OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4741, 18 March 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PEINOE IMPERIAL.

The*manager is about to start a new work in order to ventilate the No. 1 reef. An old.shaft, behind the engine house, i» to be sunk through to, connect with the. eastern drive on the No. 1 reef at No. 2 level. The men are now rigging the windlass preparatory to starting. There will be a considerable distance to sink, but once it is through it will greatly improve the ventilation, giving two upcasts instead of one. The manager's report for the past week is as follows:— " The main shaft is now down a depth of 28ft. Work has been greatly retarded daring the past week, owing to the wet weather, and having to turn the water down from the surface to expel the gas which rose from the 640 ft. level. The hard rock still rontinues, and as the men are working in water progress is necessarily very slot/. Three stopes have been in progress this week on the No. 2 lead eastward of the shaft. No. 4 level: The water in the eastern drive? on Nob. 2 and 3 leaders has now b.'on got rid of, and we will be able to resume work as soon as the drives are cleared out. The stopes ottr No. 2 lead above this level continue, to look much about the same. The lead striking off into the hangingwall of No. 1 reef has now opened out to about 3ft. thick; some of the stone looks very promising, and has shown a little gold. In the stopes on No. 1 reef, above this level, a large amount of crashing dirt is coming to hand, and I am pleased to say the reef is looking rather better, gold being more frequently seen. No. 3 level: The western drive on No. 1 reef is still in hand; the ground is vexy favorable for working, and the E*ef 8 titl, looks well, although not quite so large. The leading stope over this drive will be during the coming week over'the point where the rich minerals were obtained in the drive. The r~ef in the stopes here is looking very well, end shows a good deal of gold every breaking down. The easfjrn drive here will be resumed drring- the week'.—G. S. Clabk."

DEEP LEVEL CEOSS.

The leader in the south drive it the 640 ft. level was apain broken down today ; it is three or four inches wide, and showed colors of gold. It has now bean driven on about 15ft. « j =

MOANATAIRI EXTENDED.

Tenders for the erection of the machinery were opened at noon to-day, the fol-. , lowing being tho3e receivei:—J. Mc« Dermott, £208; L. Lewis, £332; E. Farrell, £343 lOr,; and J. Inglis, £345. In one of the tenders has yet been ac-v, (,pt i, the engineer having forwarded them to the diree f >rs, but it is probable the lowest will be. The sp oifications stipulate that the machinery is to be in working order within eight weeks from time of commencement, end is to be kept running 48 hours without mishap before being taken over. McDermott's tender is below the Engineer's estim&to. '.'' '

CALEDONIAN;

' The manager reporti as follows:—The drive on the No. 2 level has been driven 14ft. this week, p.nd is now 20ft. c.st of the winze. Tbe leader made a splice in the drive last week, and became very strall; we are now through the spike 10it; the leader has open i out tj fully 18iu. in thickness, and looks very well, the last breaking down showing gold freely irom the roof to the floor of the drive. I have stared the leading stope west of the winze, cod am so far able to carry both leaders along with it. The hangingwall one is small, but the one on which the winze was sank is a nice leader, fully 23in. thick. No br -.king down has taken plarj since the first one at the winze, when strong colbrr were seen in both. No. 1 level stoperare looking about the same. I have commenced to rise for another stope on the junction. Colors are generally seen in all these small leaders when taken down. The battery started on Monday last, bat was off aad on until Wednesday, when ife started for good. So much of the month then being gone, I thought it best to crush up all the quartz on hand before cleaning up.—T. B. Hicks.

MOANATAIRI.

The manager's latest report is as follows :—" Nonpareil intermediate level, Wai te mat a section : The lead on which we have been driving easterly is much disordered in face of drive, doubtless caused by its near approach to the main slide. .A'prospecting rise has just been started a few feet from face of drive. The lead will average 6in. in width, and is composed of very favorable class of quartz and mineral for gold. A tribute was let a few days since on a small leeder intersected in Crown crosscut, and oa which we did some stoping. Morning Star section: Progress on ground has been retarded during the week, partly because of a portion of the creek" breaking into old workings, and which had to tte diverted, and through our having fixed timbers in the 75ft level, fiiae from tunnel level, No. 1: The lead continues to show a little gold when broken; it ia about 6in wide. No. 9 stopes, above 132 ft; level, are without change to report siceo myVlast.;. Two men only have been employed in eastern end of block during the, past week, the others being sick.— J. G. Vivian."—The battery started crushing yesterday, 10 head being employed oq tributers'qnartz, aad 10 oa company's dirt.