MINING

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1933, Page 3

MINING

AN AUTOMATIC SYPHONi WORKING DEMONSTRATION GIVEN. DUNEDIN, June 15., A gathering oi mo.'e tiian it/) men jiteiesied in mm.ng witnessed a demonstratum or a nmuel oi a patent aucoiinmc mining syphon in tne ueu oi the iLoburu treed at Cromwell on luesuay afternoon, interest has been centred in the activities o. a local syndicate which has secured a mining license oter the. bed ot the Nevis river, in the lbwer gorge between the crossing and its commence with the river at Kawarau. The project to dam ‘ tiie Nevis at the crossing was part of the original plan of the • ivawarau company, for it has long been contended that this part of the Nevis, forming as it does (with a safe reef bottom) a natural catchment ..or gold, would be extremely rich. Previous efforts by early miners to wing dam the river and thus work the bottom were never very successful, owing to the confined nature of the river.

The Nevis Gorge mining syndicate has been considering the proposal of Mr K. S.'Cree Brown to dewater the river by means of his patent automatic mining syphon, but he made it a condition that the patentee should give a practical demonstration with a working model. This demonstration was given with a model comprising 32 i'eefc of six-inch pipe, to which a pump for extracting aid was attached. Once it was in operation the syphon delivered one and one-tenth heads of water.

Explaining the principle of the device, Mr Brown said that with a larger syphon it would be possible to lay bare from 300 yards to* 400 yards ol the river, and mining could be carried on continuously for 10 months' cf the year. During the rest of the year opportunity could be taken to shift the plant. The Nevis Gorge syndicate oemprises a number of residents ot the district, as well as several men from Gore who are interested in mining.