OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4288, 28 September 1882, Page 2

OUR MINES.

QUEEN OF BEACTY.

A late report from the mice manager says:—Ob Tuesday the 19th inst., the crank pin of pumping crank suddenly broke, which put a stop to pumping till a new pin was made end fitted. When the pin broke the mien below were employed filling up the stope, and all bands were then put on to fill ia as much as possible before the water rose. By the time the water rose up iv the stopp.i the ground was well secured, and no injury to the workings was caused by the water rising. The new crank pin wf.s completad and the primps were started at 8 a.m. on Thursday, the 21st inst., and tho water was sufficiently reduced on Friday afternoon to let the men start filling in the remainder of stopes, when they resumed work in the stopes, the watjr being fqrkti to the bottom at four o'clock on Saturday morning. The pumps were standing for 38 hours, ajd took out the water in 41* hours, going from 14 13 15 strokes per minute. Thi9 is less than our usual speed of running when taking out water, which was owingto the circular hc?.d of the new crauk pin inclining to boat before it came to a oroper bearing. The''main drive on reef in bottom level has been extended 20 fejt beyond the cross-reef. The ground inside consists of large blocks of ground inclining to lie with the course of the reef. There is no appearance of,quartz making yet, but I think the drive wants to be extended further ahead before we begin to crosscut. . The crossrrcef has also cut through the Queen: of the May reef in the bottom level, and the reef is now making inside the cross reef, and is about 15 inches thick, of solid quartz. There was no quartz immediately behind the reef, and as the quartz in face has just come in, it will improve as it is driven upon. The reef is making a good deal of water since being cut inside of the cross reef. The cross reef at JSo. 8 level has been opened out upon for the purpose of driving towards the Bird-in-Hand and Vanguard reefs. The ground, go far as opened, shows to be fine working ground. The reef has not formed sufficiently yet to define any or what course it will take,

and will require to be further driven upon before the course of it i 3 known. The drive is in 6. feet. By information obtained through plans and otherwise, I consider a way can be found to tho Piako shaft from,the Bird in-Hand No. 2 shaft, I will put on men to-morrow morning to carry out this work, and endeavor to get forward to the Piako shaft. I have ascertained that the No. 6 level from the Piako shaft towards the Queen of Beauty is all closed in in the Piako ground; -therefore instead of stoping out No. 6 level, and driving, say, 200-feet across the angle, with a rise of 1 foot 10 to join the No. 6 1 Piako level, I would recommend that the No. 8 level from tbe Queen of Beauty shaft be extended towards the Piako shaft, the drive to be at present put in alongside | the reef, as it would take too long to drive ! on the reef at present. By this means good mullock would be got for filling up 1 the stopes instead of sending it from* the surface, and a ready means of clearing the Piako shaft would" be obtained, if aDy debris found its way to the bottom of the shaft. Suppose there is debris in the shaft by going to it from No. 6 level, pumps would require to be dag out; by going in from No. 8 level the debris could be "run" out, and would be at hand for the stopes With regard to sinking the shaft for next level, I would recommend that the depth of level be 70 feet. The present draw-lift would be placed in a cistern, said cistern to be placed under the floor of No. 9 level to catch all the water from No 9 level. The sinking would be done with one 12----inch column, which would be ample to lift all the water the bottom of the shaft would make. For the purpose of working this 12-inch lift to the depth of 70 feet below the present bottom of shaft, from 7 to 8 horse power would be required, which would hardly be fell by the present motors, there being a margin of 46 horse power in the engine beyond what is at present required.—Geobgb 81/ICK.

GOLD RETURNS

Moakatairi.—Green and party have completed a crushing of general dirt for the return of 19ozs 7dwts melted gold.