OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4635, 12 November 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

DEEP LEVEL CBOSS.

The contractors for sinking the winze from No. 5 level of the Imperial to connect with the 640 ft. level have thrown up their contract. The manager is for the present continuing it by wages men, f till an answer is received from the directors as to whether fresh tenders shall be called. ■ The depth is about 90ft. f leaving 120ftsyet to sink to connect with the crosscut. KURANUI HILL. Crushing was started this morning with the full force of the mill. Ten he.d of stamps are employed by tributsrs, while of the remaining number 15 are crushing the quartz from No. 9 reef, Kelly's section, 10 the dirt from the All Nations' leader below tunnel fcvel, aid 5 are engaged on quartz from the Junction leader.

MOANATAIRI. The manager reported on. Saturday as follow^:—"' Crown crosscut: We laid the air boxes referred to in my last as close ! up to the face as advisable for the present, and I am pletsed to say they are answering well. The crosscut is passing through, though vevy slowly, a tight knotty belt of counti y. Very little has been done on the new lead during the wee'i, as the men were I assisting in laying boxes mentioned above. [ A small portion of the led, however, wa» broken on Thursday It.sfc when about 15lbs of good stone was obtained. The lead in from two to six inches in thickness. No. 9 stopes, 132 ft level; most of the week has been taken up in doing work which in itself has not been remunerative, but wilt give ■facilities for stopin^" what should pay well. The work referred to was the removal of a barren portion of the stope, as well as cutting through a horse of sand-« stone which has formed between the No. 9 and the specimen lead; only a little of the latter has b?en broken during the week, which; produced 3Olbs of ; specimens and picked stone. The leader varfes in thickness from 3to 15 inches.—J. G. VivrAN.'*

CALEDONIAN. " : The manager reports:—"The contractors have made slight headway this week , with the crosscut, No. 2 level; on Tues*,-; day moining they met with a blue boulder which came across, the drive 7ft in thick-* ness at bottom, and about 2ft at top. They now appear to be through it, and should make better progress. The five stopea on the Red Queen leader have been looking pret«y well this week ; also the four stopei on the right hand branch. Gold has been seen almost at eve.y breaking down, and a few pounds of stone "<: ime to hand from all places. The left hand branch is very small, but from the gold seen in breaking it w'll pet to stops it.—T. B. Hicks." V DARWIN. The southern drive on the reef is noir in 20fc. The manager informs me the lode was broken down on Saturday, and found to be about 2ft wide, showing colors of gold, though not quite so freelj as before. There are now about 18 loads of general dirt in the paddock. The surface works are proceeding satisfac* torily, and the poppet legs will be in position to-morrow.

NEW EUREKA (OTUNUI). Six tenders were received for putting in a low level to cut the main reef at a depth of 30ft below the present workings, the distance tj drive being 250 ft. The directors held a meeting to-day, and accepted the lowest tender, fiat of E. Boas andparty, at 10s per foot; the other tenders being .-Royoroft, 11s; J. Eneebone, 12i., 6d; J- T Clarke, 15s 3d; W. James, 18s 9d; T. J . Adams, 18s 9d. The oountrj to be passed through is easily worked ground, so good progress should be made.