Waiorongomai Mining.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5034, 2 March 1885, Page 3

Waiorongomai Mining.

Battbby KKTURNS.-rWew Find (10 heed), 370n 4dwts*, tailings (16 berdans), 7©zs 19dwts. Total, 45ozs 3dwts retortpd V (told. rThe battery is at present running " 10 head for tbe Waiorongomai, end 10 head for the New Find. Tailing plant, 26 berdacs for New Find, 3 for Premier. The scarcity of water is now such that the battery is going at slow speed with, ~ half the stampers hung up, and the pro- : bability ?s moro itampa will h»^e to bo hong up sbortly, if the present dry weather continues. New Fim>.~ln the winze on No. 2 reef from the. low level, the lc le continues to look well, and some really exollant gold ia to be seen. The stopes on No. 2 reef, north, and louth from the winze, still continue to afford good crushing dirt. The ■ itopea above No. 1 level are alco still yielding fair crashing dirt. Work has been -commenced on No. 1 reef from the . Arixona lerel, the quartz from which will, when crushing, be kept separate. Tbe grinding of tailings for this mine has been i greatly retarded, though lack of water. Mat Qitebn.— Work ia being carried 'on in this mine by two shifts of men at present, driving in the low level. Tbe drive is already in 100 ft; aud it will be necessary t) continue it 104 ft farther to bring it under the upper winze, where the late good gold was obtained, and where it will be remembered work was suspended on account of the quantity of water. On Monday afternoon last some really good gold was met with in tbe drive, and a quantum of this dirt has since been got out ana is now being taken up to the r tramway for conveyance to the battery, •Jong with the parcel previously obtained, and will probably be treated some time Beit week. Phcenix.—Operations in this mine at present consist in sinking a winze on the . reef. Very fair quality of stone is coming to hand, gold being visible every breaking . down. ; . i. - : . Wbbahiko. —Work has been resumed - in this mine ooce more. The stsff consists of one man and a boy, who are going to work on a leader in order to get out another trial crushing. Lob» Starlit.—l he contraotcr for

Siting out a crushing: of ICO tons from is mine bas commenced operations, four men heing employed. Crushing will probably be commenced next week, if there is sufficient water at the battery.

_ The New Battery,—Mr McKay has been entrusted with tbe erection of tbe plant. The water-races are now almost completed, and a few days will elapse e:e the water can be turned on. The building will assume the form of the letter L, and

be Of the following dimensions:—Main building, 70ft x 15ft. tbe smaller building, which will stand towards the hill, being

27ft x 19ft x 20ft: The frame is now all in position, and next' week ought to see most of the building boftrded in, and the roofing commenced. The foundations for the pans are' all completed and ready for the.reception of same.,. The motor used will be one of Pel ton's hurdy gurdy water wheels. The pipes to connect same with ■ the watewrace are now being shipped, and will be placed in position simultaneously with the fixing of the other machinery. Tbe total length ot tbe down pipes is 650ffc, with a direct fall of 330ffc to the water wheel through these pipes, which will give about 83 horse-power. The machinery at present will consist of the following,:—A stone-breaker, through, which all quartz'must first pass, and from which nothing above 1| inch can escape. From thence the quartz is forced through a large pan, inside which two large iron j rollers, weighing about. 2\ tons' each, revolve.® This process reduces the quartz so that it will pass through \ inch holes, and it is conveyed direct from this pan to the grinding pans. These are eight in number, and capable of reducing 32 tons per day. After being reduced by tbe pans, the quartz it next treated by what are called " settlers," of which there will be four, and it is by means of these that the quicksilver is separated from the ? quartz^ In addition to the above, one pan (as it is termed) will be em- : ployed for the pnrpose of treating the resi^ due from the ''settlers." This will give a j generalidea of the machinery which will; be employed at the starting of the battery. < •-News.