THE CHARTERS TOWERS RUSH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1289, 16 September 1872, Page 2

THE CHARTERS TOWERS RUSH.

[northern miner, august- 14*p The predictions of mineralogists and geologists have been at length realised. A gold field has been discovered in Northern Queensland which will be a formidable rival to the best fields discovered in any part of the polonies. This is : not too much to. say of Charted Towers, for each day adds to the already existing proof of the vast extent and great richness of the field. Of course we cannot pronounce authoritatively that the reefs will go down, but everything indicates that they will do so. The walls are good, the reefs are well defined, and most of them are traced for.-. a. considerable length in the ground ; many are tested to a fair depth, and all have turned out well. Had, the gold field been confined to reefs alone its importance could not be overrated; but, as most of our readers are aware, a few days ago alluvial was found, which has every indication of TM coming an important, lead. . It is deep sinking, too, or what must be called deep sinking in Queensland — that is, from twenty ; '*i6~tKirty"feetJ and~so far it gives a very good promise. In speaking of this field we must not confine ourselves even to the reefs and alluvial that are within a radius of ten or twelve miles qf tha Towers. The Scotchman's reef, ten miles from Brough ton, is scarcely the beginning of the field, and from that reef a series of otliera have been already discovered, existing over a tract of country from thirty to forty niile3 in length, and we must bear in mind that the country has not been half prospected as yet. When it has been longer opened, and when tho increase in population— which wUI come within a few months — has prospected the field, it will be found that the whole country from the Cape of Ravenswood is intersected with reefs in any number. And if we may argue from those already discovered, it is likely that many will be found payable. All the crushings have been good, indeed they have been very rich, for there -is little or trouble in getting the stone. The ma? chines are now supplied with water, and they will prove the country and the richness. They have already shown that the district contains a number of reefs that are highly payable. But now that they are able to crush with all their batteries, the escorts from here will prove more than anything else what the district is. • Mr Deane's machine has an abundant supply of water at present, . and there is every likelihood that the supply will not 1 diminish. Messrs Plant and Jackson'g powerful mill is also in full work, and M Buchanan has secured a sufficient supply for all his purposes. We 'believe. 'the Working Miner will soon be at work, and the plant of Messrs Tough has arrived on the ground. When all these are at work the field will be better known than it can be now, and the truth of our statements will be proven beyond a doubt. Judging from the appearance of the field at present, the machinery how here will not be able to meet its requirements. But the number of mills will soon be increased, as the vast resources of the place become

known ; there ia already room for many more than are here, and new finds are: being made every day, which will render ; the want of machinery still more felt. Six months ago Charters Towers was a 1 place unknown. Scarcely that time has elapsed since Messrs Mossman and party . applied for their prospecting/claim <on whit is now knbwn as the North Australian line. During that Bhort time what a ohange has taken place. Several hundred reefing claims are now occupied :. thousands of tons of quartz are stacked,, ready for carting to the machine, so: , t soon as the owners are so* fortunate! as to get a chance to, put their atone: through ; two main, townships and ; several smaller ones have sprung into existence as if by magic, the build-, ings being of a very extensive description, very different from that _ one would expect to see on a new rush ;',Hve quartz-crusbing machines, in all sixtythree head of stamps, are on the ground, and the quantity of stone in the various yards is sufficient proof of the amount of work they will have. The population is daily increasing, and now numbers, we should judge, about 3000. The alluvial to which we have alluded was discovered near the Queensland reef. The sinking is from ten to thirty feet. The. wash is from two to three feet thick, and the prospects ' are very good, the wash getting better as with the deep ground. About a mile and a" half have been pegged out pn the supposed line of the lead, and most of those employed seem to have good hopes of success. The gold is of a good quality, rough, but it does not appear td have travelled far. The sinking and the waahdirt are similar to those at the White Hill lead on the Cape. The Northern Miner gives a list of the crushings at the three local machines since the, Ist July. Without counting the rich stone from the Broughton gold field, of which no return has yet been obtained, there have been ]J37i tons of the Charters Tower reefs crushed, with a yield of 39700z Bdwt Bgr, being an average of 2oz 18dwt to the ton. A correspondent of the same journal writes on the 13th of August :— " During the week I have visited the new alluvial rush, situated near the township at Plant and Jackson's machine. . The gold was first got in very shallow sinking, payable. It has been traced for a considerable distance ; the last shaft bottomed on gold is over 20ft ;

tho gold is good and resembles that got on Raveuswood. The wash gets heavy and thick as the ground deepens, la some! claims it ; s over 3ft, and in many it will prospect for over ioz to the load. There is eve.. r prospect of a good lead, being opened up hero, the ground is token up, already nearly a mPe and a half, in many instances ,our claims wide. There are a great number of shafts going down, so that by the end of this week it will be fully known whether this find is worthy tho name of lead. The sinking is through a cement formation, very tough but good working order." The following are the latest telegrams regarding the rush, published ra the Argus of tho 7th inst. :— Townsville, Sept. 6. The report from Charters Towers are much exaggerated. Large numbers oi miners are on the ground, but those sinking have lost the lead, which is very narrow. Tho washdirt is stacked for want of water. From present appearances there is no inducement for now comers, for all tho alluvial sinking is taken up. Tho reefing news continues favorable, but as some time must elapso before crushing, there is no opening for diggers unless they have sufficient capital for a few months' support.