WARDEN'S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2244, 16 July 1870, Page 2

WARDEN'S REPORT.

Mr Warden Robinson, writing from

Naseby, under date July 1, aaya : “The season has been characterised by unusual falls of rain, which have in some instances done damage to mining w-rks, but, on the whole, the abundance of the supply of water has m.'. e than compensated for the occasional mischief done by Ho nls. There have been soim rather heavy falls of snow, but at the present tunc snow is only to be seen in any quantity on the highest mountain ranges. “At Naseby the most in cresting item in connection with mining is the completion of the great box-fluming'of the Hit or Miss Company on Surface Hill. Seven months have elapsed since this work was first commenced, and its happy completion was to-day celebrated by an entertainment given by the company to their friends. This work is, I b ilkve, the first of the kind that has been constructed in this Colony, and it is certainly wo thy of more than a passing mention. It being required to convey the water of the race along a high spur m which there are two considerable depressions, the obvious method would have been to erect flaming on high stages in the manner familiar to most miners. This in fact is the met hod pursued in the ease of the race of the Extended i ompauy, which is carried across one of iiie saddles or depressions in question by means of lofty and substantial limning. Hut it occurred to the manager of the Hit or Miss Company (Mr Anderson), that a better plan would lie to lay a pipe down the one slope and up the other, and thus carry the water across the saddle without the erection of any' elevated Hume. The idea of iron pipes was not to be entertained, as suitable iron pipes were not procurable in the Province ; and it was decided to construct piping of heavy planks firmly damped and screwed together. The two lengths of piping as now finished are respectively 280 and 480 yards in length, and the depressions 57ft. and 65ft. The pipes which are nearly sqiiaro are lOin by Sin, interior measurement. They are built of 2in Baltic planks neatly fitted at the edges, and bound with 2in x 4in hardwood clamps, which are screwed together by bolts of from diameter, and from 17in to 19in long. These clamps are placed atjvery short intervals, and at the lowest part where the pressure is "the greatest, they are only 6in apart. The flume rests on hardwood sleepers placed 4ft or sft apart. Th flume carries from 4 to 5 Government heads of water. The total cost of the whole 760 yards of fluming, with the necessary pressure banks and races oonnecti. g the pipes with the head race and reservoirs, amounts to something about L 1750. This, for 760 yards, gives an average cost of about L2 12s per yard, but, as has been explained, the estimate of cost includes some small subsidiary works. The whole work is most substantially finished, and, notwithstanding the heavy p-essure at the lowest parts, there is no leakage ; a great advantage of this plan of fluming is that being laid along the ground it is not exposed to danger from the wind, like the high fluming, and that it can bo readily got at for repairs, lit remains to bo proved whether in practical use it will be found so much better as to supersede the old style of fluming. “ The same company are erecting a large new reservoir at the head of the Surface nil workings, which when completed is calculated to hold 1,800,000 gallons, and will co<-t about L3OO. “ At the Maerewhenua the water races are gradually being brought in. One race—that of Greig and party—has recently been completed, and it is stated that the first wash-ing-up has paid all the expenses of the men (cr the seven months that they were at work constructing it. Two or three other parties are also understood to be doing well. Tho large race of the Ben Lomond Company, Limited, better known as the Enterprise race, is expected to be soon supplying water. The race from the Otekaike which is being brought iu to drive the machinery.that is to ha erected for quartz crushing near the Ukekaike Reef, is also rapidly approaching completion. Tho machinery is being constructed in Oamaru. “The guide posts on the track from Kyeburn to tho Maerewhenua have been erected, and have already proved of service to travellers, who, without their assistance, must almost inevitably have been lost in the fogs of the mountains. “Theworks of the Rough Ridge Quartz Mining Company at Ida Valley arc again at a standstill. A portion of the tunnel fell, in, which led to an interruption of regular mining. The damage Ins, I understand, been since repaired ; but as yet the regular routine work of the mine has not been resumed. “At Macrae’s Flat the Duke of Edinburgh Company’s maebinefy has been completed since my last report, and is said to work well when coal can be secured ; but unfortunately the supplies of fuel have been far short of what would be sufficient to keep the machinery go mg. “ There is but little to report respecting the reefs at tho Sutton, but the holders of claims are fully resolved to give them a fair trial. The same may be said of the reefs at Moonlight and Macrae’s in general. Should the Duke of Edinburgh Company prove a success, a very extensive development of quartz mining may be expected-”