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ANNEX LIKE A.

SUMMARY OF REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF MINES. NORTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (E. J. Scoble, Inspector of Mines). Quartz-mining. Martha Gold-mining Co. (Waihi), Lid, (W. Morrison, Manager).—.No. 15 level: This is only used for water storage in connection with pumping, the water-level being kept just below No. 14 level. No. 14 level: From Trout' block on the Edward lode 10,771 tons of ore were drawn. Work is being continued. Trucking of broken ore from Gin block on the Martha lode was completed towards the end of the year. No. 13 level: A small tonnage of ore was taken from Cow block on the Martha lode. No. 12 level: A total of 27,080 tons of broken ore was won from drives and shrinkage stopes on this level and on intermediate levels between it and No. 11. Bomb East block was opened up on the Dreadnought lode by driving eastward at 30ft. below No. II level, and the ore has now been stoped up to the floor of the latter. The lode was also tested for a distance of 79J ft. westward from Bomb block, but is not payable. No. 11 level : A total of 13,932 tons was won from work on. this level and intermediate levels between same and No. 10. Investigation of a block of ground on the, Edward lode, known as Roach block, is taking place. Shrinkage stoping proceeded in Pike block on the Edward lode and was carried up to the floor of No. 10 level at the south end, an areh of 15 ft. being left at the northern end. No. 10 level : A total of 20,407 tons of ore was won from work at this level and intermediate levels up to No. 8. A large block of ore on the Royal lode westward from No. 5 shaft south-east crosscut, known as Dragon block, is being investigated. The top of the block, as exposed at No. 8 level, measures 340 ft. in, length of payable ore, the width at that level ranging from 21 ft. to 27 ft. On No. 9 level there is a length of 140 ft. of payable ore at the eastern end, and stoping operations will be commenced here. Payable ore may be found to extend westward as work continues upwards. A considerable amount of development work was carried out in the footwall of the Martha lode in the neighbourhood of No. 6 shaft at 70 ft. above No. 9 level, preliminary to caving operations being put in hand. A footwall gangway was driven for 279 ft., and crosscuts taken across to the lode itself. A shaft chamber has been opened up at this intermediate level. No. 8 level : A total of 03,361 tons of ore was won from this level and points between Nos. 8 and 7 by caving, stoping, and development work. Martha caving area: This block comprises remnants of old stopes, arches, and pillars of the Martha lode, and is the biggest single supplier of good payable ore left in the mine. The total output from this ground for the year under review was 53,122 tons, equivalent to 24 per cent, of the total mine output. The ore is worked from footwall gangways and crosscuts at No. 8 level and at three intermediate levels. Martha lode, Kegina section : A stoping-block, 80 ft. in length and known as Jim block, is being worked in this section. Edward lode, west branch : Operations, started here in 1937, were continued, and a shrinkage slope 104 ft. in length, known as Alpha block, is being exploited. Royal lode, north section : A stoping-block 50 ft. in length westward from the Edward lode junction was opened up. On the Empire lode the work of extracting the arch under No. 7 level was practically completed. No. 7 level: A total of 23,779 tons of ore was won from this level, of which 21,447 tons came from stoping-blocks on the Royal lode. Edward lode, west branch : Investigation of this lode was continued from the 112 ft. mark to 168J ft. The width of quartz varied between 1J ft. and 4 ft. and the average value was low. At 100 ft. a crosscut was put through northward to the main part. This is payable. A drive was advanced southwest from this crosscut on the main lode for 134 ft. The width of reef (formation) varied from 9 in. to 5 ft., and assay values were patchy. Following the work on these two sections of the branch lode a stoping-bloek 57 ft. long on the eastern section and 130 ft. long on the main part has been opened up. It is estimated to contain 3,815 tons of payable ore. North branch of Martha lode (westward from No. 2 shaft): Stoping of Whittaker 'block, at 50 ft. up from No. 7 level, is in operation, and an extension of the block at the western end is being developed. No. 0 level : A total of 14,021 tons of ore was won from this level, the chief contributors being the north branches of the Martha lode and the Royal. North branches of Martha lode (westward of No. 2 shaft) : Exploration carried out during recent years has shown there is more than one branch of the Martha lode in the west footwall country between Nos. 3 and 7 levels. In some parts these are connected by small subsidiary branches, the whole forming a network or complex of lodes. This is being closely investigated. A drive was put out westward for 225 ft. on one of the main branches, situated at 100 ft. south of Munro block in Oiddens south crosscut. As far as the 205 ft. mark, the ore was of good value, but the lode then became low grade, and at 223 ft. was split up. Driving has been temporarily suspended while a length between the 15 ft. and 130 ft. marks is being stoped. The stope is known as " Riley new block," and is estimated to contain about 1,220 tons of good-grade ore. Espir rise and block: Development work of much interest was carried out on the same north branch at a point 100 ft. west of Espir west crosscut. Espir rise was taken up at this point to a height of ft. aiid disclosed ore of very good value over widths ranging from 2 ft. to Oft. Rising was suspended in July owing to ventilation difficulties, and a winze was then sunk from No. 5 level and holed through to the rise. A stoping-block extending between 83 ft. and 185 ft. west of Espir west crosscut was then openod up. The estimated value for a stoping width of 4 ft. is 30s. per ton. Osborne north crosscut: At the end of the year 1938 the exploratory drive westward from Giddens north crosscut on what appeared to be the main north branch had been carried to 802 ft. west. During the year the drive was extended to 902 ft. west. The lode, between the 802 ft. and 902 ft. marks, was small and of little or no value, and at the face was split into three stringers. Driving was stopped. Investigation of the country to the north was then made by means of a crosscut at 000 ft. west of Giddens north crosscut. This is known as "Osborne north crosscut," and was drivon a total distance of 138 ft. It was thought that a north part of the north branch of the Martha lode might bo met with. Several small leaders were passed through, but these were generally of little or no value. Six inches of quartz at 30 ft. north showed good value, and this was driven on for 14 ft. westward and 22ft. eastward, but it proved of no importance. No. 5 level: A total of 11,820 tons was won from this level. An east part of the Edward lode, in the neighbourhood of No. 2 shaft, was opened up. A drive was advanced northward 48A ft. in payable ore and connected to an old balance-bob chamber of No. 2 shaft, and southward 53 ft. where the reef split up. A stoping length, called "Manzoni block," was opened up and is estimated to contain 1,440 tons of fair average value. Following up the work commenced in 1937, the north branch of the Martha lode, met at 85 ft. north in Taylor's north crosscut, was driven on westward a distance of 87 ft., but the results were not encouraging. The lode was also tested eastward for a distance of 133 ft., but the width proved to be irregular with only occasional payable samples, and the reef split up at the end of the drive. No. 4 level: A total of 0,755 tons of ore was won from this level. The chief suppliers were the Edward and the north branch of the Martha lode. H Lode—Branches : The testing of the block of ground betwet n the Edward lode and the No. 2 shaft south-east crosscut by means of Lovett south crosscut was continued. A branch, met at 75 ft. south was testod, but proved to be very narrow. A branch, at 115 ft., showed payable values for a distance Of 40 ft. oast and 110 ft. west of the crosscut. A shrinkage stope, called McEnteer new block, has been prepared. A crosscut,

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