The Queen of Beauty Extended Mine

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3560, 25 May 1880, Page 2

The Queen of Beauty Extended Mine

! Its Peesent Position and Futpbe Pbospects. ■« The Queen of Beanty mine and the mines now incorporated with it have played a very important part in the history of this goldfield, and as the long deserted Waio Karaka flat is again ere long to be the scene of busy operations, a few remarks under the above head will not be considered out of place. The history of the Queen of Beauty and adjuncts is too well-known to require notice here—suffice it to say that the company owns 140 men's ground made up as follows: Queen of Beauty 10, Queen of the May 67, City of London 21, and Piako 42. As a rule these claims are all on a line of the champion lode of this part of the coldfield, and the company thus has a range , of reef over a quarter of a mile in length to operate on. From this reef every claim on the flat has in its time paid dividends, though heavily handicapped by the g,reat cost of drainage, which, however, on the long run, was instrumental m dealing a death blow to all except the Queen of Beauty. The latter for several months had to pay the total cost of pumping, viz., £250 per month, and operations only ceased by. the level hitherto worked being exhausted, and the stoppage of the Big Pump, which hap.pened comcidently. As soon as it was ascertained that the matter of the Bie Pum P J a» likely to be satisfactorily arranged, Mr Ronald McDonald and his brother directors determined to make preparations for a resumption of operations in their mine. An order was given to Mr Terry for a turbine generating sufficient power to work the pump, and arrangements were made with the County Council to supply water for motive power at a cost ot 33 per cent, less than the usual charge. In the meantime other preparations for the efficient and economical working of the mine were made. Strong new poppet legs were erected under Mr McDonalds superintendence, and a contract let to Mr George Black, late manager to the United Pumping Association, for the erection of a powerful steam capstan, to be used in connection with the So?^* T, he, contract price of this was fc<J47, and the work has been faithfully carried out. In this piece of machinery a quantity of the material of the old City of London winding engine was worked up. the other portions being- manufactured by Messrs A. and G. Price. The shaft was also enlarged down to the No. 3 level for the reception of the pump, and Mr Climo being appointed pitman to the Company, he speedily had the old Piako 12.inch columns fixed in the shaft. While all these works were going on the turbine acd necessary machinery was completed, and being fixed in position the first effective trial start was made yasterday. The turbine used less than three sluice heads of water —considerably less than that used by the Queen of Beauty battery turbine—and worked the pump easily at seven strokes per minute. When in full swing, it can be worked up to ten strokes per minutes. raising in that period, 300 gallons of water. The permanent start will be made about Thursday next. The water power will cost the company 5s per sluice head per day, so that the cost will not exceed £40 per month, while the total expenses of pumping will be considerably under £100 per month—a vast difference- between this and the expenditure under the old regime. The motive power for the capstan will be supplied from the windingengine boilers, and the Piako rope has been fixed to the new capstan. Having pretty well exhausted the surface of the mine, let us take a glance below. The Queen of Beauty shaft is 535 feet deep, and has eight levels opened on it. As stated before, the size of the shaft has only been increased down to the No. 3 level, but the enlargement will go on at the time the water is diminishing, so that no time will be lost in opening out. There is at present about 250 feet of water in the shaft, and as it is also being slightly reduced by the operations of the Big Pump, the " forking" • will be speedily accomplished., The shaft will then be deepened, and a new level opened out, and from the richness of the quartz met with in the last level, and the indications of the gold going down, there is no doubt of the payable nature of what's underfoot. The richness of the last level may be guessed from the fact that after paying all the heavy mine and pumping expenses, tip company had to its credit between £2090 and £3000, which little nest-egg it will be remembered has enabled it to lay dormant for £ time and recruit its energies. There are vast blocks of stuff in the other sections of the mine which will no doubt pay admirably under a syste. matic and economical plan of operationstake, for instance, the Piako section. The reef here is 12 feet thiok, and the large expense of pumping was the differences* between profit and loss in its working. It is exceedingly probable that a number of the surface block's will be let on tribute, so that in the course of a few months we may expect to sea the mine finding employment for from ICO to 150 men. It will certainly have a most favourable effect on the field generally, and we trust the starting of the Pump marks the era of returning prosperity to this district.