The MINERAL PRODUCTS of The PROVINCE of NELSON.'

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 287, 29 November 1873, Page 1

Th e MINERAL PRODUCTS of The PROVINCE of NELSON.'

[The following paper was; read at the Exhibition yesterday by Mr W. Wells.] I bare been asked by the Committee to read a paper on the mineral products exhibited, but as I can claim very little preteoeion to a scientific knowledge of mineral?, I must confine myself to offering only a few general remarks find suggestions on some of the minerals forwarded to the Exhibition. As the time for reading these papers is necessarily very limited, I propose to notice in a very corecry manner a number of the mineral exhibits, and confine my principal remarks to two of the most important, viz., coal and iron. The first I have to notice is a very interesting exhibit of associated minerals from the Collingwood Company's mine on the Aorere, consisting of coal, iron stone band and limestone, with other minerals found io the drive they are now excavating, tome remarks on which will be made in a later part of this paper. Ihe fibrous brown ore, from the Para Para, Collingwood, exhibited by Mr Webster of Nelson, in its native, ■melted, and manufactured state, is probably the moat interesting and important in the collection. This mineral is commonly found in Urge beds in gneiss or mica-slate, and very frequently in connection with granular limestone. It is found in the Orkney Islands io Scotland, Germany, France, and the Austrian dominions, and a remarkable deposit of it is worked at Salisbury in the United States. The iron produced from this ore is superior in malleability, and is much esteemed on account of its toughnew and hardness, and the pig. iron obtained from smelting its purer varieties with charcoal, is easily converted into steeL The ore exhibited lam informed contains fifty per cent, of iron. A pigment from this ore is exhibited and macafactored by Mr Louisson of this city. The same ore is exhibited in pigment by Johnston Brothers, who are manufacturers of this product, and who j also exhibit a variety of other minerals fonnd in the province. Plumbago is exhibited from Collingwood by Mr Hough. I find this mineral was analysed and re- | ported on the Exhibition in Otago in 1865. No. 1 sample forwarded from Nelson to the Exhibition- gave carbon 37*6, water, 2 00, ash 60*40. No. 2 sample, carbon 68*10, water 2.68, asb 39 22. The report states in reference to sample No, Is— The quantity of ash ia large, compared to that of the Borrowdale graphite, hot mach of the graphite used in the manufacture of ■ crucibles contains quite as large a proportion, and in reference to No. 2 sample, the report goes on to say: — This sample more recently received from Nehon was found to be much superior to the previous one, and equal to the inferior graphites from the Borrowdale Qioe, the ash in these samples being remarkably free from manganese or iron. This mineral when found in a pure and •olid state is very valuable, 31bs weight of it ia tail to be worth 2ibs weight of silver, and it is used for the manufacture of (he best class of pencils, the inferior kinds j is the manufacture of crucibles, as \ black lead, for polishing iron ore, and it is also used for lessening the friction in machinery. Steatite or soapstone from the Para Para, exhibited by Mr Brace of Collingwood, and Johnston Brothers of Nelson. This mineral is found in large quantity in tbat district. It is used io the arts in j a variety of ways. It is employed for the* hearths of furnaces, the sides of fire places and stove*, also for tho purpose of engraving, for the manufacture of porcelain, for cleaning of % siik« and woollen clothe, and? in other ways in giving lustre and onctuoaily to other bodies. Clays with a variety of other minerals from the brown coal formation of Motupipi are exhibited by Mr George Gilbert. Mr Hough, of Nelson, exhibits plumbago, red hematite, clays and marble from Wakatnarina, and the Collingwood district. The Exhibition is much indebted to Dr Tattoo, of Nelaoo, for the large and various selections of minerals he exhibits, from almost every district in the province, with the commercial products beautifully iliastrated. These exhibits give us a very fair idea of what oar Province contains in mineral resources. Coal is well represented and deserves particular attention. The large specimens from the Brunner mine, the Colliogwood Company's mine, and two specimens from the Murray Creek, Inangahua, deserve special notice, as also coke from the Brunner, together with three good specimens prepared by Horley Brothers, of Nelson, Flagstone from Wangamon, and granite from Adele Island, exhibited by Mr Younger, are deserving of special attention. The West Coast goldfields are well represented by the Bank of New Zealand and Mr Preshaw of the Bank of New South Wales, by a large variety of specimens from the goldfields and surrounding country, and the Trustees of the Museum at Hokitika have handsomely and voluntarily sent 200 valuable specimens -of various minerals from (heir collection for. exhibition in Nelson. . ' Probably tha best proof of the goldfields industry on the West Coast will be found in the published retnrna by the General Government op to the 30th September last, showing the export of gold from the Nelson Province to be £5,091,784 sterling, and this of course is chiefly derived from the West Coast. GOAL. According to the general report on the coals of New Zealand by Dr Hector, published by command, and dated 13ih July, 1872, I find that trae bituminous coal bad, up to that time, been found only in

