H.—l4

10

53. Goal Greek, Waihemo. —Two men have been working here with a view to opening a coal mine. A drive which had been started with the hope of reaching coal had been abandoned, and sinking was being carried on when I was there. 54 to 65.' —None of these mines in the district about Cromwell, Clyde, and Roxburgh have been visited since my last report. 66. Fernhill Colliery, Green Island.—The water-race mentioned in last report as likely to flood the mine has done so, but without danger to life. As the air is not good, this mine will require mechanical ventilation. There are several outlets. Mr. Shaw seems careful in observing the law In addition to the output of coal, 2,487 tons of sand was sent away, at which work three men are employed. 67 Allandale Coal Mine, Green Island. —A. new pit, on a very small scale, owned by two working men, and worked by the owners, as are most of these small mines. A shaft has been sunk, and a drive put in, with the intention of forming a communication. Pit in tolerably good order. Statutory time for plan and formation of special rules not yet arrived. 68. Green Island Colliery. —This pit was in good order, as regards ventilation, but the creep mentioned before has proved fatal, and the workings are now on fire, and closed. On October 11th, 1880, the men were working in the upcast drive in such bad air that I had to withdraw them. A new shaft has been sunk to the extreme rise. Plan kept. 69. Saddle Hill Colliery, Green Island. —No second outlet has yet been made for this pit, but only eight men are employed below ground. The cage is not covered; ventilation not sufficiently guided. A new shaft is to be sunk, and that will benefit the mine very much A plan is kept. 70. Walton Park Colliery, Green Island. —This mine was not, when visited, so well ventilated as it ought to have been, especially in the rise workings. The plan is made up once a year; the weekly report is not made so often as it should be. 7L Abbotsroyd Colliery, Green Island. —By hanging cloths, increasing area of wind roads, and other means, Mr. Freeman has made a great improvement in the ventilation ; this will be seen from the following particulars, which I measured on the 11th November, 1880: Ventilation, lowest bord, West side, 1,568 cubic feet per minute ; between 3rd and 4th, 1,791 ; top bord but one, 3,189 ; main return, 4,567 A wooden chimney has been erected to supplement the upcast shaft, and ladders are fixed so that men can get up at any time in case of accident to the other exit. The roof is bad, but no men have been hurt. Act pretty well observed, and plan kept. 72. Hurdstone Coal Mine, Tokomairiro, is now temporarily abandoned; it was visited and reported on early in the year. 73. Bruce Coal Company's Mine, Tokomairiro, is in good order, so far as the mine goes, but timber is required in the tunnel. No plan required, as the workings are very limited. Carefully worked. 74. Seal Maelcay Coal Mine, Tokomairiro. —Here the Act is not observed at all. Like the previous one, this mine has changed hands since last June, and it is impossible in these cases to have the law observed, as each new owner has to learn the Act ab initio. Tokomaieieo District. 75. Elliott Yale. —Special rules established; Act otherwise disregarded. One man only is at work. 76. Marshall's Coal Mine, Tokomairiro, is a new mine ; one man employed. Introduced Act. 77 Dunn's Coal Mine, Tokomairiro. —Boring has been carried on, and a drive commenced. 78 and 79 Cannon's and Bryce's Lignite Mines, Lovell's Flat. —Both open-work; have not been revisited. 80. Benliar Coal Mine, Stirling. —The Act is pretty well observed here, and a good plan kept. One accident has occurred. There are two outlets, and the ventilation is good. 81. Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company's Coal Mine, Kaitanqata. —This mine has been visited six times during the year. The ventilation is as follows : The intake for the new workings is by the old drive, and is split so as to send one current round the north side and the other round the south. The motive power consists of a furnace (2 ft. 2 in. x 6 ft.) at the bottom of the shaft, which is (with the chimney) 115 feet deep, and is fitted with ladders in case of accident. The old workings have a separate downcast (4ft. x 2 ft. 6in. x 69 ft. with chimney), and the air is taken round, being driven by screens into the high places. As the direction has been reversed lately, the screens had to be moved in order to prevent the accumulation of gas : this proves that it is only by ventilation that these wastes are kept clear. The air ascends by the old upcast, in the bottom of which is a furnace (3 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft), and also the hauling engine for No. 1 pit, the exhaust steam being used to assist the ventilating furnace ; but the shaft is rather too small, being only 17 ft. 4 in. in area. Gas is very seldom found either in the new or old workings, and the former are worked with naked lights ; they are, however, examined every morning with a safety lamp, and a mark left, before the men enter. A report of this examination is written. The old workings are examined twice a week. The air is conducted to the faces by bratticing, and the ventilation generally is excellent. The places are some of them more than 20 feet in height; and it speaks well for the careful working of the mine, that no one has been hurt during the past year. A. good plan is kept and regularly made up, and the Act appears to be kept in every particular. 82. Kaitangata No. 1 Colliery —This mine has passed into the same hands as No. 80, and is under the same manager. The riso headings mentioned in the Departmental Report for June last have communicated with the adjacent mine, and the air ascends by them to the furnace mentioned above. The ventilation is only moderate, and on November 18th measured in the main intake only 4,164 cubic feet per minute. lam informed that this is unusually small. Naked lights are used, but the mine is carefully examined before the men enter. One man was hurt by a fall of coal. 83. Wangaloa Coal Mine, Kaitangata, has not been visited during the year, as work was commenced pn November 25th only ; only one man employed.