Mining News.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 396, 24 August 1889, Page 2

Mining News.

WAIORONGOMAI. Tv A roiia S. and G. ftf . Co. : In the course of a few days, smelting operations with the wati*r jacket furnace will be starteil at thi« Company's works; the furnace being now,with tho exception of a Few trifling detail.*, ready for work. The new elevator in connection therewith has been completed, and the electric light laid on. The first cargo of lead ore from B token JJill (shipped from Port Adelaide, anil consisting of 360 tons), arrived in Auckland a few days since, and is now being carted out to the works at Waiorongomai, a nurabei of teams being employed at the work. Fifty tons arrived by Toesdays train, and about one hundred tons since ; and the balance will be sent on as fast as it can be carted away. We understand a second cargo of galena is expected to arrive from the same place before long. In connection with the early starting of smelting, the revorberatory furnace fire was lit up again on Wednesday,and both it and the revolving fnrnace are expected to be in full swing to-day calcining and matting a further supply of ore for the smelter, which will probably be kept in blast for at least a month's run, when started. The exact di'to that smelting will commence has not yet been decided on, but it will, so far as at present arranged, be some time daring the week after next. The BosSy pan plant has been at work all the week, but as the supply of stuff it has been treating is now getting low, no doubt the chlorodysing (rotary; furnace will again be soon started to provide a further supply. At. the battery 15 head of the now gtamperii, and about 30 head of the old i tampers, are kept steadily at work reducing quartz from the Now Find and Canadian mines. A n«w stone breaker is being erected immediately behind the new 20 head of stampers ; and the quartz after passing through this will fall into a pulverisor, that is to be erected on the floor beneath. Rock driMs are to he introduced in connection with the Company's mining operations, and already the air compressor (in appearance much like a large oval steam boiler, and weighing about 2 tons) and the drills have arrived and been carted out to Waiorongomai The Company's Manager, Mir Howellj is now having some extensive surveying carried out in connection -with the mines, ibyMrG. H. A, Purchas. At present | the surveys being made are of a preliminary character, for the pnrpose of ascertaining levels at\d heights, etc., the object iv view being; the putting in of , a largis lo\t level tunnel, if deemed ad vis- I able to do so after these preliminaries have been ascertained. Owing to the | very wet weather prospecting on the Hill has had to be for the time-being suspnded. Succss Licensed Holding : This ground, forfeited for non-working, has been pegged out afresh, and applied for by Messrs J. McL. Murray and Jas. Goard, who staited work la^fcweek, have cleaned out the old drive, and already broken out a parcel of quartz for treatment at the Te Aroha S. and G. M. Co'a reduction works. This trial parcel (of about three trucks) is kindly looking quartz, ond the prospects far the claim | owners is encouraging. Ferguson Syndicate : The yory wet weather has necessitated work in connection with the Company's new plant being temporarily suspended ; it being, found impossible io work up the timber already ou the ground for the percolating tanks> etc., in its present wet state, or to get the balance carted up until finer weather sets in. The laboratory and assay furnace, ' however, are finished. Unfortunately tho a.<say balance just imported from Glasgow, on being unpacked was found to have got broken on the way out ; and correspondence ia uo\r proceeding, with a view of ascertaining where the fault lies' for this mishap. , In the Premier portion of tho Company's property, the contractors (Grace and pirty) are making fair progress with the work in hand, and nre now within about 15 feet of the junction with the main reef. Gold is occasionally seen in the stnno when breaking down and generally the prospects are very encouraging. The main reef hag been broken into at several points further ahead (say about 200 feet beyond the present junction), and it is Mr Fergusons intention to start to put in a drive next vraek. In the Inverness portion, George and party, contractors, have broken out lliree trial parcels of qunrtz for assay, and are now engaged sinking on another portion of the reef in the low level, in order to test the reef as it goes down.