THE MOHIKONUI COALFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1506, 14 March 1887, Page 2

THE MOHIKONUI COALFIELD.

In the cmrßß of an address delivered to the Industrial Association at Ohriatcharch a few evenings ago by Mr O'Oonor, M.H R , tha'. gentleman mentioned an important recent discovery of coal at Mohikonni. Going up Goal Greek they founi a seam, 10ft chick, of good gas coal and going stilt further op they fonnd a break' which laid bare a bank of coal some 18ft thiok. They opened this seam and found a ..mass of poal 32ft. high, or, as Mr McKay s*ld, a mountain,, of coal. , The coal was like nothing that had been f^und In the island, exoopt the coal exhibited at the Danedin Exhibition long ago and called Ooalbrobkdale ooal. The coal m the 32ft seam was a dull coal, not containing much gi»,, but burning without any clinker, being m fact pu>e, carbon. This showed him it wai cot the 1 aame as (he gas coal he had referred to. But on boating they found two teams, the lower of which, 7ft 6iu, was the s *me as gas cool. ' Thus they nad found close to Mokihinui the largest deposit of coal yet fqund ip Ntw Zealand and eaiily accesBJblo by locomotives, the grade beiDg only tin 40. The Moh konui Oompaty pr> ).insep] to h»ve tiuir owu f*(lw*y arid the management i<f iho port, and wou'd be enabled to Uy do^u the coal on board the sh.ip> at 3a Qd per ton at oppbigd |v IJo and H? 6d &' Qthar places, „ eg^Jft