TASMANIA AS A MINING COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 29

TASMANIA AS A MINING COUNTRY .

A NEW ZEALAXDER'S COLLECTION. In another column mention s made of the discovery of and immense outcrop of tin ore at North Dundee, West Coast, Tasmania. It iv int-crsstin-g to learn that an old Dunedinite, Air A. D. Sligo (son of Mr Alex. Sligo, George street), who has been touring New Zealand for the last few months, is largely connected with the North D-undas tin field. Dxu-.ng-the past two or thi-os years a good deal of attention has beeii diirected towards [ this field through the rich bodies of delriial I material (wa«te of lode capping), discovered I about the high spurs running through tho rough country, which is all densely covered with heavj' timber and undergrowth. This promising belt of country, said Mr Sligo to a Times reporter, is situated about eight -miles north-east 01 the Zeclhan silver-lead field, and is tparticulao-ly interesting in being characterised by a geological 1 occurrence very similar to the famous ! Mount Bisohoff tin field (the largest tin lode mining proposition in the world), which lies about 25 miles due north of the North Dundas district. The rocks consist mainly of elates, shake., gabbro, serpentine, and quartz-porphyry. The latter rock breaks through the others and forms large dykes over a considerable extent of country, and it is about the contact of slate and quartz1 porphyry that a large number of the tinbearing deposits are found. There are two classes of important deposits in the district, I these being- the pyrit.c-ca,-=6itei-ite masses and the quartz tourmaline-c-assiterite veins Mr A. Montgomery, M.A., Otago University (formerly Government geologist in Tasmania, and now State engineer, West Australia), staled in his reports on the district : " The occurrence is quire similar to that at Mount Bischoff, where a sim.lar quartz-porphyry breaks through similar slates and other Silurian strata, and the great tin ore deposit of the Mount Bischoff mine is at the contact:. The ora found has quite the same peculiar character as the Bisohoff tinstone, and the associated minerals are aho very much the t ame «> there is every reawn to believe that the contact of tilie two rocks will heie al-o v? out cJ o be , the honl * of the tin 01 c." Air Sligo has a largo co llect.on of tin ores (lode and allmiai) from North Dundas and other w-st coast (Tasmania) fields on exhibition "at tho omce of Messrs Sligo Hros. These are from the properties of the Dreadnought lederal, Rcaison BolJ, Mointana, Boulder Penzance Co.'s, and Dmxjombe-Maddcx and Sligo c sections, North Dundas There are also exhibitcl samples of tin ores from iiwiJ- * • W f r ' Wnt 11 A S new ' ™d Cox's Bight districts. The collection further embraces spec-mons of copper ores from the famoi;s Moumt Lyell mine, galena ores (silver-lead) and stannite (copper-tin-silver) from Mount Zeehan field; a:nc-kad sulphides, containing gold and silver, from the Hercules jrine, Mount Read; pyrrhutite, with axinite and c©.lcite, containing copper, gold, and silver, from the Colebrook mine; and baryta (heavy spar), which is now used extensively in connection with the manufacture of paints. Mr Uera.'d Ahem, Associate Otj-go School of Mince-, who is manager of the Comet siher mine. D'UTidas, Tasmania, has ah-o sent over b\ Mr Sligo a fine lot of p> romorphite iphosphato of lead) specimens. It is intended to hand over the bulk of the e-attovtwn now bcin" exhibited to the Otago School of Mines and no doubt Mr Sli-o's action viiil he much appreciated by the professors and students of that institution.

Mr Slioo has boon a member of the committee of the Zcehan School of M>nes for over 16 years, and held the po ition of chaircv>an for six years Since the affiliation^ oi the school with the Tasmanian University he his represented the council of the latter on the committee. Referring to the opon, : ng ceremony in conn^ctirn with the new School "of Mines buildings in Dunedin la^t week, during which Professor BLiek was referred to as the father of New Zealand .Schools of Mince, Mr Shgo states that ih<* same enthusiastic and wo.-thj cit.zen of Dunedin can also claim oedit for tho establishment of schooh of mines m Tasmania. The history of the school s/aw :— " Th© id-ei of establishing a feiAco! of Mines and Metallurgy on Z-3-chan or'pinatcxl v ith Professor Black, of the (Juipo University School of Mil cs. N Z . who. while M^itin^ the Wes-t Cunsi of Tasmania during- the early pait of 1E92. recognised the trreai adv-mtasvs which t>e field po scsi2-J f'_r

the training- of students in mining and metallurgy." The name "J. G. Black, M.A., D.Sc, ' is the first inscribed on the Life Governor Board in the mineralegical museum of the Zee-ban School of Mines, said Mr Shgo, and to-day the instructors presiding over the work of the school are two Otago School of Mines graduates — namely, Sir D. O Allen (son of Mr E. G. Allen, Port Chalmers) and Mr W. S. Watt (son of Px>fessor Watt, Ota,go University). In addition to the specimens of minerals already mentioned, Mr Sligo has afeo on exhibition a number of very interesting samples of quartz from the reefs a.bout Waihi and Karangahaka, Auckland district, which he recently visited. Some of these are very rich in gold and silver contents, while the splendid banded character of the reefs at both fields is well illustrated by a number of the samples exhibited. Messrs Sligo Bros, will be pleased •to show .the collection of minerals to any one who may be interested. Notes from Alexandra. | CFeoh Otjb Own Correspondent.) i ALEXANDRA, August 19. The Earnscleugh Dredging Company has made arrangements for having its claims bored by Stewart's Keystone borer, which has for some time been working successfully in the Teviot district. The plant is expected to arrive to-day, and boring will be commenced immediately. Other claims will probably bo bored by this machine. The Miners' Association at a recent meeting objected to granting occupation licenses on mining areas, and has forwarded its decision to the warden of the district. Messrs Lane .Bros.' Golden Beach No. 2 dredge is still under alterations. The old Teviot elevator has been purchased, and arrived on the claim at the beginning of .the. week. This will be put on the dredge, whilst a silt wheel will also be erected. Mr G. A Harlow, secretary of several dredging companies, is at present in this district, chiefly in connection with the flotation of a nf-w company to acquire the rights of the Alexandra Lead dredge, claim, and pumping plant. He met a number of prominent mminn men here last night, when he submitted his proposal to them. AH were unanimous thar the claim was a good one, and there is every likelihood that some shares will be taken up by local investors. i

*"otes from Cronnvell. (From Oub. Own Correspondent.) CROMWELL, August 20. There was a heavy fall of snow on the high country on Wednesday, but it was very light on the low country here, only covering the ground, and it has now cleared away. It will be a great boon to the hydraulic claims, as there was apoor outlook for the water supply before this fail. - The Hartley and Riley dredge is now getting close to the top boundary, and next week will probably 6ee it cut out. The prospects are _very poor. but the dredsremaster intends shifting down about 300 yds — a short distance below where rich wash was struck recently. The E ectric No. 3 dredge is not doin? any good so far on the late Alpine Consols claim, and as there is only a small portion of maiden ground left there is not much prospect of the venture turning out successfully. The Cromwell Syndicate dredge is reported to be doing very well. The dredge is working a short distance above the chair, and there is every likelihood of decent returns being made for a few wpeks vet. The Keystone borer bottomed a hole at Kawarau Gorge at a depth of about 125 ft, so it proves conclusively that there is deep ground. Nothing of any value was struck, but the syndicate intends putting another hole down as it may strike payable wash. Keen interest is being taken in the results and there is every hope of something payable being struck in one of the ventures.