14

C—3b

Southland. Pukerau Lignite-mine (C. O'Hagan).—(26/8/98): Mr. O'Hagan continues to work his mine in a satisfactory style. The bulk of the working-places are underground, but a little opencast work is also done where the cover is light. Eeport-book properly kept, and survey made. Dudley's Lignite-fit, Pukerau (J. D. Dudley).—(26/8/98) : Opencast work. Clay stripping fully 12 ft. thick, overlying 14 ft. of lignite. Mr. Dudley has a fair amount of lignite stripped in advance of requirements. Green's Pit, West Gore (J. Smyth).—(2s/8/98 :) Mr. Kenyon (who had leased this pit), having taken the management of "Walton Park Colliery, has disposed of his interest to Mr. Smyth, who owns an adjoining pit. Mr. Smyth is at present working Green's pit only, and contemplates an extension of the workings towards the dip. Places in good order, and well ventilated. Beportbooks and plan up to date. Rill's Lignite-pit Landslip, Waikaia (J. P. Hill). —(21/12/98) : In thickness and quality the lignite is variable. The face now shows a gross thickness of 16 ft., of which 10 ft. may be said to cover the saleable stuff. The stripping also is very thick, and consists of clayey gravels (with beds of sand and clay), carrying a little gold. Some old underground workings in the lignite are exposed. Altogether the place is worked in a very rough fashion, and at each visit I have cautioned the men at work as to the need for great care in guarding against accidents from falls of stripping. On the 6th instant Mr. Hill was fined £2 and costs for neglecting to furnish the statutory returns required by section 68 of " The Coal-mines Act, 1891." Argyle Goal-pit, Waikaia (J. B. Cosgrove).—(22/12/98) : Not working at present. The pit is in a very rough state, and apparently no lignite has been got for some months. Goldie's Pit Landslip, Waikaia (J. Goldie). —(21/12/98) : The working of lignite has not yet commenced. Some 50 ft. of gravels overlie the seam, and as these carry a little gold, groundsluicing has been first resorted to in order to strip the lignite, which will be worked opencast. Pyramids Goal-mine, Mandeville (A. Hunter). —(20/12/98): The seam here is approximately 18 ft. thick, with a dip of lin 2. About 9 J- ft. are worked. The entrance is by a cross-cut adit at the foot of a gully, the second outlet and return airway being at a place near the outcrop where a portion of the coal was worked opencast some years ago. The coal is strong and hard to get, a band of stone from 1 ft. to 3 ft. thick having to be worked out. The pit is in very fair order, and nicely ventilated. Two men employed. Sleeman's Neiu Pit (Waimumu Lignite-pit, Mataura). —(9/5/98) : Mr. Sleeman is getting his new pit into work. The drainage is effected by a tunnel which has been driven from the banks of the Mataura Eiver. This will allow of many years' work without the necessity of pumping. A good tramway has been laid and loading-banli erected. It is a characteristic of Mr. Sleeman to do things in a satisfactory style, and a pleasure to visit his mine, which is worked opencast. The gravel overlying the lignite is about 10 ft. thick. Bogside Coal-mine, Mataura (H. Brown). —(9/5/98): The dip-drive by which it was intended to open the mine has been abandoned, and the lignite is now worked by stripping off the surface, Towns's old pit (which is adjacent) being reopened for the purpose. Some 13 ft. of lignite is being worked. Above this is 7 ft. of gravel, and a very reasonable area is stripped in advance of the working-face. Pumping is done by a small duplex steam-pump worked in conjunction with the old water-wheel-driven pump in the part of the pit formerly worked by C. Towns. Beattie and Gosttr's Mine, Mataura. —(9/5/98) : The face of work is continued much on the same lines as at my previous visit, about 9 ft. of gravel being stripped off the top of the lignite. Some of this is auriferous, and possibly it might pay to dredge these flats for gold. Munro's Lignite-pit, Wyndham (E. Munro). — (24/8/98): An opencast pit on the township reserve, and adjacent to the Mataura Eiver. Lignite 5 ft. thick, overlaid by a sandy clay cover of some 10 ft. The pit is very subject to floods when the river is high. Stripping was in progress at my visit. McDonald's Pit, Ota Greek. — (24/8/98) : Adjoins Shields's, but is not now worked, except for private use. Messrs. Marshall and B. and A. Jones also take their requirements from the same pit. Ota Creek Lignite-pit, near Wyndham (W. Shields). —24/8/98: This pit is worked opencast, and presents the following section: Sandy clay, 1 ft. to 3 ft. ; gravel, 5 ft. to 7 ft.; lignite, 6 ft. : 6 ft. to 10 ft. of stripping. At present the whole of the above section is shown in one vertical face, all the lignite which was stripped during the slack season having been worked. It is the intention of Mr. Shields to strip a good area during the summer. Pine Bush Lignite-mine (J. D. Trotter). —(24/8/98) : This pit is situate about midway between Wyndham and Fortrose. It is worked opencast, from 4 ft. to 5 ft. of clay stripping overlying a face of lignite about 10 ft. thick. Stripping is kept fairly well in advance. Demand is quite limited. Graham's Lignite-mine, Fairfax. —(24/6/98): Mr. Graham continues to work his mine with every regard to safety. I surveyed his workings on this date. Heed's Morley Pit, Nightcaps. —(23/6/98): This pit is worked opencast, and a good area of ground is kept stripped in advance of the working-face. Nightcaps Colliery (John Lloyd, manager).—(23/6/98) : Accompanied by Mr. Lloyd, I inspected the entire colliery. In the dip-places the coal keeps about 10ft. thick; it is very much jointed, and needs great care in working. A good supply of timber is kept handy and used, and every attention appears to be paid to insure safety. Ventilation very good. At the leveltunnel workings (company's freehold) the present working-faces are in the middle portion of the seam, which is in three divisions, having an aggregate thickness of 38 ft. of coal, with 25 ft. to 30 ft. of bands. The coal is very strong, and requires blasting. Ventilation and general arrangements are well attended to.