THE WEEK.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3107, 1 February 1879, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The past week has seen the accomplishmeoti of an event which has long been dreadted, and for many years made a bugbear of, viz., the stoppage of the Big Pump.s Some two years ago, when the suspension of pmmping' op rations was tbireatened, the frightful calaniity pictured as the results of the stoppage caused the ( local ;:jgpv*ning< bodies vtpi-iftop l^JJ^ supply the necessary lubricating medium on terms thetmight have. teeu T por.e ad- ' vantageous to themselTes,, v Th"ey agreed to keep the pump-going for two yean; that term has now expired; b'uV now the feelings of the local bodies on are very different to what they were two, years ago* and, notwithstanding the doleful cry of the pocket-buttoned Auckland capitalists, have Bupmpned sufficient resolution (not -i again^ jta r fill> up the breach with theircoiain The causes of which this is the efiaot ai-e too wellknown 116 Require comment; The pump bas jihd' no pirnsl fori its restarting, have jet -come to light, though, without 1 doubti there are some germinating.. , All .thfct "\ is known so far is that there 1 is o at present no prospect of it starting, and consequently it behoves us to accept the, position thrust upon us and look it straight in the face. Though we have Always admitted that the stoppage of the Big Pump or the WaioKaraka Pump is a calamity, we believe that by many it was painted blacker than it really will be, and now will have a chance of testing the prophecies of the prophets of evil. Having recently been enquiring minutely into the matter, we have become possessed of facts which may give some idea oT the results of the stoppage of the two Pump*. Commencing at the Waio-Karaka, we find that the stoppage of that pump has already thrown some,so of the company* employees out of work, and this number will be increased very shortly. The Queen of Beauty shaft is down 530, feet, and at the present time the water has risen about 70, feet, and is lising at the rate of one foot per day. The top of the water* is now only 35 feet below where a parly of 12 tribulers are working, so that in about a month at the present rate they will have to evacuate. There are also some 25 tributers who will not be affected by the water for some time. The manager fears; that the coincident stoppage of the Big' Pump when the water rses to a certain; level in the Big Pnmp shaft, will cause the water to increase more rapidly, and it i»ao sophism thatafter the -water in the Big Pump rises to'that certain level, it will be a matter of impossibility to drain the Waio-Karaka should the small pump go and tbje Bi& Pump remain inactive. It will thus be seen that before the stoppage of the Waio- Karaka Pump the Queen of Beauty was' employing .over 100 hands; now only 30 are at work. During the two or three months previous to the Atoppage sufficient gold was raised to jmy off £3000 of debt, and leave some £2500 to the credit of company. The prospects of the next level are/very good. In the adjoining mine, thePiako, there two tribute parties at work, employing eight men. One of these parties are only 60 feet above the water, which is rising at the same rate as in the Queen of Beauty; Neither of these tribute parties is work: ing on anything particularly good. - It is stated by one who has had a good deal to do with the Waio-Karaka mines that there is no connection between the two drainage systems, except at a point about 200 feetdovrn the shaft which, has been proved by a previous stoppage of the .Waio-Karaka pump. Leaving the WauH Karaka we come to the mines situated midway between the two pumps. The first is the Crown Princess whose shaft is 420 feet deep, so that the rising of the Waio Karaka water might be expected to affect it very shortly* This will not be the case, however, the Crown Princess shaft being in a different basin to that the^punjping shaft.is in, and the water 1 would have to rise considerably until it reached the sill "of the dividing bar. It is the water from the Big Pump that is feared. However there are only *bout 20 tributers employed, and most of them are

working in the upper levels of the mine. The Prince Imperial stands in the same respect to the Waio-Karaka as does the Crown Princess, and as the company's shaft is only some 230 feet deep, it is improbable this mine will be troubled with water for some time, indeed perhaps not at all, as an opinion has been expressed that the immense pressure of the water in the TLP.A. shaft will prevent it rising to within 200 or 300 feet of the surface, the drainage being forced to find some other outlet. Theoretically this is practical, swamps being drained in Great Britain with a large deep shaft; no pumping or other machinery being used whatever. Altogether there are not more than twenty or thirty men employed in the Prince Imperial. The Waiotahi company's present low level is about 200 feet deep, or about 140 feet below the level of the Big Pump surface. Sinking operations are now in progress, but where the next level will be put in entirely depends upon circumstances. The manager does not much fear the gas, as. the mine itself is well opened and ventilated, while there is no direct communication with the adjoining claims below the upper level. Thus ft cloud of gas generated near the pump shaft, should it find its way to the Waiotahi, would not obstruct present operations. It may be added that for tb'ee yeavs while the uppetwworkings were in progress, through'paying drainage contributions, the mine wal not at all benefited thereby, and all the water was raised by baling. The Waiotahi at present' employs about sixteen men, nearly all contractors. All those mmes on the Moanatairi side of the spur, whose operations are below the level of the Big Pump " surface," are at present being worked from the Caledonian shaft. The Cure and Caledonian companies' employees are working at the No. 2 level about 280 feet below the surface, and between the two, including tributers, have perhaps 60 men at work. The Bed Queen has recently suspended operations. The G olden Calf is Working from 360 feet level (about 300 feet below the Big Pump surface), and have just met with some splendid prospects, so that it will be a great pity if they are forced to suspend work now. It ia these mines just referi-ed to that; have always; been pointed to as likely to first feel the effects of the stoppage of, pumping, t jt being asserted that long before the water rose high enough to expel the workmen the generation of gas consequent on the stoppage of pumping would cause work to cease. It is believed, however* if the Caledonian shaft were covered at ; the No. 4 level, and the covering made airtight the gas might in some measure be kept under. This opinion is held by several of the managers of mines in this locality. The Only other mine in operation likely to be. affected by the stoppage is tto Moanatairi, whose lowest 1 level is;: about 200 feet below the Bg Pump surface. The flooding of this level would not much affect the company at present, irt there is plenty of stone to take out above sea level. This brings us to the end of our list, and having carefully considered the position of every mine, we consider the present position is by no means so bad, nor is it likely to be so bad, as many have foretold. Leaving the Queen of Beauty beside the question, the gold returns will not be much affected by the stoppage—at any rate, not for some time to come. One word more before concluding : Should ever pumping be resumed, assisted by public money, it is a matter of vital importance that the two drainage systems should be connected, and the local body or bodies who grant the assistance should insist on this being done. Give the Big Pump an extended drainage area, and no longer will it [need, to be stigmatised as a white elephant 1