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at the railway, lias a capacity of 350 tons. The ventilation was carried out by means of a 35 in. " Sirocco " fan. The main heading was started and driven on a bearing of 220 degrees. Working-places were then opened out to the right and left of the main heading. Chester's Mine, Seddonville. —A small amount of pillar coal was produced from this mine during the year. Westport-MoTcihinui Mine (Mcintosh and Willman), Seddonville. —The flume and bin have fallen into a state of disrepair, and a considerable amount of work will require to be done before this mine can again be put on a producing basis. Hydro Goal Co., Ltd., Seddonville. —This company proposes to reopen the old State Mine at Seddonville, the portion which was previously worked by the Westport-Stateville Co-operative Party. Charming Creek - Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Ngakawau.—During January, 1935, the work of erecting a new suspension bridge across the Ngakawau River was undertaken. The work was completed on the 3rd February and coal-production was commenced. All the coal won during the year was from development work in the dip and main-heading sections of the mine. Winning-places were driven from the dip in a northerly and easterly direction. After driving approximately 8 chains to the north and 4 chains to the east, faulted ground was encountered. The seam was proved beyond the fault and a stone-drive was projected in an easterly direction along the line of the strike for a distance of li chains, and gave indications that the seam would be reached at an early date. Main Heading Section : The main heading was advanced for a distance of 8 chains, and continues ill good-quality coal 20 ft. in thickness. Winning-places, driven off the main heading in a southerly direction, met an upthrow fault of approximately 14 ft. running with the strike of the seam. The fault was pierced by a stone-drive 1J chains in length, the coal being of first-class quality. Plant: During the year, a work-shop was erected near the bins, and a lathe, boring-machine, and blacksmith's forge, together with a small steam-engine, were installed therein. The " Fordson " tractor on the upper portion of the railway-line leading from the mine-mouth to the sawmill was replaced by a steam locomotive. Westportmain Mine (Westport-Granity Goal-mines, Ltd.), Granity.—A small amount of repair work was undertaken during the year. An amount of 36 tons of coal was won from the mine during the early part of the year, and mining operations were then abandoned. Westport-Cascade Mine, Cascade Creek.—ln the stone-drive section on the south-eastern boundary of the lease, a pair of levels Were driven north-westerly in hard coal. An attempt is being made to work the coal lying to the east and below the creek-bed, but as the system of sluicing the coal from the working-face will not allow development to the dip, this work is being retarded. In Moynihan's section (upper section) the solid work is nearing completion, and approximately 6 acres of coal have been left standing in pillars. In Durkin's section the levels, after having been driven a distance of 8 chains, were stopped adjacent to the gravel-beds and pillar-extraction was commenced. Practically the whole of the solid work has been completed in this mine. Coal-production in future will be mainly from pillar extraction. Westport Goal Co., Ltd., Denniston Mines. —Ironbridge Mine —Solid Workings : In Garing's dip section the two headings being driven in a north-easterly direction were advanced a further 2 chains, where they were stopped owing to the "coal dipping. Eight pairs of men were engaged in this section until July, when it was stopped owing to trade conditions. The coal was of good quality and appeared to be improving. No. 2 Section : Four to five pairs of miners were employed on pillar-extraction, the coal being approximately 9 ft. in thickness. No. 4 Section : Since July, three pairs of men have been employed cleaning up roads and splitting pillars in an endeavour to reach the inbye end of the section, from which it is proposed to extract the pillars. Towards the end of the year only eight pairs of men were employed in coal-winning in the Ironbridge Mine. Deep Creek Mine : About eleven pairs of men were engaged on pillar-extraction in this section until July, when the mine was reorganized to meet trade conditions and work was stopped. Towards the end of the year a water-drive 4 chains in length was put in to drain the water from the lower portions of this mine. The mine is now water-free. Coalbrookdale Mine—Solid Work Whareatea Extended Section : Four pairs of men were employed in Wiseman's dip section on development work. The coal is fairly hard and about 9 ft. in thickness. The country is irregular and the progress made has been slow. At the end of the year 2 chains of driving remained to be completed, the coal thinning and dipping. Whareatea Section —Waterloo Section: Eleven pairs of men were engaged in these sections opening up panels. The coal is fairly hard and of good quality, the thickness varying from 7 ft. to 16 ft. Pillar Work, Openshaw's Section : Three pairs of men were employed principally in dropping tops in bords along the boundary pillars. Part of the pillars was left behind owing to a branch of the Whareatea Creek passing overhead. Whareatea Extended Section : Nine pairs of men were continually engaged on pillar-extraction throughout the year. Cascade Section: During the year five to six pairs of men were engaged extracting the pillars in this section. The intermittent working of the mine caused a considerable amount of coal to be lost. To minimize creep, the use of heavy chock props has been resorted to. In many cases tops in the bords were dropped and worked out several years back, making the work of pillar-extraction difficult. A pair of men were employed driving a heading in a north-easterly direction towards an area of coal left behind when No. 8 fire was sealed off. Westport Coal Co., Ltd., Millerton Mine. —Coal-winning operations were confined during the greater portion of the year to the partial extraction of pillars in the third and fifth west sections of the Mine Creek Mine, Millerton Colliery. The southern portion of the sixth west section, adjacent to the fire area, was opened up during the latter part of the year for coal-production, the section being divided into two panels, each being enclosed by a line of concrete-block stoppings for protection in the event of spontaneous heating occurring during the process of working. All pillars are robbed instead of being extracted. Reasonably sized pillar stumps are left in to prevent a cave-in to the surface where the cover is pnly 80 ft. to 100 ft. in thickness. Slight evidence of heating in two cases was found during the year, but was controlled by means of water sprayed on the parts affected. Water-pipes are laid throughout t-'he working sections, and water under pressure can be quickly obtained. An electric-power transmission-line is being constructed from the Denniston power plant to provide electric .current for the ventilating of the mine. The old steam plant driving the fan is to be replaced by a5O horse-power motor. The current will be transmitted from Denniston to Granity at 11,000 volts, and thence to Mine Creek at 3,300 volts. It is estimated that the work will be completed in four months. Eleven men out of a total of eighty men are engaged in the construction of concrete stoppings and the inspection of the mine to prevent outbreaks of five. The management have imported and are endeavouring to popularize the use of hard hats. Westporl-Stockton Coal Co., Ltd., Ngakawau.—Development work was confined to the new east and southwest areas. In the south-west area difficult and friable ground was met with. Development work was then stopped and pillar-extraction commenced in July. In the new east section, the solid work in No. 2 panel has been completed. In order to develop a new area near Mount William Range, a dip heading had been commenced. In the old east and west areas operations were confined solely to pillar-extraction. Plant: A new haulage roadway was completed in the new east section. The power plant was maintained in good condition and a considerable amount of repairs were carried out in respect to the bins, loco, track, tunnels, and transmission-lines. Seventy new mine trucks at a cost of £20 each were added to the rollingstock. The erection of concrete stoppings throughout the mine was continued, approximately £2,000 having been spent on this work. Watson's Mine, Karamea. —An outcrop 10 ft. in thickness was exposed adjacent to the main road. The overburden was stripped and coal-production was commenced in the opencast workings.

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