Te Aroha S. and G Mining Company.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 2

Te Aroha S. and G Mining Company.

TUB PROPOSED T.QW LEVEL

TUNNEL

[t is much to be regretted so little work in the wav of prosnei-t.ng is being carried out on the Te Aiolta portion o l ' the goldfield ..just now. Since tins Te Aroha S. and Q. Mining-Company shut down their Wniorougomul Reduction Works some months since (with the exception of the Ferguson Syndicate), work genejidlv np the goldfield .-epms t«» hqve heeri practically suspended j every one waiting to see whet the "5 Ifig Company 1 are going to do, This is not a healthy state of affairs, and is decidedly in ju.igous to tlie best interests of the itself, and tlie district jr en « r ,ily. The big 'Oqmpany suspended opepitfons desiring to provide, fre-h capital in order to work the goldfield much, more economically than, is possible by means of the existing appliances for mining and transport of quart#, and on a scale in harmony with the very larf e and most complete reduction w.o.iks tfiey have erected for that purpose, by pi tthig to, if, main low level tunnel at a depth of something like 1500 feet belovy the surface > at an estimated outlay of hoping Government would assist so important a work by granting a subsidy, of for The Company only asked this assistance subject to the condition that this subsjdy. be made a first charge on the net profits of the Company, to be repaid to Govern--1 ment before any division of profits amongst tlie shareholders could take place, The correspondence that has passed bei Uyeen the Company and the Government since this proposal was made by the Company has never been made public, but so far the a c ked for assistance has not been give.u by Government. As the editor of tlie who lias occupied that position for a number of years past, purposes vacating the editorial chair within the next few days far a fresh sphere qf labour, he takes this opportunity of recording what the intensions of the Company were ; had the asked fo, r assistance been granted • hturwiffg ’ it will prove of much interest to the. niayority of tlie readers . of the The month of the proposed tunnel to have been just on the iurtlier side of tli,e Army Creek bridge, which i.s about half a mile as the crow flies, or say three-quarters' of a mi-la by the County tramway, from Waibrongomai township. The first 100 feet would have been an open cut (gully), and the tunnel itself start at a height of 495 ft. above the Company’s Battery level ; and thence b.e driven directintothe hill in a north-easterly direction a distance of f7OO feet, which would bring it under the main i.a the Company’s special claim, about mid way between the N. and S. end line boundaries; and on striking the lode giving' 950 feet of ‘ backs ’ below the surface (the top of the reef being being covered at this point), the m a i n lode, so far as yet worked upon averaging 15 feet to 25 feet wide. The tunnel in its course would also cut the Silver King and several other known lateral lodes, whose outcrops are exposed on tlie surface line of this proposed crosscut tunnel. The grade of the tunnel would be 1 in 100, Arrived at the point referred to, the Company would drive through the loije npd probably commence to drive on the vypst wall of the lode right up to (and directly under) the New Find ore shoots, a distance of 3,300 ft ; and leaving 1,630 feet from tlie last mentioned point tq reach the northern boundary of the Company’s mine pi holdings. As the work proceeded cross-cuts would have been pijt in at every favourable point, in order t 6 test the valqe lypfh of the main lode and also of tlie numerous lateral veins (junctioning vvith the lode) on the eastern side of the main lode. The point of proposed drive '3,300ft.) reached, woull give I,lßoft. of'“backs’ to the Smithy level in the New" Find mine. From

the onfornp of the main reef at tlii« point to the Smithv level. P>3o feet in depth, has been stoped out, thus niokine tie—*-•(«! depth frnrn outcrop to floor of funnel JAIO fe-t; civil g between 1,100 nnd f. 200 feet ■>f ‘ barks’. Connection would of murva he made with the Pndthy level iiv rising and sink’ng. Tt was intended to have puslnd forward the work .with all possible speed hy mean- of an gir compressor worked by wafer power, with probahlv tliree rock drills at work together. 15 men (3 shifts of 5 each including those employed getting the necessary timber for tunnel, etc.) would have been employed in connection with this part of the work. The size of the tunnel would be about Bft. by Gft. or 7ft ; so ns to allow ample room.for tram line worked by horses. Ventilating machinery would also have been worked by waterpower. When the Silver King and other lodes of value bad been cut, additional men would have been put on to work tbe same, ns found necessaiy. It was tlie Company’s intention to allow men so desiring to work their ground on tribute (either opened or unopened gronndl.whilst this great tunnel was b.eing put in ; tlie time m-cessary fo do the. work being estimated at from a year and a half to two years. Tt was also the Company’s intention to have retained the services of a thoroughly competent man to purchase ores, no matter where from, on assay value, and treat same at their works, making a ‘ run ’ with the plant whenever a sufficient quantity of ore had ipc-pjijnu.-lated.