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C—3a

are frequent on the property, and two of these are being driven on to north and south side of main gully. The main south level is 5 chains to the face in coal all the way, bords being broken away to right and left, and an air-drive for return being driven to daylight. The seam is giving off water heavily. Fortunately the mine is self-draining. (12/12/1902), (H. C. Longstaff, manager; C. E. Twining, supervising engineer) : Main south level driven 9 chains ; seam practically level ; roof being jointed; props are regularly set in bords. The north level, which is driven about 1 chain to the face, is standing at present. Boring operations are being conducted up main gully, eastward of present workings. The branch railway-line is completed, and the loading-bank is being erected. Kaitangata Colliery, Kaitangata (G. H. Broome, manager).—(ll/2/1902 and 13/2/1902) : Airvolume at intake, 21,600 cubic feet per minute. McDougall's heading section : Robbing being well conducted. Air good. No. 4 dip section : North-going places stopped on No. 6 fault. In five places roof bad, and timber kept well up to the faces. No. 3 dip workings finished and winch removed. No. 2 dip section : Working-places, return airway, and main return airway to furnace, all in good order. No. 2 heading : Return becoming small, but owing to the angle at which No. 6 fault lies there is only a small corner of coal left to work out. (10/4/1902): Air at intake, 18,980 cubic feet per minute. McDougall's section : Robbed back to within half a chain from wheel. Drum-level section reopened ; also Penman's heading, where eight men are working on pillars. No. 1 heading : Four men on pillars. No gas. No. 2 heading: Four men. A little gas in Gribben's place. No. 4 dip : Drawing pillars on both sides of the dip. No. 2 dip : All on safety lamps, a blower of gas and water having been struck in the low level. Ventilation: Air warm in pillars in McDougall's section, otherwise fair throughout the mine. Timber: Adequate supply throughout, but required closer to faces in several instances. The fire behind brick stopping on main haulageroad is warming up at the old place, and is to be opened and watered to-night. (13/6/1902) : A new cabin has been constructed on the main stone drive for deputies' use. McDougall's section now robbed back to the top of the heading. This work has been successfully conducted, but not without difficulties inseparable from winning the utmost from expiring workings. On careful computation it is estimated that about 85 per cent, of coal in this section had been extracted, a creditable record when it is considered that the seam averaged 30 ft. in thickness. The strong nature of the roof and the softening floor causing "heave" facilitated extraction of remnants of pillars. Large quantities of black damp generated (the product of incipient combustion) were retained by successive rows of stoppings which had been put in at regular intervals. Roof and floor now meet throughout the district robbed. A contract having been let, the stonedrive extension to crosscut the measures eastward is now being prosecuted, present intention being to cut Nos. 5 and 6 faults. No. 4 dip workings clear of gas. No. 6 dip has been started to win a patch of main seam to the dip of stone drive. Main return airway at No. 2 heading requires attention, otherwise airway to furnace in fair order. Brick wall cool, having been partially renewed by ash stopping. (17/6/1902) : No. 2 dip : Blower decreasing in force, but water now a steady flow, and is no doubt the growth from shaft-workings. Gas making off soft and faulty coal at faces up against No. 2 fault. Air stoppings required on top level to force whole of current available round the faces of the working-places. J. Gadsby, miner, having inadvertently passed a lamp-station notice with a naked light on his head, the mine-manager subsequently laid an information for breach of Special Rule 74, when Gadsby, who pleaded guilty, was convicted, and mulcted in costs 7s. McDougall's heading section : Stopping on heading just finished, and the section now completely stopped off. North-section pillars on level being brought back. I could not find gas, but, it being occasionally reported, only safety lamps are being used. An ash stopping required at disused stables return to prevent loss of air by leakage. Owing to the comparatively large number of eye accidents from proud or flying coal, causing septic poisoning, the management have provided rectangular gauze protectors, about 6 in. by 5 in., to protect the eyes and faces of workmen ; mesh equals 64 per square inch, bound with soft leather at bottom and top, and having tapes for fastening to cap or head. These protectors are served out by the deputies, and when not in use are hung on a prop convenient to the face. (18/6/1902) : No. 2 dip : Stoppings having been put in top level, body of air now confined to circuit. Working-faces all clear of gas, which, as it makes, is diluted and conducted direct to the return. Examined north side, No. 2 heading districts, and return airway, which requires attention in places. A new underground magazine for explosives has been made at a convenient point off the main stone drive. (5/8/1902) : Air at intake, 22,680 cubic feet per minute. McDougall's section finished; stoppings in, and now drawing pillars in the heading. North side : -Nos. 1 and 2 headings will be finished this week and stopped off. All men on safety lamps in this section. No. 4 dip : Only three men now working in the bottom bord. Return airway from north side in fair order, two repairers being at work. The main return airway to furnace requires, and is receiving, attention. An explosives-magazine has been erected on the hillside, well away from the mine-mouth. Detonators are kept stored on the surface in a separate magazine. (2/7/1902) : No. 2 dip workings clear of gas and in good working-order. No. 4 dip: Air dull in bottom bord. (27/8/1902) : Air at intake, 21,600 cubic feet per minute. No. 2 dip: The coal in- this district has ever been soft, and considerable waste resulted. Working-bords are now stopped off, and a few hard-coal pillars are being brought homeward. North section : Nos. 1 and 2 headings are stopped off at bottom. No. 4 dip : The last of the pillars are being taken out. Return airways in good order, having been recently cleaned up. (4/9/1902) : No. 2 dip : The only men working here were drawing plant. No. 4 dip nearly finished, only two stumps of pillars left. Air fair. No. 2 dip : Bottom level cut off by rising water. Three pairs of men splitting pillars near the roadside. (2/10/1902) : Air at intake, 20,250 cubic feet per minute. McDougall's heading section finished. Penman's heading section : Only two pairs of men working on pillars. Air warm, but no gas. North section : Pillars on roadside being brought rapidly back ; all stop-