THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1556, 31 July 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1873.

We learn by a telegram received last evening that, on the motion of the member for the Grey Valley, Mr W. H. Harrison, a vote of J30,000 for the construction of a water-race from Randall Creek to Napoleon Hill has been agreed to. without division, by the House of Representatives. Notwithstanding the prominence given to the subject at different times, the locality of the proposed race and the action already taken in connection with its construction are apparently known to very few outside the district into which it is intended to bring the water. Randall or Granite Creek is a tributary of the Ahaura, coming into that stream from the NorthEast, and taking its rise in the direction of the head of the Waipuna and Robinson rivers^ both of which are main tributaries of the Upper Grey River, flowing into it from the South- West. The following particulars with respect to the Randall Creek Race are taken from one of a series of reports on the Water Supply of the .Grey iValley, which appeared in the Weekly Argus ■. during the month of January this year : — " Several attempts have been made to obtain water for the district of Noble's \ and Napoleon, but, as in the case of Nelson Creek, the probable cost, as calculated from the results of preliminary surveys, far exceeded the means of any private association formed for the purpose. A flying survey was made in 1868-69, by Messrs Coe and Hurst, at the expense of a company formed at Greymouth. 1 The plans of this survey are still carefully preserved among the archives of many another enterprise having a bright and sanguine commencement . arid a gloomy and unsatisfactory termination. By the line of direction laid off by Mr Hurst, it would, it' seems, require an amount of capital and time to complete the race sufficient to make Brogden himself stand aghast. The race would .be between 30 and 40 miles in length, with an almost incalculable amount of -fl nming. A survey was. afterwards made by Mr Woolley, the then Government Surveyor, and this gentleman explored a course which would bring the water to Napoleon from the best practi-. cable source in eighteen miles, allowing for detours round gullies and spurs where fluming would be too expensive or impracticable.. By Mr Woolley's surveys and calculations it would be necessary at one part of the race to erect a stretch of fluming from 80 to 100 chains, or more than a mile in length,, to be supported at an elevation, : in the centre, of 100 ft. The race would, then run for a distance of about one mile, to a ridge dividing the water-shed of the Ahaura and Waipuna (Noble's) rivers. It is supposed- three miles: of cutting would be avoided at this poiut by taking a tunnel 20 or 30 chains in length through a narrow point ef ithe dividing range. The making this tunnel would have the recommendation of being more economical, besides husbanding a certain' amount; of elevation- obtained by making the drive, and the elevation thus gained would be of great value, in case other obstacles should come in the way between that point and theterminus of Ithe race. The water would then be carried round the main range, on the Ahaura water-shed, to Napoleon Hill, where it would- coinmand the head- workings of Noble's, Duffer's, Orwell, aud Mosquito Creeks, with the vast extent, comprising more than twenty-five square miles, 1 of payable, auriferous ground lying in the valleys and along the ranges on each side of these water-courses. Most of the country through which the race would pass is, according to Mr Woolley, alluvium, or made ground, so that there would hot be any rock cutting likely to impede tunnelling. In consequence of tho exceptionalinclemency of the weather, and the difficulty of , obtaining provisions when the survey, was made, it was, unfortunately, found impossible to make a minute examination of the range along the water-shed of the Ahaura, but from observations taken at various eligible points, the only place where it is doubtful if the water could be carried is a small dip or depression in the range about the head of Mqsquito .Creek, which could at a small extra Outlay be flumed if required. It will from the foregoing be seen that the scheme is practicable, and next, comes the question of cost, and the probability r .of -the, race; becoming remunerative. Fifty sluice-heads of water is the maximum [ quantity which could be delivered on Napoleon Hill, supposing the source of the race to be at Randall's Creek The chief difficulty and expense would be in crossing the depression near the source of the race, where the long and high reach of fluming would be required. The Provincial Engineer, in 'his report on this race, recommends that instead of fluming this depression should be crossed by means of an inverted syphon, made of iron, it is to be presumed. The choice of means or material in making the aqueduct is a matter entirely professional, but the adoption of the principle pf the syphon would save the great expense and danger of construction of the fluming, besides doing away with the difficulty and cost *f keeping fluming at such a great elevation in repair. .' The total cost of bringing in the race is set down at ..£25,000, and the revenue derivable from the sale of water, taking the lowest .calculation, viz., fifty heads sold once at £1 per week, would come to £2500 per annum. These calculations were made, at a period when the now proved auriferous resources of the district were comparatively undeveloped.

