OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4243, 7 August 1882, Page 2

OUR MINES.

QUEEN OF BEAUTY. About 10 o'clock yesterday morning the turbine which works the pumps broke, causing a stoppage of about eight hours. Immediately the breakage was discovered steps were taken to get up steam in the second boiler, so as to work the pumps bj steam till a new turbine is made and put in position. Steam was got up and all i the necessary preparations completed by about 8 o'clock last night, when the pumps were started. They were working this morning at 8 siDgle strokes per minute, at which speed the manager expects to have the bottom level dry enough for working in to-morrow. The winze i as also a large amount of water in it, so work will have to be stopped for a day or two. The broken turbine was lifted out this morning, and Mr Ginn I was busy seeing to the brickwork. MOANATAIRI. | The manager reports for past week as i follows :—" Heidi's section, 132 ft level: i The stopes on No. 9 reef have shown an improvement. The quartz portion of the reef is 18 inches in thickness, most of which is payable. A few pounds of good picked stone have been met with since my last. Progress is much slower than I could wish, occasioned by the tightness of the lode and country about. Tunnel level: Occasional colors of gold are seen in driving S.W. from No. 1 N.W. crosscut on No. 3 reef. The face of drive is now 156 ft from crosscut. No. 2 N.W. crosscut at tunnel level has been extended 18ft 6in through a good class of country during the week. The lode on which we are driving underneath main slide looks very encouraging. A strong color of gold was obtained from it this week. lam disappointed in not- finding more since, the indications being of such a favorable character for it. But little headway is made with the drive at present, there being much water to contend with, most of which is coming from the lode. Redan section, 80ft level : A drive is being extended eastward on a very kindly looking leader, which is 33 feet in the footwall of No. 9 reef. The above lead will average 15 inches in width, and shows colors'of gold. No. 9 hangingwall lead, below the 80ft level, has produced only a little picked stone lately, and I have stopped the stopes on the same lead, above the 80ft level, as they are not payable and no prospects of an improvement. The leaders in the Morning Star section have not produced so much picked stone within the last few days as formerly, but the general stuff coming to hand from here is payable. Nonpareil section : We have extended the crosscut a distance of 100 ft. The face of the same is in proximity with the Nonpareil shaft. Old stopes and a drive have been passed during the week. The lead has been worked below our level to some extent, but, as far as can be seen, it is intact above the old drive, which is about four feet higher than our crosscut.—J. G. Vivian." THAMES GOLDEN CROWN.

The monthly retorling took place today, and the melted return is 170ozs 15dwfcs gold, for which about 300 tons of general dirt have been treated. GOLD RETUENS. Adelaide. —Mcllhaney and party have finished a crushing of 45 loads at Bull's battery for the payable return of 50ozs odwts gold. / Ktjrantji Hill.—Probert and party have treated 3 tons for 7ozs lOdwts gold.

Smile of Fobtune (Owharoa). — Farmer and party's return of 67ozs retorted gold, from 20 tons, was reduced to 66ozs 3dwts by melting.