Mines Statement

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 5 October 1917, Page 4

Mines Statement

Mount Ida Water-race./ Central Otago(Mr J. C. Buchanan, Manager). The total s&les of water from the Mount Ida Water-race during the year amounted to £1,326 12s 6d, an increase on that of last year of £l4O 16s lid. The expenditure on maintenance, cleaning, and repairs for the same period amounted to £1,622 2s lid, an increase on that of last year of £125 3s 6d.

The total cash received was £1,326 12s 6d„ Free water for washing up was supplied to tbe value of £lO4 la 6d.

The total value of water supplied from this race amounted to £1,430 13 lid, an increase on that of last year of A'l24 Is sd.

The approximate quantity of 'gold obtained by parties using water from this race during the year was 1,2550z, valuad at £4,831 15s, an increase on that of last year of £261165. The average number of men employed was 25.75.

From the Ist April to the 30th September there was a fair supply of water, and the winter being an exceptionally mild one most of the claims were working steadily during this period. The water becoming short, I started on tba 2nd October with all the available men to clean and repair the race, and had the water on again on the Ist November. Owing to the scarcity of labour the work of clean iner and repairing the race took much longer than in former years. Good rains during November gave a plentiful supply of water, which also filled the Eweburn Reservoir. From the 2,7 th November to the end of the year was one continuous drought, and the Eweburn Reservoir running out on the 3rd February the supply from cnis date to the end of March became very short, at times being as low as 2J heads. To cope with the demand for water I found it j necessary at the time of cleaning an .- j repairing the race to give it sn extra ! good cleaning as far as Idabiirn, a distance o; about teen miles. I i bad also to enlarge ai d completely rej new three short Humes, two of them |on the west side of Main Gully, and one at the bend of the race in Home Gully. I also found it neceisary to ! lay an additional 17in. siphon along- | side the siphons crossing Enterorise and Main Gullies, and strengthened the Ewebura tunnel with-eight new sets of timber. The race during the year was fairly free of mishaps." Two breaks occurred— viz., in Coalpit 'Gully,.also between the East and West Eweburns. The race at present is in good order, and the demand for water atill equals the supply.