the Province of Nelson, with the exception of a few irregular seams, which show themselves in sandstone, at Mount Hamilton in the Southland Province, and the River Grey bed, which extends into the Province of Wesiland.

The Nelson coalfield extends through the entire leDgth of the Province from North to South, and faces havebeen opened on coal seams, at various points throughout the whole dfstance. * On the Aorere River* at Collingwood, several seams have j been exposed, varying from 1 foot to 4 feet in ihiekness. At West Wanganui the came seam shows itself, again, further \ south, at the Mokinui River, a six-foot, eeam occurs about three miles up the j stream, then again, as we go South on the coast line, on the River Kgakawao, about 18 m|ies north of West port, a seam of coal shows itself with a thickness tof sixteen feet ; after this comes the Mount Rochfort plateau, where five different seams are exposed, having an aggregate thicknes of 38 feet of coal. Next in the eerie?, and as we get towards the southern boundary of the Province we have the Grey River coal beds, where the well-known Bruoner caal mine has been opened and worked for several years. Dr Hector, in his geological survey of 1866 7 states as follows, respecting this mine. The thickness of the seem varies from 15 to 23 feet, and is contained between a roof and floor of solid grit, which enables it to be worked with facility, timbers being required for the support of the roof only in a fevf places, where it has a tendency to flake. The coal formation at this point rises at an angle of 12 degrees, in an Easterly direction from the water level, to an altitude of at least 2000 feet in the Mount Davy mountains, and extends to the north for a distance of seven miles, intersecting about 12 miles north of the Grey River; any coal within this area can of course be worked level free, as in the case of the present mine, which system involves the least working expense, all xcavations being in marketable coal, and no outlay being required for hauling the coal or draining the mine; and in reference to this mine he adds, providei that no serious .faults occur, be sees no reason for doubting, that on the most moderate computation, this property should yield five million tons of coal. Now these seams I have noted are all true bituminous coal, and pronounced by the Government Geologist* after analyses and experiment to be of a high generating steam power. ANALYSIS. w |i II I * Bituminous Coal — Collingwood ... 7.44 5731 1.05 4.90 Ngakawao ... 9,25 71.16 231 278 Mount Rochfort... 8.50 65.45 2.60 4.00 Brunner Mine, GreyKiver... 7.36 56 62 l.€O 6.11 Qne of the best tests of the quality of coal is the quantity of water it contains, the above coal averaging a little over 2 per cent. Brown coal generally gives from 12 to 15 per cent of water. A very valuable discovery has lately been made in connection with the Collingwood beds of coal, and likely to lead to important results before long. Band ironstone, containing from 40 to 50 per cent of iron is found side by side with the coai seams on the Collingwood Company's property, and at the distance of a couple of miles farther up the river Aorere, and on the same line of strike with the Colliogwood mine, several seams of compact bituminous coal are exposed. The last seam discovered measures four feet of clean coal. Also, on the ascent to this coal, red hematite is reported to shew in strong force, one band giving a face of six feet in thickness. Limestone being also abundant in this, Wakamarima, range, with plenty of timber for mining purposes, as also for charcoal burning, affording all the materials necessary for the production of iron, end at the lowest minimum . expense, as all these products may be conveyed down the slope in the came shoot, to the smelting furnace. A few miles round the Bay, and with the facility "of water communication, at the Para Para, very large deposits of brown hematite iron ore of excellent quantity are met with, specimens of which, as I have already noticed, are exhibited both in the native and smelted state. This ore is already placed in the market by our enterprising townsman,MrLouiesony in the shape of a pigment, which is io great demaad for painting both in wo/d and iron, and I believe several Molbou/ne capitalists are taking up leasing block/ on this field for smelting operations. With such facilities in our neighborhood for the production of iron, I see no reason/ why Nelson should not become, before /many years, extensively engaged in the/ shipbuilding industry. I There is no doubt that if thes> two minerals, coal and iron, are found (fiosely allied together and in quantity, al conclusion which appearances strongly wawaot. Collingwood has a very promisiag^future before it. Coal and iron may be said to be the keystone or basa of almost every industry, and as soon as we can get these two minerals to utilise one another, and successively compete with foreign importation, other industries will speedily take root in the country. As an instance how thesa two minerals, coal and iron, aid in a very marked degree io the prosperity of a district and country, I may instance the City of Glasgow at the present time and what it was forty years ago. During this period large deposits of iron stone, commonly called black band, have been found from time to time associated with the coal formation which exists in the neighborhood of that city, the consequence is that the iron trade has grown to gigantic dimensions in its neighborhood. The city, for population, is now

