THE DIAMOND DRILL BORING MACHINE.

Kumara Times, Issue 1153, 9 June 1880, Page 4

THE DIAMOND DRILL BORING MACHINE.

The Diamond Rock-boring Machinei advertised by the Mines Department in another column, was recently purchased in Sydney from the Australian Diamond Rock-Drill Company, for the purpose of exploring or prospecting for mineral deposits. Applications from mining centres had from time to time been received by the Government, and papers upon this subject were laid upon the table of the House last session, with the result that a vote was taken for the purchase of a boring machine suitable for New Zealand mineral lands. The rock-drill now under notice is one of the full-sized machines described in the parliamentary papers. It is complete, with a 12-h.p. locomotive boiler for wood or coal, one of Tangye’s No. 3 doubleacting pumps, and extra fittings, and it is capable of boring a core of one inch and seven-eighths to a depth of fifteen hundred feet. It was used in Queensland for a short time, and put down a bore of twelve hundred feet without accident. In appearance it resembles an ordinary locomotive boiler upon waggon-wheels, with the drill machinery bracketed on to the front of the boiler. It is very compact and portable, and can be worked vertically, horizontally, and at different angles, without special bedding or setting. In fact all that is necessary to set the machine in motion is to take out the horses, block the wheels, and get up steam and the boring is simply a process of investigating the strata of the earth by means of a revolving disc, set with diamonds, which the hardest known rocks or quartz cannot resist under pressure from the machine above upon the hollow rods to which the disc is attached. The core of rock, metal, &c., is contained inside the rods in a solid circular mass, and it can be broken off at the length of a a rod (ten feet), or at any lesser length, and brought to the surface at any time for examination. The boring-rods are of the best rolled iron, and the core-barrel is bored the whole ten feet, inside and out. The core-lifter is screwed into the corebarrel, and the diamond-bit or disc is then screwed into the core lifter, the bit proceeding the whole. The rods are lowered and lifted by means of a winchbarrel, bolted on to the top of the machine, and connected to the engineshaft by means of a spur pinion. When the rods are lifted from the bottom of the bore, a close-ribbed taper spring, fitted to the core-lifter, slips down over the core and grips -it firmly, bringing the whole of the solid core in the core-barrel to the surface. As much as twenty feet per day can be bored by these machines with ease, and artesian wells can also be sunk by them. The weight of the machine, exclusive of the boring-rods, is tons. The price for boring has been fixed at the lowest rate commensurate with the cost of the machine and its maintenance, and the scale of charge per foot includes all expenses of working the machine, with the exception of fuel and water and a covering-shed, which are to be provided by the hirer. An engineer-in-charge, Mr. T. H. Carter, has been engaged to work the machine, and will accompany it wherever it may be used or hired out by the Government.

The Wellington Chronicle refers to defects in the education system, and says“ The defects ate mainly due to the over zeal and want of judgment of the Inspector General. There can be no doubt that Mr Habens is a gentleman of large ability and untiring industry* But his seal gets the better of Us judgment He aims at accomplishing too much, with the usual result of accomplishing less than with proper discretion he might readily accomplish. The programme for-the examination of teachers is altogether too extensive. It contains subjects which are of no practical value to the teacher of a State school In ago ahead community Ike ours everything should be ‘Of wh*t practical advantage it is ?’ Tried by this test, we are afraid that much of the programme of examination for New Zealand teachers must be found exceedingly defective. Then again the same error occurs in regard to the sub. jeots taught in our State schools. The curriculum is altogether too ambitions. It W( ?i i mac h better for a grammar school. All that the State should provide—and moreover, all that it can afford to provide—is a sound practical education * accomplishmepts are luxuries which those who desire should be made to pay for. The programme of our State schools should be limited to reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and geography.” ’ At a recent meeting the Nelson Town Committee of Education a petition received frrm nine of the female teachers, asking permission to use their class rooms for half an hour each morning before the commencement or ordinary duties in order that they might impart Bible knowledge was considered. It w»« ultimately agreed on the motion of the ■nev J. Beckenham, to refuse the petition bocause, firstly, it would be likely to Interfere with school duties, secondly, that it would oe too great a tax on the teachers and would “W “on to fall through, and thi-dly that it was contrary to the Education Act, which was strictly secular. The Auckland Steamship Company roport that, from experience gained on the of the Southern Cross to Lavuka, of^L atß iv So ?® ( *? llfc at *f the Government S r££ ealand assißted ifc by a subsidy fnJo!? 00 ® nnum there will be an crease of trade and passenger traffic, greatly to the benefit of the Colony. intelligence has been received by the Mainr« h ® ¥*s ° f th ° eldest “n of Major-General Nugent, formerly 58th Regiment, at Cabal, where he was blown “ a t “ ® x P l< ? Bi £. n while commanding a ®.rf£sL““ BtaßM *- Ho ™‘