MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1808, 8 May 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Bbight Smile.—The main shaft is now down the requisite depth, 70 feet below the former main level, and as soon as a couple of feet more is sunk to answer the purposes of a well, the manager will at once commence driving on the lode now to hand in the : shaft, and for the No. 2 and No; 1 reefs, which are pretty close to hand. When the sinking of the shaft to the present level was started, it was intended, if the water did not prove too strong, to make the block 70 feet deep, A few days ago the water became so strong that it was feared it would become necessary to open out higher up, and the manager did in fact commence to drive on one of the lodes, but the w'ater fell off again, and sinking, was resumed, the success we have.just* alluded to.' The prospects of the new levels are very favourable. From day to day gold shows in greater or less quantities in the winzes, and the-general stuff recently crushed fromtliem has'yielded a very superior average. Some of. these winzes are now down between 50 and 60 feet, so that very little difficulty.will be experienced in connecting with the new level when that is driven, and blocks will then be immediately available for besides which effectual ventilation will be procured. Crushing is steadily progressing, but at the company's own mill on the Jlaraka (late Yickery's) there is not a sufficient supply of water for the plates, berdans, &c. This is a matter which will soon be remedied, however, for the company ,is about to utilise the strong stream which is being pumped out of the mine.. This will be raised to the level of the braoe, and then'iconveyed on trestlework and flumes along Bella-street to the battery. It was also intended to run a tramway at the same level along the trestlework, but upon consideration' the idea has, we understand, been abandoned, and the quartz will be conveyed to the mill along the present Bella-street horse tramway. . All Nations.—The All Nations Company, having engaged the old battery of. the Euranui (7 head of stampers) per-; manently, it has been brought into a state of .thorough. repair and working order,Jso far at least as the 6-, head battery is concerned, and this is now at work, on a parcel of stone from the Odd: Fellows' leader, which will be finished; up to-day. Crushing will then be commenced on the general stuff from thie main portion of the mine, of which there is now a good supply on hand. Meau-| while the single-stamper'battery, which had been taken away, is being re-erected, : and will probably'be in working order by; to-morrow evening. A parcel of the general stuff will first be put through for the purpose of getting the plates into: good order, and then the fine lot of rich .specimens which have accumulated during the last month will bo. crushed; The yield will doubtless be a splendid one, for these specimens are very rich.. There was no crushing at all during the last four weeks for the All Nations Company.

Amubnia.—'There has not been much to report from this mine of late. Little work hag been done on the principal lodes. No crushing has been carried on except on a parcel from the old Star of the South reef, which is being put through at the Manukau battery, and in fact so far . as breaking out quartz is concerned, : there has been uj little doae as possiblo for the simple reason that there is no place in whioh to stow the quartz. But in the meantime the whole internal workings have been brought into order, not without a greit deal of judgment and 'oare, and now

everything is in readiness for pushing on the works with all vigour when the rain comes to start tho milt to work. In the Dixon's level the winze is now down 40 feet. The lode is at present rather pinched, but this is ..nothing singular in this reef; which is always subject to these changes. , There is, however, a rather worse feature, for water is making its way into the winzes, which may make the sinking rather difficult, and there is also, a by no means plentiful supply of pure air. But no doubt these difficulties will be obviated, for it 18 important that the workings should be carried on from a level similar 'to the Whau.,adit to enable the lode to be worked well under the Whau shot of gold.- 11 • ; > Moanataiabi. — Tho quantity, of quartz reduced for the Moanataiari Company' 'this fortnight -is"' much less than' usual; for in consequence of < a considerable number- of an already reduced mine fores having been employed on the surface constructing the branch line- 'connecting the company's old. shaft collar with the Moanataiari creek line the supply of stone .taken ,out y has been very limited, and the battery has been several times idle., However,;the stuff which has been , put, through shows up for a much better average than any which has been orushed since the new battery was started. It is believed that the company will be able to keep 20 head of stampers profitably employed on stuff from their own mine, while the < remaining 20 head are at wo;:k on stuff from the Whau. There, has I been good show 1 of gold in the bottom level particularly' near the junction of the No. 1 and No. 3 reefs.

i Manuka.— I The main shaft, is now down to within 10 feet of the on which the reef is now being worked, and there is only a distance of 40 feet to drive to effect connection between the two workings. The object in sinking the shaft is twofold. In the first place, it will afford pffeotual ventilation, and in the next and perhaps more present, it' will afford a means of getting down the long timbers requisite for securing the mine when stoping is being carried on. Notwithstanding, the . amount of work recently performed straightening and repairing.drives and laying tramrails, tHere would be great difficulty in getting the timbers down the Golden Crown shaft; and into the workings. There ii little change to report in the mine, A. few shots which have been put in the roof shows that the shot of gold"is ex-' pending back to the northwards, much further .than it appeared, at the time of our last visit.'' ' '' .'

■ Ceown Painca;-It has been decided to continue the sinking of the main, shaft •by day labour instead of contract, but in order to' economise 'labour the manager is now excavating a chamber. ;where, communication with the' new : shaft ; ''was recently, effected: on the No. 3 reef, and instead "of having to hoist the stuff with a windlass through !;the shaft to the surface, it wijl be trucked : : through the level back to the old sliaft, and raised by the horse-whim. ■ Everything. will be. ready for resuming the sinking on Monday next. ' • '

' Coiiban. — The manager succeeded effectually in clearing the quartz pass between the Watchman and Middle Star levels, which had become choked up. He turned a strong stream',of water which , flows through one of the levels down the pass, and this soon forped an opening through the quartz rolled down. The i impediment was caused by some of the : timbers in the winze having been displaced. In order to prevent a similar ou"currence in the future it is intended not to replace those timbers and slabs, but to take out all the others. The ground is of a character which will stand without' timber. Some of the lode was broken down yesterday, ;and there 'was.: a fair , show of gold through it., The reef still maintains its size and appearance, as we : have previously described it. . , Bo3E and Shambo.ok. Tbid'am.—As 'many of our readers are doubtless aware, ; the Rose and Shamrock mine above;, the : main adit is being worked by t'ributers. These men have recently, at the sugges--tion of Mr Hall, manager of the. Alburnia, who is also carrying on operations at this level, opened cross-cuts into the foot-wail side towards' the Whau and Alburnia boundary, and' also into the hangingrwall side, in the opposite direc-; tion. i In the latter they had, only driven three or, four,feet .when, they met a nice-, looking leader which-carries; gold, and in' the foot-wall side after, .having driven, the cross-cut only eight or niue feet they yesterday came on a'fine strong ' lode composed of very promising quartz fhere has not been any gold visible'in it so far, but there is very, little doubt; but that it is a portion ,of the Whau foot-wall reef. '