OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4636, 13 November 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL

The No. 2 reef was broken down today in the 11th stope above No. 5 level, a few feet seaward of the break, and the good haul of 1501bs. of picked stone and specimens was bagged, a little gold being left showing. The reef is a fine strong body of quartz about two feet wide. At No. 4 level the No. 1 reef has been picked up in the : leading stope "over the eastern drive. It carries excellent minerals, but no gold was seen. At No. 3 level the reef in both eastern and western drives was shot down to-day. In the former good colors were seen, but no gold was observed westward, though as the stone was not picked over much this is not to be wondered at. The manager is now cleaning up the crosscut at No. 2 level, for the purpose of sinking a winze on No. 1 reef to connect with No; 3 level. The winze will be put down immediately above the one from No. 3 to No. 4, so as to secure the best ventilation possible. The distance between the. levels on the underlie of the reef is over 130 ft, and tenders for the work of sinking will be called in about a week's time. The manager reported yesterday as follows: — " There has been 235 loads of quartz passed through the batteries during the past week for the yield of 6330zs of amalgam. 32 head of stampers have been employed full time, and 20 head 16 hours per day. .The 9th stope on No. 2 lead above No. 5 level reached the boundary on Friday last, and the men were removed back to start the 12th stope from the winze. In the 10th stope, which is 40ft. from the boundary, the lead continues to look well, but has not produced any haul of specimens during the week. The 11th stope is now 14ft. past the break; ) cwfc of specimens were! obtained from here last week. In this stope, immediately through the break, the lead is small, but is now opening out again, and I have no doubt will produce some good stone this week. Stoping' on the eastern side of the winze is proceeding as usual, producing good crushing dirt, with a few pounds of picked stone occasionally. Driving on the No. 1 reef at No. 4 level is still in progress; the reef in the face at present is very large, being the full width of the drive; the footwall portion of which looks very promising for gold, but none has been seen for the last day or two. The leading stope is through the break, and within 30ft of the face of the drive, but the hangingwall portion of the reef is not yet to hand. The stopes on this reef are being continued as usual, and are looking much about the same. The drive going eastward on this reef, at No. 3 level, is now in 50 Feet from the winze, and gold is seen freely every time the reef is broken down. Driving westward was commenced last week, but none of the reef has been taken down as yet. —G. S. Cla.be:." DARWIN. The seaward drive from the chamber on the reef is in a little over 20 feet. There is a good strong lode showing in the face, fully 2 feet from wall to wall. The country on the hangingwall, whore the dig is put in, is easily worked out with the pick, but both the reef and the sandstone on the footwall require powder to loosen them. The quartz looks well, and ia carrying more mineral than it did where the shaft just touched it. Colors of gold were seen at last breaking down, but at the time of my visit this morning only^ one shot had been fired in the reef stripped, and the quartz thrown out had not been picked over. The temporary hopper being full, the manager does not intend to haul any more quartz to the surface for the present, but will stack it in the chamber. .Reports have been freely circulated about town during the past day or two to the effect that the reef had been driven on northward for a distance of ten feet, in order to see what it was like near the Cambria boundary ; but the manager assured me that no driving at all had been done in this direction. The poppet legs were to* day placed in position, and the brace pieces being all ready they will soon be bolted together. The framework of the engine-house is up, but the weatherboards and roof have yet to be put on, and the spider frames have also to be made. Now, however, that the heaviest part of the work is over, good progress will be made. HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. The tender of M. Tooher and party, at 21s 6d per foot, has been accepted by the directors for driving the crosscut for No. 1 reef at No. 5 level 100 ft. The men start work this evening. No tenders vere received for the winze on the Mariner's reef from No, 4 level, and it will probably be sunk by wages men. The crosscut will be wholly in the Imperial ground for the dis tance let, and the winze also will not reach the Friendship ground till it has been sunk some distance, how far is not at present accurately known. Mr T. Gilmer will probably supervise the company's operations.