CARRICK RANGE QUARTZ REEFS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 120, 27 February 1872, Page 5

CARRICK RANGE QUARTZ REEFS.

OI.U ROYAL STANDARD. 1 A very satisfactory crushing from this < claim—which, was the first opened out on the r Garrick Range—was retorted at the coin- i pauy’s battery on Wednesday morning. The ] quantity of stone crushed was 12 \ tons, and j the amount of gold obtained, 38 ounces, — ] thus showing an approximate average per i ton of 3 ozs. 1 dwt. < We may here shortly narrate the circum- ; stances which have eventuated so fortunately 1 for the interests of the company ; and in do- j ing so avo may be permitted to congratulate i the shareholders —who are fairly entitled to i be called the pioneers of quartz-mining on < the Garrick Range—upon the success which ] has followed their persevering efforts to dis- 1 cover the golden lode that was lost sight of some twelve months ago. In the beginning of last month, the com- ■ pany engaged the services of Mr John Chari- . ton, formerly manager of Iverseu’s Reef, Conroy’s Gully, who had acquired large ex- , perience as manager of some of the richest quartz mines in Victoria. Mr Charlton had considerable difficulty to contend against in clearing the old drive of the mass of debris which had accumulated since the claim was formerly worked ; and this task occupied ' himself and other two men the best part of a fortnight. The tunnel once clear, driving was j continued for about sixty feet in a straight' course, but as there seemed little chance of i striking the reef in that direction (towards I the summit of the hill), the manager deemed it advisable to put in cross-drives at right angles to the course of the tunnel. In one iof these cross-drives—that running in an | easterly direction—a good leader, varying from three to twelve inches in thickness, was | found ; and from this leader were taken the | ' 121t tons of stone mentioned above. The I ; manager also reports the finding of numerous , veins of varying thickness in other parts of; j the workings, particularly in the western | cross-cut, which would pay well if waterpower for crushing were available in the | neighbourhood of the claim. Great credit is ; j due to Mr Charlton for his skilful and successful exertions in recovering the lost lode. The road to the claim is now completed close 1 up to the entrance of the drive, and this will | enable the company to got their stone carted I to the battery at a much lest cost than for- ; merly. The work of getting out stone for I crushing will be continued without further S interruption. HEART OK OAK. I -A new* surface leader, showing very good i prospects, has been opened out at a distance 1 of about eighty foot from the Duke of Cum- ■ herlaud boundary, and appears to run in the | direction of the latter claim. STAR OF TIIK FAST. i A crushing of nearly 200 tons from this ■ claim was to be finished at the Star and Oak j battery to-day. Mr Reid, the machine maj nagor, intonus us that ho has attached fifty pounds extra weight to eacli of the ten stamps, and anticipates now being able to i crush an average of ninety tons a week, making allowance for necessary stoppages. The : I late rains caused an abundant water-supply . for the machine, and the pumping apparatus | at present stands idle. We arc informed that, a few days ago, Mr ’ j Sam. Williams, the underground manager, ' j found in the upper level the reef which was ! lost sight of shortly after the ground was ; opened. This is an important discovery, and ’ | should tend to enhance the value and increase | the stability of the claim. >| DUKE OF CUMBERLAND. i j A test crushing of fifteen or sixteen tons i from this claim (situated west of and adjoin- ■ ing the Heart of Oak) will he sent down to I \ the Royal Standard battery next week. The r 1 quality of the stone is said to bo superior to II any hitherto found on the Range, and a very : 1 handsome yield of gold is expected from the I trial crushing. j Some little time will probably elapse bo- ' j fore this claim can be got into ptopor workr ing order. At the depth of the present -1 workings, there occurs what is supposed to ) be a split in the reef, a large body of rock dir vidiug it into two separate lodes, —the one 1 rising gradually towards the surface, and the other (the supposed main reef) dipping downp wards. It will therefore bo necessary either 1 i to sink another shaft or to deepen the present r one, in order to catch the reef at a lower f level. c 1 ROB ROY. i I This claim lies to the north-cast of tlu ! Heart of Oak, and the reef is believed to bt ja direct continuation of the Oak line. G 5 1 shaft has been sunk 4fi feet, at which dept 1 , eja reef was struck, varying from 12 to l‘ s j inches in thickness. The two men at wow's 1 are now driving on a fifty-foot level toward, 1 y i the Heart of Oak ground, and expect to havi ,£ | sufficient stone grassed ready for a trial I WELCOME (LATH EXCELSIOR). _ ] This claim, which is now held by Janie ° j Gibson and party, adjoins the Heart of Gal '* lon its eastern side. The party are sinking : I shaft near the boundary line, with the ex j pectathm of being able to strike the under]a; 1, | of the Heart of Oak reef at a depth of 150 o i-1200 feet. Sinking has already been carrioi d 1 to a depth of over 80 feet. ,J CiOLDEN STAR AND DAWN OF HOPE. Trial crushings have been obtained fror j (both these claims, but the returns wore i: I neither instance sufficiently good to mu ran n j the shareholders in continuing operations. 1_ 1 CALEDONIAN. D j A general crushing of about 100 tons i >t | now going through at the Royal Standar p- battery. It is anticipated thi: ! 1 will av. ■ V.V"" 1 i dwt.L to the +on.

