OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4786, 12 May 1884, Page 2

OUR MINES.

NEW PRINCE IMPERIAL.

The air-shaft holed through to the drive at No. 2 level to-day, and when the opening is squared up, the ventilation of the workings on No. 1 reef should be much improved. It is encouraging to notice that the No. 2 reef in the eastern drive at No. 4 level, which is opening up new ground, is looking better, gold showing more freely. The manager reported on Saturday :—" Ths main shaft is down 71ft below No. 5 level. The men are now engaged centreing up the south compartment and fixing guides, ladderways, and clips at No. 5 chamber. This #1 expect to have completed by Tuesday, when the copies will be run down to the bottom, and the work j of cutting out the chamber for No, 6 level commenced. No. 5 level: The ventilation during the past week has not been very good in the eastern drive on No. 2 lead, and the men have therefore not been constantly employed in the face. The lead ia about the same size, and continues to maintain its promising appearance, but I have not seen any gold in it since starting again. The stopes on this lead above this level are looking a little better this week, a little more gold being seen. Ail the stopes in *g*?d here are in No. 1 section, whic^P I may mention I intend to '.beat, put to No. 4 level before commencing Noi 2 section. This will give much better ventilation for continuing the drive and stopes eastward No. 4 level: Driving eastward on. No. 2. lead ia still in progress ; the country conr tinues much about the same, being rather hard and shingly, but the lead is looking a great deal better, and showed some nice strong dabs of gold last breaking down. Stoping is being continued above this level as usual, with about the same results. Two stopes are in hand on No. 31eud, but there is very little change to report, the quartz being still rather white, with not much mineral through it. The stopes on No. 1 reef, above this level, are continuing to produce a large quantity of very fair dirt, and gold is occasionally seen, principally in hanging wall portion of reef, No. 3 level: The eastern drive on No. 1 reef will be resumed shortly, a3 the leading slope is now approaching the face, and the air is getting much cooler. I hope to be able to keep this drive going continuously when connection is effected with the air shaft at No. 2 level. The drive on the mineralised or hangingwall portion of the reef, 70ft. west of crosscut, is in 15ft. The reef hat been the full width of the drive; causin* progress to be very slow ; sandstone is,now coming in on the left-hand side, so that better headway will be made next wak. The footwall portion of the reef is about 15in. thick, and contains nice dark mineral, which is with us a very good indication for gold. Stoping above this level is in progress as usual, and the quartz being obtained continues to crush payable. No. 2 level: The crosccut to connect with the air-shaft has been extended 38i't, and should hole through in 2ft more.—G. S. Clark.'' ALBURNIA. The gold-bearing reef, discovered last week in the low level, and on which driving north has b. an commenced, was taken down to-day. Ifc is still a well difined body of quartz, and appe :rs to be opening out; a few colors of gold were seen in breaking. MOANATAIRI. • The manager reports for last week : — " Intermediate drive, below Guthrie and Co., and which has been extended about 24ft west from winze, communirited with old workings on Don Pedro lead since my last, thus giving good ventilation to esterm stopes above 132 ft level, which we were oblige 1 to abandon some time ago in consequence of excessive heat, but operations are again resumed here, as it is not necessary to extend the abovenamed drive to the point mentioned in mine of April 19th. Only a little of .the lead on No. 9, above 132 ft level, westendof stopes, has bf en broken for come days, as it was ne 'essary to drive to a pass for the purpose of securing better ventilation. Rise above tunnel level: The country hes been rather disordered for some little time, but is cow showing an improvement. The lead has not shown gold during the week, yet it looks well. Waitemata crosscut, 215 ft level: The contractors drove 30ft in the past nine days, proving that the ground behind the main slide at this point is very favorable for driving, and it is good for gold, especially latterly. The last 7ft have intersected a mass of stringers and branch leaders, the latter varying from two to eight inches, two of which are well mineralised, and have a very likely appearance for gold. Both are almost vertical. Morning Star workings are without change to report.—J. G. Vivian." WAIOTAHI.

Steam was got up in the now boiler today in order to test the joints of the pipes. The new cylinder for the battery engine is in position, and the manager hopes to be eble to resume winding and crashing operations by either to-morrow or Wednesday. CALEDONIAN LOW LEVEL.

A better class of eoujitiy appears to be coming in in the eastern crosscut at the 640 ft level. Th^andstone is still tight, bat is of a., whiyer class than since the hard bui'.jvas'iouched!..