REEFTON MINING REPORTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 February 1909, Page 1

REEFTON MINING REPORTS.

(Our Own Correspondent.) New Ulster.—Owing to labour difficulties after the Xmas holidays, work did not start till Tuesday, the 18th instant. Vcrv

little has been done inside the mine, repairing of tramway ami outside works ' caused by the late heavy rains and floods in this district having to be effected. In the mine, stoning on the 30ft block above Xo. 2 level (reported last, month) was resumed, and after rising 15ft and driving No. 1 stope 18ft, the stone cut down to eight inches in the top. Stoping wa.<e discontinued for the present, and on Thursday last the No. 2 level south was continued with two shifts, and lift 'jwas driven for three days. The course of 'this drive has been turned some twenty'degrees to the east and will be continued fur another ten feet, and should the reef formation not be tut, a crosscut will be put in to see its true position. The face of the drive in the level is now about 60ft from the foot of McCloy's winze. At the battery twenty tons of' stone have been crushed, and as some repairs to the cyanide vats will be required, owing to the late heavy rains, there will be ■no (lean up till the end of February. Kep-It-Dark.—Since resumption ofwprk in the mine on the 18th January list (which was not fully manned till the 24th), stoping has been carried on ofror the euddy from No 5, the iufermedinteibntweon 5 and 6. the crosscut from Not 6, the 87ft block between 6 and 7, and |ho incide block on No 7. 504 J tons of quartz were sent to the battery, and 260 t&m« weir crushed for a yield of 42"/ 9<ivt from the battery (plates only for One week's crushing) and 350 z 3dwt from tic cyanide, total 770 z 12dwt. We started repairing the drive from Xo 3 chamber to the monkey shaft on Tuesday last: the total distance repaired to date'is 225 feet. The drive froni Xo 7 chamber to the same place started yesterday. The slopes over ihe intermediate ami winze from the No 5 were connected on Saturday evening last. The lencth of the stopes here is aboiit9oft at present, and the widest part is 11 feet. There is no change worth mentioning in any of the stopes anywhere. We are now to drive on the stone cut through by the crosscut from Xo. 5. The lode in Xo. 7 level is live feci in width this morning ;i\)i] carries a little gold. The length of this block to dale i< "alvont 05 feet. Next week wo are to connect this block bv survey with thi' inside blocks on Nos 6 and 5. so thai uprises ran i>e started from 7 to 6 in.l from 6 to the intermediate.

Caledonian Cnited.- The mine manager reported for the week ended January 30. 1900, as follows: The repairs and 'additions to poppet bonds, erection of trestles, putting on wire lines and rollers, tonetlier with sundry surface works, have born practically completed. Mailing of (be main .-halt i inenced on the four o'clock shift yesterday afternon. The mao< binary is working very satisfactory, and thenupn shaft will lie free of water hy Monday night, The contractors will then tomuienie operations, and after putting in an efficient cistern to rope with the water making in the shaft, thev should be ready to start sinking by the latter part of next