THE DRAINAGE OF THAMES MINES. A UNIQUE PROPOSAL. Thames, January 10.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 237, 14 January 1888, Page 1

THE DRAINAGE OF THAMES MINES. A UNIQUE PROPOSAL. Thames, January 10.

The following communications from Mr Joshua Cuff, barrister and solicitor, of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, have been placed at my disposal by a member of the Thatnes Drainage Board :— ' " " I have been patenting some inventions in hydraulics, and I hasten to offer to you a scheme I have invented and patented for pumping mine t shafts,. The invention is so simple, so! easily , worked, so inexpensive, and so thoroughly practical,* according to my poor, ideas, that I am .sure you will see it at once., It pan" bo used for almost any lifting purposes, so' I shall be obliged to charge a largQ sum for its'use if your Board of Director's deejn it fit' ta use ibfdr draining th,e Thamesrajnes. I«m ready to sell l my interest; ,in'sbe, paten£to..'yQur Board/or tUl t \putsofe t 8, t c<>nneclga with ••ypwr Bbard m wprkf, only, for • ibhe ,fliam >v i The) sep,oi).d'clotfcorvi«.:ileadeid?i4fvAni Itti yon^ion' ,for „ Pumping Minea'iFreo -from Water b>r : M^n3'ot J.CufFsPafent Watei< Jsi']i r ,mi 4 ;»r<J?eft4JS &r*Wo?bQ « calted/ri Jj , l Cuff'|.in.ine drainage )»Rpafatu>iM;Bl4c% }& , f water, li|b\:(pftt^nt«dVby;J^ ; Guff,lJ*nu<iry^ ■at tha bofctpnvof the uiAftoia the well, sunk .6ft,^Bep, J6p as tq drain »U the water throucrh ih^flt A e P | w|*A'W ordfaj^r^jpuw^ driving th« lift Leh the drainage pipe be of

any capacity so thab always the * lift ' fill? the pipe at its circumference. This pulleyis connected on the large drum on the surfaco of the ground about the mine shaft, so that the lift pulley is driven from 'the drum. The drum must then be attatjh'ed . by shafting to a Pel ton wheel, driven by a downfall pipe from a tank of aay' 3,000 gallon capacity, or greater if found necegsary, so that there is a fall of 40f b. directly on the Pelton wheel, and the power and tht pump work toyethe^. The pump can ba first started by a steam engine, stationary or portable, as the case may be, so that the tank be well filled from the water pumped from the shaffcj afteir which the putnp will work the Peltori wheel, and the Pelton wheel will work the pump." It will thus be seen that it is proposed to work the pump by means of its own watier. The proposal is of a somewhat unique nature, and the offer such a liberal '(?) one that the matter may interest your readers. The communications will bo laid before the Drainage Board at their next meeting. .

Mr W. Gulliver, the draughtsman, haa completed to the order of the' Mayor,' aa excellent sketch of the ggolfd f obelielt in one of Mr" J. H. With,eford*» windows for* Mr W. J. Courtney* who is proceeding to England via South. Africa. The sketch, whidh is 'done' in* I colours and is bound in book form, .giyea all the particulars as to the amount of gold obtained from the verysmallarea of ourgoldr' fields which has been so far worked. It has' been signed by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Devore) 1 , the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr A. H.Nathan), and by Mr J. H. WifoTeford, as mining agent and gold statistician.: Mr Courtney iti tends to bring the goltifields. Srominently before the i capitalists' of the •ld Country, and the sketch will draw afc-* ! tentton to the fact that the £9,0 C0 x OOQ obtained as yet has been found within, a'depih. of 300 feet' from the surface. ' The'desiga ianow on exhibition in Mrs Williamsons windows, corner Vulcan Lane, where.lt has. attracted considerable attention. ' '*' '