WHITS HOUSE. j] M‘Lauc!il:ui and party have driven about ( thirty feet in a southerly direction from the I J shaft, carrying a good leader throughout, d The width of the vein varies from six indies d to two feet. Within the past few days, the \ lode has widened out to over two feet, and ] from the extremity of the drive some very promising specimens were taken during lastr week. This part of the claim has only re- j ! cently been opened up, but the party have | 1 already grass edover ten tons of stone from!' the lode referred to, and they purpose send- j iug down a small lot for crushing as soon as j the Standard battery 'is available. Mr * M‘Lauehlan, the managing shareholder, is an experienced reefer from the Thames, having 1 been for some time a foreman in the cole- : brated Long Drive claim. 1 NEW KOVAL STAND Alin. The last crashing from this claim did not d prove sudicieufcly remunerative to pay fair | wages to tiie working shareholders ; and Mr j' James Batlev, the manager, has commenced!* sinking on the reef, with the object of finding more payable stone. IVJKDEK CHIEF. This claim is now in the bands of a new company, including some of the original j shareholders. A tunnel is being driven from the eastern side of the spur towards the old shaft, in which direction, it is believed, a , good reef will lie found. Very hard rock— j necessitating the constant use of powder—is mot with in the drive, so that the progress of ■ the work is necessarily slow. VALE OF AVOCA. This is one of the most recent discoveries | on the flange, although part of the ground! was formerly included in the Border Chief, I ■ the adjoining claim. A shaft has been sunk ! to the depth o f thirty feet, and the drivel from the b ittoin of the shaft is fifty feet in. ■ The lode varies from eighteen inches to over i three feet in thickness. About sixty tons of | stone has been grassed, some of which looks | very promising. Mr John Jackson, the prospector and working manager, informs ns that some splendid specimens were unearthed on Friday last. A parcel of twenty tons will be sent to the Standard battery for testing as soon as the Caledonian crushing is completed. THE NEW KOAL) leading to the reefs in Pipeclay Gully is expected to be completed within a few days. | Very little difficulty has been encountered in its construction, the ground over which it! i passes being singularly free from stones and other liatural obstacles. THE KOVAL STANDAKU BATTERY is engaged on a crushing for the Caledonian, j and accomplishes idle reduction of about nine | tms of quartz in the twenty-four hours. Mr | Watson, the engineer, estimates tho cost of i coal consumed in crushing each ton of stone j at half-a-crown. Four additional stamps are shortly to be attached to the battery; and; j when that is done, it is expected that tho I company will be enabled to make consider-j | able reductions in tho charges for crushing. I These are, at present, as follow :—Quantities! j under 10J tons, 7s. (Id. per hour ; 100 tons I I and over, os. (Id. per hour. THE ELIZABETH KATTKKY. This machine, after undergoing alterations land improvements, was started on Friday, j and w ill ran till the end of the present week. •