PROJECT AT MURCHISON

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1931, Page 8

PROJECT AT MURCHISON

Air J. A. Spencer, field geologist, is about to undertake an intensive exam illation - of the Alatakitaki River, near Murchison, in collaboration with - Air John Henderson, mining engineer, of Christchurch. Arrangements have been made with an Auckland syndicate, and the survey will commence almost immediately. Should the recommendation of "these experts be favourable, a company will be formed to dredge the area. The areas, which comprise some 10,000,000 cubic yards of alluvial gravels, have been already drill bored and shafted with satisfactory results, so far as values as concerned. Just before the earthquake occurred in 1929 arrangements had been made to sluice out a terrace consisting of talus (debris) from a high ridge rising behind this terrace. Air Samuel Bush and his family had recovered striated gold from this terrace in good-sized nuggets. The striations shown in this gold plainly reflect the trend of the glacial action, having exactly the same striations and direction as the rocks from which the nuggets were recovered. It was intended to sluice this terrace into the river and then recover the gold by dredging. Then the catastrophe occurred, and the whole ridge and terrace were hurled into the river. The river was dammed. Bush’s farm was covered, and unfortunately' he lost three members of bis family. After a time the river re-asserted itself, and is now resuming its normal course. This mentis that the slaminu nnemtion, which it was intended to do bv artifi eial means, is now limner naturally done by the river, and that, the gold is beinir taken into the catchment area Below, willcb it is proposer! to UreUrre. and which the engineers are about to examine. Air Spencer describes it as a fascinating problem, particularly ns the area has already been proved consistently rich before the earthquake catastrophe, bv both boring and shafting, and mainlv on this account be urged that another engineer lie nopointed to assist and verify nnv deductions that may be arrived at. With the exception of three acres which wore dredged 20 venrs,ago. when under somewhat primitive conditions, and with indifferent gold-saving appliance, 1/4 per cubic yard was dredged up in sold, as recorded in the “New Zealand Handbook,” the areas are virgin, and no prospecting had reached below water level.