20

C—Ba

McGill's Glenlee Coal-pit, Wendon Valley (Martin Collins, permit). —(21/4/1903): Formerly opencast, now driving to the rise; heading up 60ft., being driven Bft. high by 10ft. in width, 6ft. of coal being left on for roof. (4/11/1903 —D. T. McGill, permit): Mine safe and in good order. A suitable powder-magazine has been provided. McDonald,'s Goal-pit, Wendon Valley (D. Nicol, lessee; S. Coulter, permit).—(2l/4/1903): Coal strong; pit in fair order. Suitable powder-magazine required. (4/11/1903): Minewot kings standing, a dispute as to royalty having arisen between the lessee and the School Commissioners. Edge's No. 1£ Goal-pit, Wendon Valley (A. A. Edge, lessee; S. Coulter, permit). — (4/11/1903): I could see that some very unsafe robbing had been committed in the open face, fortunately without accident. The manager admitted his indiscretion the cause being, he said, inrush of trade orders. Suitable powder-magazine has been provided. Busbridge's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley. —(4/11/1903): Opencast pit. Supplies fuel to farmers for threshing and winter stocks. Perkins's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley (George Perkins). —4/11/1903): Coal taken out for private use only. Henderson's Coal-pit, Wendon Valley. —A private pit. Stevenson's Goal-pit, Wendon (J. Stevenson). —(12/11/1903): Pit full of water. Apparently very little coal has been taken out. Radford's Goal-pit, Wendon (E. and P. Radford). —(12/11/1903): After lying idle for some months this pit has recently been reopened. Waikaia Collieries Company, Waikaia (R. Jones, manager; H. G. Horn, Gore, secretary). — (8/7/1903): Semi-vertical seam 20 ft. in thickness now being won front dip drive, levels being turned north and south. The old dip being in a state of collapse has been abandoned. An adequate plant—viz., steam-boiler, winch, and Tangye pump have been placed in position in expectation of enhanced output due to increased activity in gold-tlredging in the Waikaia Valley. (11/11/1903 —F. Junker, manager): Coal-seam now tapped from new dip; north level driven 180 ft. in strike of the seam. The level is being driven 10 ft. wide, remainder of seam left in to support the sides. Mine in good order; timber well used, and a good supply on hand for use as required. Mclvor's Coal-pit, Landslip, Waikaia (H. Mclvor, lessee). —(8/7/1903): Area, 5 acres. Presently driving out coal pending wet season affording suitable supply of water for stripping. Drew owner's attention to careless handling of a keg of loose blasting-powder. Mclvor's Coal-pit, Waikaia (W. Mclvor). —(8/7/1903): Area, 5 acres. It. and W. Mclvor having amalgamated are engaged sluicing off stripping, which is 60 ft. in depth, to recover pillars left in 7 ft, seam which had formerly been driven out by underground mining in the usual way. Muddy Terrace (Shale Pit), Waikaia (T. F. Goldie). —(8/7/1903): Opencast pit. Seam 14 ft., of which about 4 ft. on top may be classed as oil-shale. Meanwhile the shale is mixed with the underlying lignite and used as fuel. No. 1 Goal-pit, Landslip, Waikaia (A. McKinnon). —(8/7/1903): Mine in good order. Ventilation good. Argyle Goal-pit, Landslip, Waikaia (J. and T. Baxter). —(9/7/1903): Opencast pit now in fair oreler. Water is brought in for sluicing the overburden away. Ed. Vial's Pit, Happy Valley, Waikaia. —(9/7/1903): A drive had been put in on the outcrop of seam, but so inadequately timbered that it had fallen in. No one about at this date. G. S. Vial and D. Gillespie, Waikaia. —(9/7/1903): This pit has been opened on Robson's Run on eastern bank of Waikaia River, and about six miles above Waikaia Township. Lignite seam 6 ft. in thickness, easily stripped. The road in to the pit is not in good order. Waimea Pit, Longridge Village, Waimea. —(R. Larson). —(12/11/1903): Apparently very little doing here now, the easily got lignite having become worked out. No one about. Pyramids Coal-pit, Mandeville (F. Junker). —(12/11/1903): Nothing has been done here for some time, but Mr. Junker will resume operations at an early date. Waimumu Pit, Mataura (C. P. Sleeman).—(l7/4/1903): Stripping, 10 ft. to 12 ft.; thickness of seam, 17 ft. A gang of men kept constantly employed in keeping stripping well ahead of advancing coal-face. The pit is in thoroughly safe order for working. (27/10/1903): Canisters are now provided for use in handling blasting-powder, but the lock has not yet been put on the powder-magazine. Pit in excellent order. Bogside Colliery, Mataura (Mutch and Hurst). —(17/4/1903): Pit recently reopened and not yet in working-order. The overlying gravel stripping is being utilised on county roads. (27/10/1903): Pit idle on this date; not much doing. Beattie and Coster's Pit, Mataura (F. Louden, manager).—(l 7/4/1903): Opencast pit, stripping in advance of the working-face. As in other local pits, the lignite to dip is not being followed owing to stripping and water-drainage becoming too heavy. (27/10/1903): Pit in good order; stripping in benches. Suitable locked iron powder-magazine provided. McGilvray's (late Mutch's), Mataura. —Lignite taken out for private use only, but continuing to supply the Mataura Paper-mills with about 80 tons of haematite per annum. Duthie's Coal-pit, Waimumu (Williams and Sons). —(18/4/1903): Opencast pit in good working-order. A suitable locked powder-magazine has been provided. (6/11/1903): Pit in good order; stripping well attended to. Nightcaps Colliery, Nightcaps (J. Lloyd, mine-manager; William Handyside, managing director). —(9/4/1903): At about 8.30 p.m. on the 29th March flames were seen rising from the engine shaft, so-called from an engine and steam-boiler for dip haulage being placed at bottom of shaft. Smoke from boiler and exhaust-steam had been conducted direct into the shaft, which