49

C.—2

Idaburn Pit. —There was considerable decrease in the output from this pit compared with the previous year. Oturehua Pit.—Another opencast pit for local supplies. St. Balkan's Pit.—This pit, near the main traffic road between Oturehua and St. Bathan's, continues to be worked for local purposes and the overburden of gravel used for remetalling the road. Cambrian Pit.—A small output was produced and used at St. Bathan's during the year. Alexandra Mine. —Pillars are still being extracted on the east side of the dip. Slight signs of heating were showing in the goaf early in the year, but subsided later. The heaving floor near the fault caused much repair work to be done. It is the intention of the new manager to drive a crosscut from the main dip, above the fault, towards the return airway, thus avoiding the locality where the heaving floor occurs. Mcpherson's Pit.—The stripping is still being done by an hydraulic jet, and it is kept fairly well ahead. The coal is now being won from nearer the traffic-road than formerly. Shepherd's Creek Mine.—Pillar-extraction proceeding satisfactorily. Three miners are still employed there. Cardrona Pit.—The large slip which occurred during 1924 was not cleared away, so no coal was produced during the year. Nevis Crossing Pit.—Another opencast pit for local requirements, from which the customary output was maintained. Doolan's Creek Mine (near Gibbston). —The main level going south-east has been driven 38 yards, and several places broken off east and west. The second place on the west side was stopped at 16 yards, as it was in very troubled ground. Indications of this fault are also showing at the face of the main level. Dirty coal was met on the east side when only 11 yards in, so these places were also stopped. A new drive will shortly be commenced about 3 chains west of the present main level, and will therefore be on the other side of the fault recently met. The output is still being conveyed by drays to the top of the Gibbston Saddle. Anderson's Mine, Gibbston.—-This party has abandoned the prospecting-drive put in on the east side of Deep Creek. They have driven 3 chains into the hill on the west side of the creek. After driving about 2 chains in soft country the coal was struck, which at first was fairly hard, but the lower part of the seam proved soft and friable. At the face there is about a foot of hard coal near the roof, but the remainder of the seam is still soft. The party now intend to sink a few feet, and if unsuccessful they will surrender the coal lease. Fernhill Mine. —A few of the remaining pillars were extracted early in the year; but, the mine becoming unprofitable, it was closed down in May last. Freeman's Mine.—The life of this long-established mine is quickly coming to a close. The heated area is now giving no trouble, as it is well in the goaf. Jubilee Mine. —The pillars in the old mine are almost exhausted. In the new mine the main dip heading met dirty coal with a soft roof and floor. Eighteen inches from the floor there is an 18 in. band of stone with about 4 ft. of coal above. Much water was met, and later chains down from the surface the drive closed. A crosscut, going about due east, is now being driven at an angls of 40 degrees from the main heading. This crosscut has not yet reached the soft country, which it may be unable to cross. Another level drive has been commenced further west and is in 40 yards, but no coal has yet been struck there. The drive is now being deflected to the east to more quickly cross the measures. Burnwell Mine.—The pillars were exhausted, and the mine closed down during October. Willoivbank Mine.—The working of the upper seam, which continued soft, was stopped and a new dip driven in the lower seam going to the south-east. This seam is 9 ft. in thickness, and 2 ft. of top coal is left on for a roof. The grade gradually lessened, and the drive was level for a couple of chains, but the coal is now dipping at a grade of lin 7. The places are all driven narrow, and timbered where required. Only a narrow area of coal can be worked from this dip, as on the left is a large downthrow fault running almost parallel to and about a chain from the dip. On the right side the coal is clean, and the area is gradually widening from the old workings. Mosgiel Mine. —The main heading was driven about 4 chains in coal containing many clay backs. A good deal of water came through from Sneddon's old mine, and, the coal continuing thin and of poor quality, it was decided to remove the plant and abandon the mine on the Bth August. Brighton Mine.