MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1855, 11 September 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Tooicsr— Long's Teibute.—A crushing was completed yesterday at the Prineo Alfred battery for Long and party, tributors of the Tookey Company, but the result obtained was only a moderate one of 26ozs sdwts of gold from 3Lj tons of stuff crushed. The crushing, if remunerative, is barely so, for the stuff has been got out with considerable expense, and with a good deal of perseverance. The gold was melted at the Bank of New Zealand, and reduced to 25ozs lOdwts.

Invjsbnbss—No. 2 TumuiE.—A crushing for Catran and party, tributers of No. 2 section of the Inverness mine, was fiuished yesterday at the Prince Alfred battery. There were 30 tons of stuff reduced, for a return of 26ozs Gdwts of gold.

Waiotahi.—A day or two ago we referred to the operations carried on in the Waiotahi mine, and alluded particularly to those as thoy referred to the development of tho section of the Manuluiu reef ■virion traverses the company's claim at it upper end. Up to that time the course' of the reef from the point at which it was intersected iu tho iSo. 2 shaft had only been driven ia (5 feet, and for that distance no gold had been visible Yesterday, however, there wai more encouragewent, foe although very jlittle mm

driving lias been done, there was then a nice show of gold in the reef at the foot-wall side. This latter fact is somewhat significant, for it is the first occasion on which gold has been visible in the foot-wall side of the reef in this mine. Gold was, it will be recollected, visible through some of the stuff on the hangingwall side of the reof when the lode was first cut through in the No. 2 shaft, The manager has now better hopes of success in this level tliau before. ' The extent of the reef in the ground is certainly not very extensive. The drive on its course northward which is now being driven will be extended about 60 feet further before the boundary is reached, but at the other side of the shaft there is only about 8 feet to drive on its course, but although the length is not very great, there are good backs for stoping to'the surface, and from the fact that gold is now showing there is reason to believe that "the lode will turn out some good payable crushing stuff.

Albion. —Few people are perhaps aware of the extent of the operations which are now being carried on by the Albion Company, or their importance to. the future welfare of the company. Our readers are aware that the east cross-cut lias bpcn driven from the-360-feefc level of the Caledonian mine through this company's ground. It has now reached a length of 260 feet into the company's ground, and is still being driven. It is at present going through country composed of alternate hard and soft bauds of stone, the former very hard and the latter soft, but the former predominates, and the driving is therefore rather slow. But in addition to this work, drives have been opened on some of the lodes intersected in the tunnel-tho Nos. 1 and 3 lodes. The former is about a foot thick, and composed of very fair-looking quartz. It is a particularly well defined leader, but it shows no gold. Drives are being carried on its course at the north and south sides of the cross-cut. The No. 3 reef is also being driven on at both sides of the cross-cut, but the lode is only 4 or 5 inches thick. There is no drive going on on No. 2 leader, for from the direction in which it strikes it will soon form a junction with the No. 3. So far this is the only work carried out on the 360-feet level. On the 260 feet or No. 2 level of the Caledonian, a cross-cut is being driven at the joint expense of the Caledonian and Albion Companies to the boundary of the latter mine. This falls into the hands of the latter company today, the Caledonian having driven the first 65' feet of the distance, leaving 65 feet still to drive. No lodes have been met with in this cross-cut so far. In the 400-feefc level of the Pumping Association's shaft workings the drive is still continued towards the Albion boundary, at the joint expense of the Tookey and Albion Companies, and so far these are the operations now progressing in the Albion mine.

Caledonian. —In this mine the manager has commenced to open out on the new reef intersected in the east crosscut—the No. 3 reef as it is now called, and its course has been driven on for a length of Gfeet southward.but only about 4 feet of the reef stuff has been broken down. There is no change or difference in its appearance. It is exactly similar to what it was when intersected in the cross-cut, but there is no gold yet visible in any of the stono broken out. Testerday a contract was let for' driving north on the course of the reef, and the con. tractors will make a start to-day. The drive north on the course of the No. 2 reef has also been continued, but the stuff taken out of it is very poor. Stoping at the No. 4 winze has been discontinued in consequence of the poverty of the. stuff, but the manager has now started driving in the intermediate level at a depth of 100 feet in the No. 4 winze, for the purpose of trying to pick up the run of gold, with what success remains to be seen. The east cross-cut is still being driven to the boundary, and has now reached to within 43 feet of that point, where it will reach the Cure corner peg. The country is good for driving, and contains a large amount of gas, which doeß not, however, interfere with the operations as the appliances for dispersing it are adequate. At the 260-feet level a cross-cut is being driven about 100 feet north of the o. 4 winze in a northerly direction. The object is to prove whether the No. 1 reef passes through the No, 2 reef. This theory was long held, and is indeed still held by many, but this cross cut will prove its truth or otherwise. But should it fail to reach the No. 1 reef as intended, it will be continued on to intersect the No. 3 lode, which it is sure to do before it reaches the boundary. In this manner it will be made to serve a double purpose. Meanwhile operations are being carried on in several places in the old workings, and the stuff is being turned over for the selection of crushing stuff, but nothing of importance has been discovered for some time past. Other prospecting works are projected, and contracts for cross-cuts in a southerly direction will be let "next week.