KAWARAU DAM

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1926, Page 4

KAWARAU DAM

TUB GATES CLOSED. A CHEAT SCHEME- TO BE TESTED. QUEENSTOWN. Aug. 80. With the stage net for the opening of Kmvarau’s great gold-mining scheme, tin; curtain went tip at 10.30 a.m. today on a picturesque scene at Frankton Falls. Before a holi dn is on the left hank two thousand people' listened to the speeches, of which brevity -was the note, everybody wanting the gates to lie closed in the shortest time. Mr Hanlon presided, and with hint on the dais were the directors, public body representatives and their wives. Apologies for absence and well-wishes were received from the Ministers of Public Works and Mines. Mr A. IT. Kimhell, (Under-Secretary for Miners), Mr T.. C. Mackenzie (Acting-Public AVorks Engineer), Mr XL. L. Wigley (Timartt). the Otago Expansion League. Messrs If. S. [min. liaggitt and Bayne (Chief Engineer. Mines Department). Mr Hinnlon said that the wording of the messages showed the interest in this venture taken far and wide. On November. 22nd.. 1921. a large number had met at the falls for the purpose '

firing the first shot to signalise the erection of the Kawarnu dam. Since then they had been beset with a large number of difficulties, some of which were believed by some to be wholly insuperable, but owing to the skill, ingenuity and patience of tfie engineers these difficulties had been overcome. He drew their attention to the fact that the Kawa-ran Goldmining Company was not a gold-mining company in the ordinary sense of the word. The company was formed for the purpose of erecting the dam in order that these who cared to enter the venture to

mine the Kawarnu "River might have the waters of Lake Wakatipu stored to enable them more effectually to work the river for the winning of gold, and owing to the dam now being an accomplished fact the company had discharged its load. That was the great work acomplished by supreme effort. A great deal of credit was due to the engineers who had been in charge of the construction. Mr Viekormnn (consulting engineer') and Mr David (resident engineer) had done prodigious service to the company and the claim holders hv the assiduity they had devoted to the erection. Mr Hanlon wished the claim holders every success.

ACTIVITY OX- CLAIMS. Over the week-end nearly all the claim-holders arrived, and tents were being erected. To-day, however, there will not be the- same activity on tbo small claims 'as on those belli by the bigger companies, the Consolidated Auckland, Vogel's Vision and AYairarapa. three Auckland companies. Golden Bed, Golden River and Golden Gorge. Claims GO, 07. 78, 88, 93 and 99 have a Yukon and West Australian miner (Mr O’Donnell) in charge, with eight men under him. flis main camp i.s at No. 93, two miles past Victoria Bridge. Sluicing is to he, carried out 150 Teet. of boxes being ready, and four men are to lie kept- busy shovelling into them. Sn far as the Kawarnu Company is concerned everything lias been made ready for the curtain to lift. An office will he opened at Queenstown, whence gold carriers will leave for tho claims. Each claim-holder has been given hags and seals, into which all the gold collected will lie placed and taken down to the office whenever occasion demands. lake pressure ox dam.

Only a thirty ton pressure will he against each .of the ten six ton gates and 1000 ton piers at the dam, basing the contention on calculations by hydraulic principles. Mr AMekerman, of the consulting engineering firm of Vickerman and Lancaster, made this statement as a. final shot in pessimists and the sceptical, who held that when Lake AVakatipu rose the pressure would he so great that the gates would collapse. A rise of 1-in. in the lake level has been assessed at an added quantity of water of seven hundred and fifty million tons, lmt, ns Mr Vickerman explained, all the pressure would be against the depth of the lake and not on the outlet, so that those arguments have been exploded finally and just at the time when everybody is speculating on tho success of Hie great mining gamble. ONLY TEMPORARY. The closing of tho gates is merely temporary, and lias been decided on for the purpose of conducting investigations in order that the claim holders may devise systems of working their holdings. So far very scanty preparations in the way of providing machinery have been made, because it is quite evident that until the people who intend mining the river are cognisant of conditions below the water, the purchase of machinery that might with all probability later prove useless would lie unnecessary waste. It is recognised that at the present season of the year the gates cannot be kept closed for any length of time, and the commencement- of operations on anything like a large scale for a shortperiod would be inadvisable. Claim holders are content to have the opportunity of making a preliminary examination and arrange for machinery that can he placed in readiness for the next opening of the lake at a favourable season, when mining can he carried out for a more lengthy period. Then, too, there is the possibility that the experiences of the early days on the river will he repeated and that gold will be taken from the crevices and rocks now covered with water. \ ,

If such a dm nee presented itself and the dreams of the gold-seekers come true, the closing of the gates even for a few days would ho sufficient to contribute to the enrichment of those fortunate enough to strike a few “pockets.”

There is keen interest all along the river, and men are waiting anxiously hut patiently, with something of the spirit of eager anticipation and feverish excitement, to prolw the secret of the unknown that characterised the early gold “rushes.” The lure of gold is as potent to-day as then, and the hopes and fears that fdled the adventurous souls of other days are agitating those who are making a determined effort to wrest with the aid of modern engineering skill the hoard which the river has gathered to herself through endless centuries and guarded so securely from the greedy hand of man.

The hectic scenes of the past are, of course, absent, hut the tense eagerness is there nevertheless.

GOOD PROSPECTS. DUNEDIN, Aug 31. To-day is one of great activity on the Kawarau River, the claimholders anxiously awaiting the subsidence of the waters. Yesterday the tributary rivers were running fairly high, and no great fall was recorded. To-day, however, on the upper reaches, there ntus a marked decrease in the quantity of water running, ami men have been busy along the hanks with tin dishes, trying out prospects from the newly uncovered hanks. These are reported to be entirely satisfactory, and each dish of material washed has shown returns of nice flaky gold. The drop in the depth of the winter varies considerably. In some places it j is as much as eleven feet.

'The engineers are making surveys, and in other ways preparing for the period when the waters will be closed off for a larger period. The machinery to be employed has yet, of course, to lie decided on. On the lower reaches of the river, the decrou.se in tho volume of water lias not been so marked, and the claimholders here are naturally disappointing, though the drop in the river has enabled prospecting which has shown satisfactory results, and the returns from washing by tin dishes are very good. In the gorges there is us yet no chance to ascertain the position, because tiie banks apparently drop slice* down front the waters edge.

The Shotovcr is evidently the cause of the flow of water, as it is carrying beyond iis usual capacity. There has been some melting of the snow on the hills, but th(> heavy frost last night lessened this.

The dam has yet to be closed eight days, and with a fortunate succession of heavy frosts, the position may improve and show a. further substantial diminution in tho flow of water.