MINING NEWS.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 380, 20 August 1903, Page 4

MINING NEWS.

On Wednesday night of last week, in consequence of heavy rains further up country, the Molyneux River came down in high flood. The river rose rapidly on Thursday, and touched the 15ft mark, and the Manuherikia rose higher than it has been at any time since the flood of 1878. It was feared at one time that a serious flood would eventuate, but frost again set in and the rivers fell almost as rapidly ae they had risen. The height of the Molyneux at the Alexandra bridge last evening was 6ft above " normal," with a downward tendency. In consequence of the flood mid stream dredging was suspended, and the river is still too high for gorge dredges. Hard frosts at night still continue. The Molyneux Hydraulic dredge is at present idle, awaiting until stripping operations at the lower, end of the claim are further advanced'-'- " * The Perseverance No 1 dredge is working steadily. The No .2 will be «ady to resume a few

The splendid return from the Hartley and Riley dredge last week indicates that the wash being operate upon is very rich. But for the rise ia the river which caused a dredging operations, it was anticipator that the return for the week would have run into four figures. At an extraordinary general meet-*** ing of the New River Molyneux Dredging Co., held at Dunedio da Thursday evening last, it was deeded that the company be wound up vplun* tarily. Mr Brugh was appointee? liquidator at a fee of £2l. The Hartley and Riley Co. has declared a dividend of 10s, per share. : This dividend is the twenty-fourth de olared, and when it is paid share holders will have received £lO 10s per £1 share a total of £68,250 being thut. distributed. As there is still a good portion of virgin ground in the sjj§ro, the dredge will probably have a good deal of work before her, and the prospects are particularly bright. ! ' The work of fitting-up the Fourteen - mile Company's new dredge is nearly completed, and the dredge will probably be able to commence dredging' sfnu> time next week. - :Y"H •

The manager og the Golden ,Ri?e:dredge is at present having road put in proper order, and expected that tbe dredge will be #,* to commence dredging z.vxb : During the severe weather in July, it was found -impossible to ge coal down to the river tank, and U>e dredge was not able to take advantage of the low state of the river fchw> existing. The river js still rkt&w high after the recent flood, but i falling rapidly. At Oardrona, Messrs ; t|; I Party (known as the Sunbe»n D.:i« / , insr, Corapa y) are fitting machinery of the Rolling Stone die '««„ on. new pontoons, to work a cl&iu* obtained there by the party. It is intended to work the dredge O'Brien's patent water-power. ~ Th dredge should be ready for work in. about three months' time. At the Alexandra Warden's Oour* on Tuesday, on the motion Of Sir Bartholomew, Mr Warden Burgess made an order for the sale of the New River Molyneux Dredging Company's dredge and claim to satisfy a lien registered against the property tby workmen lately in the employ of4he company. The order provides that the property will be sold by auction': byMr Henry Symes on September, at the Alexandras court* house. »K* The fallowing items are from the:;.' "Cromwell Argus":—lt was found/. necessary to pull the Alpine II ahead a little, as the ground was so hesvy J * and deep as to be unworkable.— New Alpine Consols has got anew shaft,'and had started work when tie rise in. the river put an end to dredging operations.—The Central Electric is to be. taken up the falls above tbe bridge, in order to work the claim known as Partridge's. This makes ; another' powerful dredge for the v, Olutha. The ticklish job of taking tbe t: dredge up the river will be undertaken by Mr Murray, late master of the ; Halfway House dredge. A start was ' made on Monday at getting ready for pulling up—Owing to the delay |h the arrival of the fairloads, tbe Rising Sun will not be able to drop down to the foot of the claim for a week or two yet. About a dozen links are also needed to enable the bucket chain to be completed. Otherwise the dredge is finished, and a run was taken out of the machinery last; week when Mr M'lntosh, inspector of machinery, was present, She is a splendid dredge, and is fitted with Peck and Payne's patent elevator. We hear that a Cromwell syndicate have taken the Point d'Or dredge on tribute, and a start will be made this week. A start has been made with tho bringing down, to Alexandra, of the Eureka No II (late Kelly and Casey) dredge. The dredge was abreast of the Halfway House on Tuesday. Mr T. Keen, late dredgemaster bf the New River Molyneux, has been appointed to a similar position at Nevis, in connection with the Crewe Company's dredges, * y

DIVIDENDS. dividends hate been declared during the weekv*- V Upper Waipori Dredging Go, Is per share. Manuherikia Dredging Co, 2s per sham Hartley and Riley Dredging Co, IH jw share. r . % Enterprise Dredging Co, 2s per share. Sailors Bend Dredging Co. Is per share. Electric Dredging Co, Is per share. Cromwell Dredging Co, 2s 6d per share. DREDGING RETURN& The following are the returns for the week ending Saturday, August Bth, 1903, (local dredges):— %

osdwfirra Hartley and Riley, Cromwell ... 584 0 0 Manuherikia, Alexandra, 124hrs 281 4 0 Electric No 2, Cromwell + ... 136 5 0 Earnscleugh No 2, Alexandra 121h 72 0 0 Dunstan Lead, Alexandra, 8dys 60 0 0 Cromwell No. 2, Cromwell 56 18 0 Perseverance No. I.Alexandra ... 55 10 0 Earnscleugh No 1, Alexandra, 160b 42 10 o .4:. Alexandra Lead, Alexandra, ... 41 1 0 Electric No. 1, Cromwell ... 40 10 pern Enterprise No 1, Alexandra ... 40 4 ■■«:%:■■ Bendigo, below Alexandra 33 0 0 §5 Davis Bend No 2, above Clyde ... 28;9 0 Cromwell No 1, Cromwell 27 15 0 Junction Electric No 2, Cromwell 10 16 .-b.'..' Junction ElebtricNo 1, Cromwell, 19 12 •ft Matau, Clyde, week ... 18 0 0 Riley's Beach. Cromwell, 17 18 0 Rise and Shine, Up'er Clutba .„ 16 0 0 Alpine No. 2, Cromwell,. ..--... 10 0 Cf Olrig, Manuherikia, 120b „"»' 7 6 <? ' 1