LYELL.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1014, 18 October 1872, Page 2

LYELL.

Information of a reliable nature con. csrning the Lyell District has become of more than passing interest to the public throughout New Zealand, It is satisfactory, therefore, to be enabled to give, from information and docu. mentary records kindly furnished by the manager, Mr A. Zala, a deseription of the " Alpino," the pioneer claim of the district. The claim is situated about two and a half miles from the Lyell township, and to arrive there it is necessary to ascend, directly after leaving the township, a precipituous range, but up which a good puck track has been made by Messrs Zala and party, primarily for their own use, but now serving the public generally for traffic. As far back as November, 18G9, the original prospecting party, having found indications of gold bearing leaders and of quartz specimens about the upper part of Irishman's Creek, on both watersheds, were led to try the small spurs to the north, and sink a trial shaft, and put in a tunnel to ascertain the value of the leaders and their several directions. The prospects were sufficiently good to induce the party to take up a lease of acres of land, and this obtained, a machine site was selected, a race cut, heading from the Lyell, measuring 3756 feet, and capable of carrying 18 heads of water, with a good fall for motive power. The next undertaking was the construction of a shoot 2700 feet long to carry quartz from the claim to the machine, shooting the quartz down the precipituous incline from the mouth, of the tunnel to the machine below. This shoot is about 12 inches square formed of sawn inch boards, and lined throughout with strong plate iron, and raised on piles, in some places sixty feet in height, braced together by a perfect lattice work of cross timbers. The iron, alone, lining the shoot weighing several tons. At the head of the shoot a paddock was constructed capable of holding 200 tons of quartz. A. crushing plant having been purchased and placed in position by almost superhuman exertions, it was then decided to constitute the company under the Limited Liability Act, with 200 shares of £SO each. Of these the eight original prospectors held twenty each, and the remaining forty were sold for the benefit of the company. The company was duly registered on the 15th April, 1871, and from that date up to the present time have been busily employed in constructing the horse track to the Lyell township measuring 132 chains, a tramway for the conveyance of quartz to the shoot, and another for bringing timber, besides other works of lesser importance. In the mine itself the main reef was opened, a main drive, 650 feet, put in, two shafts sunk, one 65 feet deep, and several prospecting tunnels driven for new lodes. In the meantime drives in the upper and lower levels, bearin<* with t he leaders,wereopened,and quartz taken out and crushed in quantities varying from 50 to 100 tons. In all 56S tons of leader quartz, yielding l£ ozs to the ton, and 57 tons from the m-\iu reef yielding an average of 18 dwts. At present the hands are busy working on what is termed the " Bi" Beef," the manager being anxious to determine its true direction, and Ret out plenty of quartz to make amends for time lost, and many drawbacks experienced during the last severe winter. Recently the company took up another block of acres, to the west of and parallel with the present lease. It has been found that the crushing plant is inadequate for even present requirements, and it has been decided to obtain three additional five head batteries, weighing 6501bs each ; making with the present battery 23 stampers. When these are in position ' the company will be enabled to crush regularly for the public and thus assist in the thorough prospecting of the entire district. The main drive in the lower level is about 1100 feet above the level of the Lyell creek, and there is every indication of the reefs extending to that depth. The. drive also commands all the different leaders; and thus the company will be enabled to work the mine for some time without opening any lower level. It is probable some of the leaders may here- ' after be worked upon the tribute system when the crushing plant has been increased.

From the report given by Mr Theophilus Mabille, on inspection of the mine, we extract the following information : —The mine is open on the higher level from the northern side, and on the lower level from the east, the main reef being approached on the lower level from the northern watershed of Irishman's Creek, by a face and tunnel. The two levels are separated by a distance of 71 feet, perpendicular, but connected by a shaft, through which quartz from the upper level is passed down, and then conveyed to the shoot leading down to the machine. The strata shows the rock to be principally schistose, belonging to the class metamorphic rocks, easily removed from in situ by the common appliance of pick and gad, and with a Btrike or bearing generally northward. The several exposed lodes trending in the same direction.

The numerous leaders exposed in the cross-drives are, with one or two exceptions, all gold bearing, and vary in thickness from 2 to IS inches, some of them intersecting both levels. The farthest leader to the east is the same as that now worked by tho Little Wonder Company. This, as well as tho other leaders, all dip westward,

following the striko of the rock either upward or downward, at an angle of 20 to 50 degrees. A few gold bearing cross-leaders are found branching west or east, but only running a short distance. The Main Reef is a conglomerated miss of quartz intermixed with sandstone debris, slate, and mullock, and bearing favorable indications of a solid reef at a lower level. This main reef has also been discovered in the Excelsior Company'B ground, immediately northward, but on account of its great thickness (about 14 feet) it is difficult to determine its true beariug. From present indications iv seems to take a direction towards the "William Tell ; dipping also to the eastward. A leader, three feet thick has been met with to the west of the main reef hearing similar stone, and the leaders to the east of the claim also seem making for the main reef. The casings of slate along the leaders, especially adjoining the main reef, are all auriferous. An estimate of the work performed in the mine may be obtained from the following figures. Tunnels 1875 feet, tramways 26 chains, shafts 160 feet, horse track 132 chains. Quartz extracted from upper level, 10,126 feet superficial; from lower level, 3805 feet: Total, 13,931 feet. From a rough calculation the estimated solid measurement of the claim down to the Lyell river level may be stated at 5,315,610 cubic yards. The total thickness of the quartz already known to exist in a transversal section | from east to west is about 21 feet. 1 Supposing the quartz to be running I only half through the ground, in depth and in length, there would result a total of 00,814 cubic yards in solid, or in a loose state about 100,000 tons of quartz, exclusive of what may be obtained from levels below the Lyell river, or from the next adjoining lease held by the company. Aa regards facilities for working,it is noted that the claim can be worked with ease, and thoroughly drained by tunnels at all levels ; all the tunnels being driven from the western watershed of the lyell river, through a rock of soft texture, being about f less hard than the generality of rocks gone through in the Inangahua District. Timber for securing the workings is abundant, mostly white and yellow birch, and easily obtained along the limber tramway. The motive power of the machinery consists of an overshot water wheel driven by the con- : tents of the water-race, constructed ata I gradient of about 33 feet per mile, the ■ velocity of the current being 319 feet per minute, with a discharge per wiuute-of 638 cubical feet. Calculating the head of water or diameter of wheel at 40 feet, the theoretical horsepower would be about 4S 1-5, giving an effective motor of 32 horse-power, or deducting one-third for friction and gear, 20 horse-power for crushing purpurposes, which power would work •easily 52 six hundred pound stampers, with a lift of 9 inches at a rate of fifty strokes per minute. We bavs given these particulars to show not only what has been done in the face of manifold difficulties, but what may be accomplished hereafter by judicious outlay of capita"! and good practical management. The Lyell district teems with golden quartz, awaiting full and profitable development, but it is not a " poor man's diggings," in any sense of the word for new comers, and it would be wrong to encourage a rush thither of the improvident or ill-provided. A few may strike straggling leaders of rich stone or even, after patient research, light on good alluvial ground in the creeks and tributary gullies; but the prosperity of the district will depend on its quartz mines, which, howsoever bearing the promise of magnificent results, will absorb in their proper opening up good round sums of sterling coin.