ANOTHER' NEW BATTERY FOR THE WAIO-KARAKA

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1845, 1 September 1874, Page 3

ANOTHER' NEW BATTERY FOR THE WAIO-KARAKA

An important project for the erection of a jpowerful 'crushing plant in Graham's Paddock, near ;the; 'Eaiika Bridge, fha s been started, and steps hay ©.already been taken to car y it out successfully., Messrs Kenu'.r'i,' WMn'/rd/ahd Silly'have taken' injhand to supply a want much:-: felt in the neighbourhood of the Waio-Karaka, •au'd particularly ' by the Bright Smile Company, in the matter of crushing power, ; and the former have purchased from ( Mr, R. Graham the.paddoek at the rear of Emerald Cottage (about: acres in;extent) as a site, upon which to erect the new plant; Mr Sully will proceed to Melbourne to purchase a suitable engine, and the other partners ia the concern will call for tenders for the , supply of a ! 40-stamper battery plant, similar in construction ' to of the Moanalaiari Company, 'as soon as plans and specifications are prepared. ! he engine will be- condensing, from 80 to! 100 horse power, so as to be capable of driving an 80 stamper battery, although at ;firs t only 40 head will be erected. The proprietors intend, to double the power as soon as possible after the plant is in work... . The water supply for this plant has been an important .consideration, butthere does not appear to be any difficulty in; the way., There is now a large quantity of water raised from tlie Bright Smile mine, which runs off 'to sea. This can be rented, no doubt, at a nominal sumi .and f phould the supply at any time, fail through stoppage or any other cause,' there will still be the Karakii Creek available, which will at least be adequate for tho tables of a 40 stamper battery; ; Although the Bright' 'Smile Company as a company will at the outset have nothing to do with this battery, there is no doubt it will ultimately become their property. The purchase and'erection"will not of course interfere with any dividends whioh-the mine may pay, but if they purchase the plant it will be paid for out of. a fund placed in reserve'for that purpose, and extended over a term of years'if necessary. The projectors of this scheme have . evidently thought the matter out, and have placed iis in possession of the following facts in support of the feasibility of their scheme. —The cost of a 40-stamper battery to the Bright Smile Company has been £680 per lunar month, or a total of £8,840 per annum. This is for battery power alone. In addition the cartage has been £2,800 per annum, making a total of £11,040 per annum for carting aud crushing, with a 40 • stamper battery. It is estimated that tho cost of, mainto nance of a 40-stamper battery in full motion, at present, is £100 per week, or £5,200 per annum. This item might be reduced to some extent, but takon at that, and deducting tho annual cost of maintenance from the annual cost of crushing, it will leave a profit of £3,640 per annum, anil as the item of cartage will be altogether excluded, the profit' may be 'estimated in round numbers at upwards ol £6,000. The distance'between the brace of 1 the Bright Smile and the batter)' hoppers will be only about 350 feet, and this will be spanned by a tramway carried on trestleworlc along The water will be carried on the same trestles.', llio bracemon, whose duty it, now is 'to tip the' quart? into -the hoppers, oan run tho stuff along tho tramway b

the battery, so that there will be little, if any, extra cost in this direction. On tho whole, there appears to be good grounds for undertaking this large outlay. Tho Waio-Karaka mines have hitherto been entirely dependent upon other localities for their crushing power. : Now they are in a fair way for having powerful crushing'plants to their hand, for besides the one we have just referred to, another, aud still larger and more powerful one, is being erected near the mouth of the, ilaraka, by Messrs Mackay and Co;