Since that time the great rushes to Napoleon and Half-Ounce have come and passed away, leaving very little behind them but the positive knowledge that the richest of the ground is above the reach of any .water at present available, and consequently valueless to the mining community." When the survey above-mentioned was i made by Messrs Coe and Hurst it was intended to take the water to Noble's Creek, which was at that time the only gold-field of any importance opened in the district. But the highly situated terraces along Duffer Creek, such as Fireman's, Gladstone's, Hayes's, Boland's, Henderson's, .Venus, and others, have since been discovered and worked out, as far as they would pay under existing conditions. The washdirt from' most of these high terraces had to be shot down hundreds of feet to water where the gold could be extracted from it. There are millions of tons of auriferous drift yet remaining which would not pay for so much trouble, but yet will pay well. The Teviot and Brandy Jack's Terraces, with the rich ground, at the head of Duffer and Half - Ounce Creeks, have been tried and found ripe for sluicing operations whenever water is to be had. The miners of this extensive district are very badly supplied with water, being chiefly dependent on the rain, and, as a natural consequence, no poor ground can be worked. The diggings are situated in alluvial hills, which rise from 200 ft to 500 ft above the level of the surrounding country, and contain leads of gold throughout. The chief workings have been hitherto in the creek beds and low terraces adjoining, on to which the creek water could be raised, ' but little or none of the higher ground has been worked, except those leads in which the washdirt was sufficiently rich to pay for driving, and washing during rainy weather with water collected in small reservoirs. Such was the position of affairs when Mr Dobson made bis report nearly four years ago, and so it is still, with the exception, perhaps, that the higher terraces are a little better prospected and proved to contain payable gold.

In speaking with reference to a water supply for this part of the Giey Valley, Napoleon is mentioned first simply because it is the point of greatest altitude, and therefore the point of termination and future distribution of any large body of water brought in to supply the whole district. But to understond the importance and extent of the Napoleon District when taken in connection with any comprehensive scheme for supplying the Grey Valley Gold-fields with water, it mu3t be remembered that by "Napoleon," the workings comprised merely within the boundaries of the sub-district of Napoleon Hill are not solely meant. The district of which Napoleon is, or was, the centre includes the extensive and long-established workings of, to the northward, Noble's Creek, Duffer Creek and its tributaries, Sullivan Creek, Rowdy Creek, Teviot Creek, HalfOunce Creek, and its tributaries, besides the Wellington, Belfast, and Coffey Terrace Leads. To the south-west are the Cariboo, Mosquito, Orwell Creek, Topsy Creek, Deep Creek, and Back Creek Leads, and all the gold workings along the northern bank of the Ahaura River, from Starvation Point to the town of Ahaura, and the new ground recently opened on the high terraces on the Orwell Creek Lead. The only drawback in connection with the Randall Creek Race is the limited supply of water likely to be obtained. The creek has to be tapped at such a high elevation, in order to raise the water to a level with Napoleon Hill, that the spot where the water is in greatest volume has to be passed over. Fifty head 3of water, large as the quantity may seem, is a mere dribble to the quantity wanted to meet the requirements of the miners at present ready, to use it. There is another plan proposed, by which an unlimited supply of water could be obtained for the section of country we are speaking of, but of course the cost of bringing in this increased supply would be proportionately greater. Not but the extraexpense would be amply compensated for, because it may be relied upon as an element in making any future calculation that too great a quantity of water cannot be made available for highlevel sluicing in the Napoleon • District. And the estimate of L 2,500 per annum, given as a probable income from the rent of 50 heads of water, is rediculously under the atriount which may fairly and reasonably be expected. That calculation is based upon the supposition that the water would only sell once from its departure from its highest elevation, to the lowest level of the valleys, and then only at a price of £1 per sluice-head per week. The estimated revenue, reckoned without^ the slightest exaggeration, to be derived from 50 Government sluiceheads of water, and delivered at a sufficient altitude on any of the Grey Valley Gold-fields, would be for the first year £15,000, and for the second and the three or four succeeding years £10,000 I per annum. The rent for water now, under even unfavorable conditions, is £1 per head per day — Sundays, included I (because water can do its work on Sunday without endangering the sanctity of even a Sabbatarian's day of rest)— and it will take manj years of the most extensive and continuous sluicing before remunerative ground commences to become scarce, or water depreciates in value. Before any practical action is taken upon Mr Harrison's motion, the plan alluded to above will be fully and publicly explained. In the meantime the thanks of the miners of the Grey Valley are due in the first instance to- Mr J. D. Pinkerton, who in his place in the Provincial Council during the last session brought forward a motion, and induced the Government and the Council to affirm the desirability of making the Randall Creek Water-race. The efforts of Mr Harrison to give practical effect to the recommendation of the Nelson Provincial Council, by asking Parliament to make a grant for the construction of the race, are also worthy of commendation, and the member for the Grey Valley may ba assured thatthe action taken by him in this matter is appreciated and will be remembered;

A meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held last evening at Gilmer's Hotel ; Mr H. Newton in the chair. After some routine business had been disposed of, the matter of appointing a matron and laundress was again deferred till Saturday. Tenders for supplies for six months were opened, and the following were accepted :- meat, Woolfe and Killeen ; coal, G. Martin ; milk, Hill and Hampton ; • bread, H. Williams ; funerals, J. Quinnj groceries, Duncan M'Lean [wines and spirits, J. Hamilton,