahead with all possible speed. The County Council has called for tenders for repairs to the lower section of the road. —C, B. McWilliams." PURIRI. The manager reports:-—•• Since my last report we have extended the low level crosscut a further distance of five feet,thus making the total distance dri»en 189 feet, and yesterday we intersected a lode of quartz averaging about 6 iuches in thickness, and judging from the coime it is bearing I am of opinion that it is the No. 2 lode. '1 he quartz is of a kind y description, and a few colors of gold were seen. The country in which the.lode is encased is of a favorable class of sandstone, though of a tight nature for making headway. No. 4 leader;

J his drive has been advanced a further distance of 10 feet, thus making the total | distance on this lead 52 feet. The size of the lead is about 3 inches in thickness and the country through which the leader traverses is of a favorable description.— John Sullivan." VICTORIA. The manager reports:—" The western drive at No. 2 level was stopped for four days on account of the ventilation, but dr.vmg was again resumed this morning. A communication was effected with the winze that was being sunk from the No. I level, on Saturday. The air in this part of the mine is now all that could be desired. Stoping operations have been proceeded with eastward of the winze that was sunk from the surface drive. God was seen in the iead at this point in sinking the winze. It looks well, but I don't expect that anything of importance wili be met with until the stope is carried forward a dis'ance of 20 feet, or to the point where picked stone was obtained in the back of the old drive, as mentioned in my last reporr. The leading stope has been carried along the back of the No. I level from the crosscut. The lead looks promising, although it is somewhat split up. Still there is every appearance of it coming together as the stope advances. In the second af ope over the above-named level the lead continues to look fairly well. Gold is freely seen in the quartz as it is broken, and 10 bs of picked stone have been obtained during the week. As nothing of importance has been met with this week in the stope3 over the surface tunnel, I have removed the men that were working there to the No. 1 level. 1 »rushing is proceeding at Bull's battery. Jas. Coutts.