OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4716, 18 February 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL, <" The manager reported on Saturday :-' " During the past week the ventilation ia the mine has-been very bad, caused by the close muggy weather, and the hot air comiDg from the 610 ft level of the Deep Level Cross. Very good progress is being made with the sinking of the shaft, the south end being down Bft. The winze on >?o. 2 lead, below No. 5 level, is down 66ft; the lead is about a foot (hick, composed of a rubbly quartz, carrying very little mineral, but of a kindly description, No gold, however, has been seen for the last day or two. No work has been done in the south crosscut on the break during the week, the air being too light for the contractors. In the stopes in the eastern section above this level, good crushijft. dirt is still coming to hand, - kmF this week about 601bs of specimen* and picked stone were obtained. 1 ' -1 expect to be able to get into the eastern' workings on this lead at No. 4 levelin about 10 days, as the Deep Level Cro-T are making preparations for carrying th water away. Three stopes are in hand or this lead above No. 4 level, which are producing very fair crushing dirt No. 1 reef in the winze below No. 4 level is looking very promising, but has not shown any gold lately. The quartz coming to hand from the stopes on this reef. here and at No. 3 level has been shaping much better at the batteries this last week than it has done for some time, Eising to meet the winze coming down from No. 2 level was started this week, and I expect to make connection in about three weeks' "'time* The 1 course o£ the winze had to be altered, as it was going down on a vertical lead dropping off the main reef. This has retarded the progress of the winze considerably.—GK S, Clack." "

HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. Operations in this mine are at a standstill for the present, owing to the ventik' tiori being so bad that the men cannot work,. They will, however, be resumed as soon as the weather renders it practicable. The Imperial will probably soon sink a winze from No. 3 to No. 4 level to ventilate their stopcs, and this will also improve the air in the company's drive. The reef in the face is looking well. OAMBRTA. An increased demand has occurred for this stock in the past day or two, owing no doubfc to the tact that the reef in the Darwiu winza continued to look well after entering the Cambria ground. The lode has lately opened ont to a large size, showing a little gold, and carrying minerals which are usually found in the neighborhood of deposits of the precious metal. The winze is 40ft deep, and the reef was broken down this morning. It is fully four feet wide, and consists of a ve/y kindly class of stone; two or three

colors of gold were also seen. The anti-

mony is still freely distributed through the stone, and is very heavy, the crystals being several inches long, and over half an inch wide. This is considered an ex ■ cellent sign, though the gold is seldom found mixed with it. A slight break crosses the reef about three feet up from the bottom of the winze, and below this the lode looks better on the footwall, where ruby silver is showing, and mineral veins are striking into the reef, which appears to be standing more upright. The antimony is also not so plentiful as at last breaking. The quartz is being saved for crushing. DARWIN.

The sinking of the main shaft is the only work proceeding at present in this company's ground. Wages men are employed, and the bottom is now 30ft. below the 150 ft. level flatsheet. The country is a firm white sandstone. The manager is awaiting instructions from the directors as to the crushing of the dirt on hand. MOANATAIRL

The manager reports as follows :—" Tiie leaders in the Morning Star 75ft. level, and on which we are driving eastward, have, improved since my last, producing 161bs of picked stone. We are now timbering up the drive, preparatory to stoping. Tunnel level; No. 1 reef, on which we are rising, shows colors of gold when broken. The gold-bearing stone is found in the hangingwall portion, which averages 6 inches in thickness. Our trial parcel from here did not give more than 4dwts of gold per ton, this being eqi:al"tb 'what I ex-pected,-as scarcely any gold was visible when breaking it. What we are getting at present should be payable. No. 9 stopes, 132 ft. level, are remunerative; sOlbs of good stone baveeheen obtained from No. 9 reef and footwall lead during the week. Nothing has been done on [iound east end of stopes since my last report, having to secure old workings previously to working the reef.—J. Gr. Vivian."

CALEDONIAN, The following report was despatched by the manager on Saturday:—" The drive on leader, No. 2 level, has been driven 16ft this week; the leader is now fully 18in ia thickness, and appears to be opening out going down, when break* ing down the reef on Thursday some nice stones of gold were got, and to-day's breaking down shows strong dabs of gold along the floor of the drive. The leader since Thursday appears to be heaving round to the left of the winze more than usual. There is still some 24ft more to drive before I got abreast of the winze. There, should be something better at the junction if the leader keeps as at present. The slopes at No. 1 level are still turning out payable crushing dirt; the 12th stope is showing up better than the previous one, a few pounds of picked stone coming to hand from it this week. There is no /change to mention in any o.f the other stop:s. I am still crushing with five head at the Herald battery, the dirt is .shaping a little better this week. X attribute the cause to the dirt from tUe No. 2 level drive beiog mixed with the dirt from the Btopeg,—T. B. Hicge," i