GOLD MINING AT OKARITO

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1931, Page 2

GOLD MINING AT OKARITO

ADDRESS BY ENGINEER

MANY DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVER-COME.

CHRISTCHURCH, January 15

An jjiu.rc.scmg mm tue tlitficiuties which hud to he overcome in order to build the gold-mining di-edg-at Five Mile Bead), near Okarito, was given (by ‘.Ur \V. Stewart, resident. engineer at the dredge of the Okarito Gold Mining Company, last night, when he gave a lamern lecture in the Chamber of Commerce Hall before a good attendance. Mr E. H. S. Hamilton presided.

Mr Stewart dealt first with the history of the Okamo district. The name ne said, meant “short or stunted flaxbush.” It was interesting to note that in 1860 the whole of the West Coast except 12,C00 acres of a native reserve, had been brought by the Government from the Maoris for £3OO. Okarito was important because, in the early days of “placer’’ mining, all the gold from the rich Five .Mile Beach claims—amounting to over £7,000,C00 annually.—had to pass through the township, which had a population of 8000. It had now dwindled away and lost its old-time bustle.

DIFFICULTIES of TRANSPORT

Mr Stewart said it took seven weeks to get the mining machinery from Okarito to Five Milo Bench, a distance of only five miles, This gave some idea of the rough tracks, The work had to bp done by a horse team apd waggon. The b e Pah POtdd not be u;sed to transport the gear owing to jis uneven and rooky nature, Another difficulty was crowing Three Mile Creek, which had accounted for seventeen lives. Sometimes, after northerly weather, it was blocked at the mouth, thus facilitating the crossing. Then Five Mile Creek had to he crossed, this tbeing possible only at low water. On the beach, which was used some, of the way, varying conditions were met with. On one day, huge rocks would block the way, and on the next the sea would have covered them with sand, and made the going easy. The task of conveying the 18-inch steel pipes to the mine from Okarito was the most difficult encountered, as often they had to be cached and picked up when conditions would permit.

LAYING THE PIPE-LINE

Laying the pipe-line from Lake Alpine. 340 feet above sea level, and two miles from the claim, was no easy task, for a track had to be cut through the bush and a tunnel drilled in the rock at the lake intake. The pipe had to be carried across the Five Milo lagoon on piles mink 16ft. into the swampy soil. The pipe-line completed, hydraulic elevating was commenced. This form of mining enabled the gold lying as deep as thirty feet below the surface, in virgin soil, to be worked payably. The “fines” were passed over coconut matting which caught the suspended gold particles, and allowed the sand and water to pass away, This method caught about 9S p e r cent, of the “fin&s” ip the “boxes,” but the dredge was much more efficient. The large and deep pit excavated by the elevator was later used to launch the pontoon, which bears the dredging apparatus, This dredge, which is to ,be used by the Okarito Company was used on a claim up the Little Wanganui River for ten weeks only. The dredge was dismantled and conveyed by horse and bullock team to Okarito, where it was taken to the claim. On one occasion, the waggon hnd to be left on the beach, and next morning it was covered with gravel, and had to be left in its position for four months.

ASSEMBLING DREDGING

APPARATUS,

Meanwhile work was being pushed on on the pontoon, said Mr Stewart. Slides showing the company’s sawmill, and logs trimmed ready for milling, were shown, and the work on the pontoon itself was seen. The pontoon, when finished, was launched in the ‘ paddock” left by the hydraulic elevator. This hole had been filled with water from the lake. Work was then commenced on the reassembling of the dredging apparatus.

An interesting slide showed a beachcomber at work with his “hurdygurdy,’’ shovelling sand and water into it. The mixture ran over a sheet of copper plated with mercury, which arrested the gold to form an amalgam. This method paid fairly well. In reply to a question as to the disposal of sand from the dredge, Mr Stewart said that the sand and water would he separated, and thrb any possibility of the used sand running under the dredge again would be obviated. There would be no wear on buckets due to logs or boulders, be said, because the soil was thoroughly pulverised. The reason why the company had not had the gear brought by sea was ,because of the danger from the heavy seas on the coa^t. At the conclusion of his address. Mr Stewart was accorded a vote of thanks.