MINING AND DREDGING NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 March 1901, Page 3

MINING AND DREDGING NOTES.

The heavy rain which sot in yesterday should help to fill the dams at Bach Creek and other parts of the Kumara district, and enable many miners who have been idle to commence work again. The pontoons for the Greenstone Dredging Company are being' pushed forward ; but it is to be hoped that the boro now attempted will prove satisfactory. We do not blame the ground, but consider the boring has a good deal to do with the unsuccessful attempts. Good progress is being made by Messrs Black and Co in the construction of the Tercmakau pontoons. This dredge when completed will be the largest and most up-to-date on the Coast. The pontoons are 108 ft long, the framing all of hardwood, with heart of red pine for planking. The contractor expects to have them completed within one month. The contract for the machinery, which is held by Messrs Fraser, of Auckland, is well forward. Locally, great . interest is centred in this dredge, as very good results were got by boring the claim, and if successful it will prove a great extent of country to be both dredgable and payable ground. The dredge will be capable of working to a depth of 60ft, We are informed that an Auckland syndicate have started prospecting the area on tire Teremaku river just above Passmore’s freehold and adjoining the Tercmakau Co.’s claim. Mr Martyn is in charge, and as boring operations conducted by Mr Appleton in the riverbed at Passmore’s freehold gave excellent results, no doubt the result of this prospecting will further confirm the value of the Tercmakau river as a dredging field. Prospecting by boring and shaft sinking arc now in active progress on the Kapitoa Creek. Mr Faithful (Cutten Bros) is supervising the work. So far no results are published, but doubtless they should be satisfactory as the creek and its banks are known to be highly auriferous.

Yesterday one of tlio men working at Kelly’s Terrace Drainage Tunnel, told me that small prospects (colours) could be got in the blue wash through which they were now driving. And last night a man told mo the prospects were improving; and were estimated to go 2dwts to the load. They have not yet touched the bottom. I was further told that the men were going to save, and wash the dirt now being lifted. I quote this as hearsay only, but it is quite likely gold will soon • be struck, as the tunnel is now near the line of the supposed runs of gold from Kelly’ Terrace.—Stafford correspondent of the Guardian. The Eocklands dredge only requires a rise of 2ft in the river, and if the present rain only continues for a while, we may hope to hear of her commencing operations almost immediately.

Census papers ara now being delivered in the outlying districts of the Duller March 34st is the date for collection of tho same,