29

C.—2

AiNNEXUKK A SUMMARY OF REPORTS J!V INSPECTORS OF MINES. Northers Inspection District (Mr, M. Paul, Inspector ol' Mines). Quartz-mining. waihi borough. Waihi Gold-mining Company (Limited). —The following are the particulars of the principal development works carried out in this mine during the year: — No. 12 level below the collar of the No. 4 siiatt) : About the end of November this level was unwatered for the first time since 191.7. Air-pipes have been put in the drive on the Dreadnought lode, and also m the north-west crosscut. No. 12 level (1,447 A ft. below the collar of the No. J shaft) : About the end of November this 69ft. from the south branch ol' the Martha lode, and at 28 ft. the north section of the Empire lode was intersected and proved to he 25 ft. wide, worth £1 LBs. 6d. per ton. Driving east on the Empire lode was then continued tor 233 ft. with the following results: At 50ft., lode 15ft. wide mixed with country rock, value 1.65. Bd. per ton; at 100 ft., lode 15 ft. wide, value 10s. 9d. pei' ton; at .1.27 ft., lode \ ft. wide, value £1 10s. Id. per ton; at 213 ft., lode 2 ft. wide, value ■ is. 9d. per ton. On driving west for 107 ft. from Lion crosscut values varying from £2 18s. lOd. to is. Bd. per ton were found up to 80 ft. west, while crosscuts at 50 ft. and 1.00 ft. showed the reef to he 23 ft. and Bft, wide, with ore averaging Ids. LOd, and 16s. Bd. per ton respectively. Fast of Pistol north-west crosscut the level was driven 59 ft., and at 50ft, the lode is 15 ft. wide, mixed with country rock; value, Is. 4d. per ton. No. 10 level: Tire Soldier's crosscut, which is situated 444 ft. north of No. 4 shaft, has been advanced 215 ft., and ai, 197 ft. the north section of the Empire lode was met; width, 10 ft.; value, £1 9s. Bd. per ton. For 80 I'l. east along the level the values vary from 7s. Id. to £3 l-'ls. lOd. per ton, and Ihe lode is payable. West of Soldier's crosscut the level was driven 47 ft.. hui the ore met, varying from ss. Id. to ,£1 6s. sd. per ton, was not payable. West of Cow crosscut 185 ft. of driving disclosed values varying from 4s. sd. to .£1 10s. lod., and this ore is too low-grade to be payable. Martha lode: Fast of Cow crosscut the level has been widened lo II I'l. on the south side from a point 32 ft. east I'ot a. distance ol' 50 i'l. In effecting a connection between a point at 40ft, in Cow south-east crosscut and the south side of the level on the Martha lode some Oft. of payable quartz with values averaging £3 10s. per ton was found. No, 9 level (Ulster reef): This reel' was driven upon for 90ft., the lode varying in width from 1 ft. to 5 ft. and the values from 17s. 6d. to .£2 12s. per ton. Empire lode: Power north-west crosscut was extended 9-1 ft., and at 87ft. the north section of the Empire lode was met ; width 5 ft., and values £1 12s. per ton. On driving east for 57 ft. irregular values varying from £4 7s. to Is. 9d, per ton over a width of 2s. ft. to 5 ft. were met. Alexandra lode : A new shrinkage block has been timbered east and west of Rata rise. No. 8 crosscut: Horse crosscut was extended 118 ft., and at 96 ft. the north branch of Ihe Martha lode was intersected, having a width of 9 ft. and value of .£1 9s. 6d. per ton. No. 6 level : Marson crosscut, situated at 85 ft. east of No. 6 shaft, was driven upon for 21 I'l. At 10ft. the north section of the Martha lode was met —width Oft. and value £2 6s. per ion -and upon driving on this reef for 39 ft. the reel' averaged 3 ft. to 6 ft., carrying values ranging from £1 7s. 9d. to .£3 Is. per ton. The south-east drive on H reef was extended 82 ft., the reef varying from 3 ft. to 5 ft. wide, and the value from Bs. 4d. fo £1 15s. Od. per ton. This drive will enable two small payable blocks on the Empire and Albert lodes to be more readily mined. No. 5 level: The north branch of the Martha lode has been driven upon for 80ft., the last 40 ft. showing payable ore mixed with boulders of country. Waihi Grand Junction Gold-mining Company. —No. 1 main shaft: The pumping compartment was sunk through country rock and quartz of no value, making the total deptli below the surface 1,401 ft. The presence of quartz and calcite grit, in the water caused considerable delay in sinking, owing lo the electric pumps being' almost continuously under repair. A lotal of 70.391,358 gallons of water was pumped to the surface during tin' year. The excavation of a new pumping-chamber ami water-cistern ai No. 8 level is well advanced. When this work is completed the electric stationary pumps at No. 7 level will be removed and installed at No. 8 level. This should enable the sinking-pumps lo cope with the present influx of water for at least another .150 ft. No. 8 level (1,320 ft.): The drive on the lode in the main north-west crosscut, 17 ft. from the shaft-chamber, was advanced 34ft., making a total distance ol' 212 ft. The average value over width of 53 in. was Is. sd. per ton. Empire lode: The drive east was continued 141 ft. in country rock and now measures 1,008 ft. The crosscut at 735 ft. east was advanced 72 ft. The first 57 ft. was through country rock and calcite veins of no value; from 57ft. to 02ft.. quartz valued at £1 4s. Od. per ton; From 02 ft. to 72 ft., country rock. The crosscut at 1,000 ft. east was extended 5 ft. north and 92 ft. south. Prom the main drive to 33ft. south there is country rock, At 33it. a vein of quartz 18 iii. wide was passed through ; value. Is. 7il. per lon. The crosscut was continued in country rock until the foolwall of the Empire lode was intersected, which assayed 3s. 9d. per lon for a width of 15 ft. On breaking out to ihe south wall in preparation for stoping from 470 ft.