—A "creep" developed in the higher workings, so the pillars are now being worked back. The mine-water which formerly drained away through the old workings now lodges at the bottom of the dip. Waronui Mine. —The coal in the north-east level in the old mine gradually thinned and became more stony, so work ceased in that section. In the west section the coal became cleaner and better. Owing to the very treacherous roof all the places are driven not more than 7 ft. in width, and sets are being used in most of them. A new level has been driven in stone into the old upper-seam workings. This level, 850 ft. in length, has passed through a lot of very heavy ground, necessitating close timbering. From this drive it is intended to work many pillars left in the former workings. Crichton Mine.—The owner of this small mine has driven a pair of levels to the rise and north-west of the old Crichton workings. The main level is in about 3 chains, and a connection has been made to the old workings. The places are about 6 ft. wide and 7 ft. high. The coal is finding a ready sale locally. Taratu Mine. —Shaft Section : As reported elsewhere, the underground fire again broke out on the 2nd January. It was later decided to permit the water to rise in the workings and then seal the outlets. Barclay's section : On the west side the places were stopped early in the year owing to the inferior coal met in the vicinity of a3O ft. upthrow fault. Work was resumed there later, but the coal continued soft, and the places were again stopped. Owing to a fire from Barclay's old mine (sealed off four years ago) breaking through much work had to be done. As much of the coal as possible was taken out adjacent to the basalt dyke near the mine-entrance. The coal was replaced by fine gravel and sand to form an incombustible barrier. The dip to the east is approaching a gully, and it is anticipated that the coal will be faulted and of inferior quality there. Six places are now being worked in that section. Pillaring in the central area was completed, and that section has been effectively sealed off. Near the mine-entrance and north of the dyke a hand bore was put down towards the end of the year. Two of the " shaft " seams were pierced—the upper one 13 ft. thick at a depth of 130 ft., and the middle seam 17 ft. thick at 145 ft. Another short bore was also put down 14 chains to the north-east of the other one and to the dip thereof. At a depth of 24 ft. a 22 ft. seam of coal was pierced. The bore was then stopped. To further prospect this area a shaft will shortly be sunk about 5 chains to the north-east of the deeper hole. This shaft can later be used for a return airway. From the foot of the surface jig to the screening plant an endless-rope haulage has been installed which displaces two horses. Reversal of the air-current has been arranged by means of doors near the fan. Tuakitoto Mine. —A considerable amount of development-work was done during the year, and there is now a fair area of clean workable coal on the east side of the dip. A shaft 40 ft. in depth has been sunk for a return airway, and the natural ventilation is now good. Kaituna Mine.—The small output for the year was obtained chiefly from pillar-extraction. On the east side a level was driven below the pillared ground. The mine changed ownership twice during the year, being sold by the liquidator of the Kaituna Coal Company to Messrs. Smaill and Kelly during May. They sold it to Mr. T. Gage, on the Ist December. Kaidale Mine. —Some pillar coal was won early in the year, but- since April no work has been done. KoAbrook Mine.—Pillar-extraction was continued during the year. At the mine-entrance the timbers had to be renewed owing to a large slip which was caused by the heavy rains in July. Kaitangata No. 1 Mine.—During the year the output was obtained from pillar-extraction in No. 1 seam section and in Stanniford's dip section, and from solid work in the No. 3 seam section. A good area of coal having been proven in No. 3 seam section, which is now almost in line directly ahead of the main haulage-road but at a lower level, a stone tunnel was driven from the face of the main haulage-road for a distance of 300 ft. and at a grade of lin 4. This has considerably shortened the haulage from the section. The main level going north, which is in over 26 chains from the stone drive, has been stopped. There were pronounced signs of heating during October at the bottom of Stanniford's dip, and stoppings were put in to seal off this area of pillared ground. Stone tunnels to connect the Nos. 1 and 2 Mines are being driven in both mines. That in the No. 1 Mine goes to the south from the main haulage-road at a spot 37 chains from the mine-entrance. When connected they will considerably assist the ventilation of the north side of the No. 2 Mine, and also permit of the output from the north side of the No. 4a seam of the No. 2 Mine being conveyed to the surface by the shorter route through the No. 1 Mine.

7—C. 2.