the second in Qreat Britain, and its port the largest iron ship building in the world. The tonnage sent out annually from its yards has now reached 200,000 tons and rapidly increasing. This mighty work* shop is in a great measure to be attributed to the two minerals — coal and iron — being found in quantity in the neighborhood of the city. Another instance of the rapid rise to wealth and industry in consequence of having large quantities of ironstone in its neighborhood is the town of Cleveland in the north of England, the site of which contained only a single house or two forty years ago, nnd now numbers 40,000 inhabitants. The mines in its neighboring hills, yielding cix million tons of ore annually. The vaiue of the coal and iron ore extracted from the mines in the United Kingdom is now upwards, of fifty millions' sterling per year, and the immense power generated by their combined alliance may be said to have made Great Britain the great workshop of the world. I think we may safely infer that our own province, and New Zealand generally, are now commencing a new era, in consequence of having ,a fair prospect of utilizing their mineral wealth, from the encouragement the General Government is giving in advancing money to reach our coal beds by tramways, and otherwise ; by offering bonuses to private enterprise in manufactures of various kinds, together with the disposition now shown by private capitalists to engage in mining enterprise in the province, gives us fair reason to hope that at no very distant period a large industry in our natural productions will be promoted. This age may truly be characterised as the age of iron. Our progress in arts, science, and civilization, is. chiefly due to Khe mechanical forces applicable to this mineral, and the industry called forth by its presence may be truly said to be the greatest humanizer of our race: In engaging in mining operations, particularly gold-mining, great care however ought always to be used to first ascertain whether your mine has ore in quantity, or as the mineralogist would say, in force. We are very apt to be induced to enter into mining speculations, and take shares in mines by seeing a few rich specimens, and it is no uncommon thing tbat on the faith of fibch specimens will order expensive plant for crushing, and for other appliances necessary for mining operations, taking jit for granted that there will be plenty of stuff for crushing after the machinery is' ready for work. Now this ia exactly putting the cart before the horse. In careful mining enterprise the first thing to do is to ascertain by actnal measurement by driving and cross driving on the course of your ore, whether you are warranted in going to the expense of getting machinery or not. Rich specimens from mines are a very uncertain test of future dividends. Indeed we find in many instances the poorest ore producing mines paying the best dividends, as instanced by the Great Devon Consols copper mine in Cornwall, yielding only 6 per cent, and has for a loog period been one of the best paying mines in England; and we find several good paying gold mines iv Australia yielding only from 4 to 6 dwts to the ton. This is simply because the ore is in great force in these mines and easily got. We are very apt to make a cry here, why do other mines pay dividends with 4dwtß to the ton, and we do not with 8 or lOiwtS; simply because the circumstances are not equal, either from weakness in quantity in a given area in our drives, or other causes which may require a much larger amount of labor in getting the ore, the price of which absorbs all that under more favorable circumstances would be available for dividends. But I need not dilate further on our incautious mode of going into mining speculation, knowing that not a few of us have during the last few years paid dearly /or our haste in this respect, and I should Hope will be a practical lesson for the future. • The exhibits in this Exhibition shew that our province is strongly marked in }ts mineral character, and if sufficient capital is employed with mining skill to direct it, there is every encouraging prospect of large returns on the capital employed, particularly in our iron and coal fields. At the conclusion of Mr Wells' address, a vote of thanks was given to him, and three cheers were given for him and Mr Tatton, who had rendered much [valuable service in the mineral department*.