THE THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 802, 27 April 1910, Page 8

THE THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

I • AN AUSPICIOUS START. (By Teleeraph.-Spccial Correspondent.! Auckland, April 26. The commencement of the long-delayed Thames Deep Layels EC.heme is turning out to be auspicious, gold having been struck at the lGton. level, in cutting out the first, portion of the crosscut. At to-day's meeting of the Thames Mining Board, the supervisor (Mr. W. Baker) reported that a start had bceumade with tho deep levels from the chamber at the bottom of the Queen of Beauty shaft. After driving through some broken country a wall of solid quartz was met with. 'J'hn little quarts broken looked well, and carried bright, but blocky, mineral. Mr. Adams' 6tated- that, unfortunately, that reef belonged to no company, as the ground belonged to the Government. The speaker added that, before tho tenders for the main crosscut were opened, he wished to state that ho was prepared to find a contractor to do the crosscut and subsidiary crosscuts for £16,500, tho contractor to find all necessary plant and timber; also to pay the cost of hauling tho spoil to the top of the shaft. The contractor would find, rock drills and whatever blower was needed, and he would also give satisfactory guarantees that the work would be properly completed. Ho would take the job' entirely off the ■hands 'of the board for the sum named. Mr. Adams went on to say that ho was prepared to give a satisfactory bond that the agreement .would be entered into, and the offer was ,ojieu fni M.daya. : . On the motion of .Mr. Kneebone, Mr. Adams was asked to put the offer in writing. ' ■ ■ ■ The only- tendcra received for driving the first 500 ft. of' the tunnel were those of Mr. E. M'Keown, £3 per foot;, and Mr. Downs, £5 2s. 6d. There were no tenders for. the whole tunnel. ■. , It was agreed to ask Mr. Baker (as soon as the chamber was completed) to continue the tunnel until the.contract is let. .• : • BIOH/KEEF DISCOVERED.- ' ' Wostport, April 26; Mr. Fry, Director of tho Westport. School of Mines, has secured an option over'-a' rich reef- in the Poerua district, Otira, line. The reef has been traced, and proved to be of exceptional value,-for. a distance of half a mile. .It promises to eclipse any-" thing, yet discovered on tho West Coast.. The:stone is: unustially uniform in', .value, ranging as "high as 3j ounces fine gold to' tho ton. . ■ ' ' ' ■' '. DREDGING.' . ; (By. TcleErrapn.—Frcsa ■ Association.!. Reef ton, April 26. Pactolna Dredging return, 330z. 2dwt, for 118 hours. •