C—3.

Empire, 42,420 tons; Edward, 36,108 tons; Regina, 14,944 tons; No. 2 Reef, 2,089 tons; Alexandra, 1,289 tons; Albert, 731 tons. The total tonnage crushed—4l6,Bl3 tons —exceeds that of the previous year by 23,599 tons. The product was 1,224,052 oz. of bullion, exclusive of concentrating scrapings, concentrates, slag, and slag tailings and Victoria Mill scrapings, which were shipped. A total of 6,339*5 tons of concentrates was treated during the year in the con-centrates-treatment plant at the Victoria Mill, producing bullion to the amount of 399,462 oz., valued at £169,178 ss. sd. Gas-electric Pumping Plant. —The power-station is erected at No. 5 shaft, and accommodates two 370 brake horsepower Crossley- gas-engines each direct coupled to Siemens dynamos, working on a direct current circuit of 550 volts. Two Crossley producer plants are also installed. The pumps are being erected at No. 4 shaft, one at the No. 6 level (535 ft. from the surface), and one at the No. 9 level (1,000 ft. from the surface). They are built by Hathorn, Davey, and Co., and are of the horizontal three-throw type (ram), fitted with special valves for dealing with dirty and gritty water. They are gear-driven by variable speed motors. The capacity of each pump is 1,500 gallons per minute. Ihe gas-engines are so arranged that when not in use for pumping they will drive the existing air-compressing plant and supply power to the Waihi Mill. Reduction-works. —The tonnages crushed at the three mills, together with the totals crushed during 1908, were respectively as follows :— Waihi Mill (90 stamps and average of 8*56 tube 1909. 1908. mills running full time) ... ... ... 119,065 116,570 Victoria Mill (200 stamps and average of 7*39 tube mills running full time) ... ... ... 27.*!,917 249,293 Union Mill (40 stamps and one tube mill started during August) ... ... ... ... 23,831 27,351 Totals ... ... ... 416,813 393,214 The increased tonnage for the year thus amounts to 23,599 tons. The total average number of stamps running during the year, exclusive of Sundays and the period at Christmas during which the mills ware stopped, was 314253 out of 330 stamps. The total average duty per stamp per diem was 4*492, representing an increase of 0*325 ton per stamp compared with the previous year. The respective figures for the past live years are as follows : 1905, 3124 tons daily duty per stamp; 1906, 3*504 tons daily duty per stamp; 1907, 3*794 tons daily duty per stamp; 1908, 4*l 67 tons daily duty per stamp; 1909, 4*492 tons daily duty par stamp. Waihi Mill (ninety stamps and four tube mills): Two ferro-concrete agitator-vats, 13 ft. diameter, 55 ft. high, have lieen erected to cope with the increased slimes. The wheel of the vertical turbine, being badly worn, has been replaced with a new one. A new horizontal vacuum pump, made at the Victoria Mill workshops, has been erected and brought into use. The dam at the head of Waihi low-pressure race was repaired. The wings have been raised, and some new supports put in. The by-wash around it has been enlarged, which will relieve the stress upon the dam in time of flood. As a standby for driving the various dynamos, a steam-engine not-in use at Victoria Mill has been transferred to Waihi Mill. In order to use surplus power from the mine electric plant when not required for pumping, it will be transmitted to the Waihi Mill. The total rainfall for the year 1909 amounted to 104*45 in., being 22*96 in. above the average for the past ten years. Victoria Mill (200 stamps and ten tube mills): Ten more tall steel conical-bottom agitatorvats have been elected and brought into use. The vacuum plant for removing surplus water from the slimes before oyaniding has been erected and brought into use, enabling a reduction to be made in the amount of cyanide used in the slime treatment. A Pelton wheel has been erected to drive the vanner plant whan water is available in the wet season. By using a mixture of scrap, wrought, and cast steel stamp-dies giving satisfactory results are now being cast. Producer-gas and Tubemill plant: This plant has run satisfactorily. A third producer unit has been erected and brought into use, and a 250-horse-power tandem engine is being erected at the tube-mill plant with three more tube mills. A water scrubbing tower has been added to the producer plant to still further clean the gas before it enters the mains. Union Mill (forty stamps and one tube mill since August): During the year the mill was stopped for twenty-five days for alterations and repairs. One of our standard-pattern tube mills has been installed, and is working well. A new elevator-wheel of larger capacity has been erected on the site of the old one. The main shafting has been replaced with a larger size, in order to drive the tube mill. All launders have been overhauled and replaced with new ones where necessary. The vertical turbine has been repaired, and better arrangements fitted to carry the weight of vertical spindle, which gave some trouble in the past, owing to the large quantity of tailings in the water. A Martin filter-press for the slimes when cyanided ami a Johnson filter-press for dewatering the pulp have been brought from the Victoria Mill, erected, and brought into use. Hydro-electric Plant. —A license has been granted by the New Zealand Government to the company to generate up to 10,000-horse power at the Hora-Hora Rapids, on the Waikato River, and to transmit the same to Waihi, a distance of fifty-one miles. Plans are being prepared so that work can be commenced as soon as possible. Waihi Grand Junction Gold Company (Limited). The following is a short report of the operations carried on during the year : — No. 1 Shaft. —Preparations are being made for sinking to No. 6 level, the intention being to instal a stationary electric sinking pump at No. 5 level for raising the water to the Cornish

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