COAL AT TIRAUMEA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4409, 3 May 1893, Page 2

COAL AT TIRAUMEA.

A Favourable Analysis, We are now in possession c" correct particulars relating to the coal find, on theproperty of Mr Holmes Warren, at Tiraumea, The discovery was first made by Mr Gardener who, while driving a through cutting, on one of his contracts on tho Alfredton-Tirau. mea Boad, camo across indications of coal, Mr Keillv, assistant overseer for Mr Hughes, the Government who at the time wai camped in the locality, brought specimens to the station, and asked Mr Holmes Warren his opinion as jO what the mineral m, HavijfsoSr knowledge of coal-bearing coufiirnMr Warren recogniied that th« indications gave promise of something w o r t b for, but did not take any steps until last March, ?oo« n d ':. COvety kin ° h Febl ' uar 7« loJA. ne then engaged an old miner, of large experience, named Thomas, to put in a prospecting drive four feet into the aide of a hill situated about halfamileon the Alfredton side of theTiraumeaHomp'teadjtheformation generally being sandstone, carrying a heavy layer of ironstone conglomerate, At aix feet from tbe commencement of tue drive,a small of coal, two inobes in tbiokness, was found, run* ning in an upwarddirection due touth. This upward d'tection was surmised to have been caused by a slip, the surmise eventually proving a correct one. Fol.omng oo for snotljei iix feet fat

seam gradually grow larger until it wa& about 16 inches thick, At this point it suddenly took a downward tutu and the coal was found to bo jumbled up with fire clay for a distance of four feet, and on approaching ihe sandatono again, thecoal was in three distinct layers, with fire clay between each, and now runs in the same way as far as the prospectors have gone, vizabout four feet into the solid sandstone. The top seam is about 6 inches thick; the middle ono 10 inches and the bottom 5 inchos. Mr Holmes Warron has now suspended operations until.. an opinion ; is received frog: Bfl? James Hector as to whether the field is likely to turn out a good onn or not. Beveral gentlemen who have seen the outcrop, and who have had experience "..in mining matters, consider tho prospects, most favourable, That the coal is worth working, if in sufficient 'quantities,' ot which there is now littlo doubt, may be gathored from tho following interesting analysis of specimens forwarded to Mr William S'ioy:— " Result of analysis of specimen: No 6,275, forwarded. by .Mr .Holmes Warren, of Alfredton, on April 12th, 1898.—Brown coal. A fairly colieroiu homo gctjyfes coal, burning freoly with a go^rao, Anamsis.Fixed carbon ... ... ■35:88"' Hydrocarbon . ■■■ ... 'lB-G4 Water ... lt-25 Ash C'2B' l0 °' 0( ) This is a'useful coal of its kind, comparing as it does very well with tho Shag Point , coal, and others of tho less hydrous coals. (Signed) Wiluah Skky."