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the concrete dam (put in in 1901, owing to an underground fire) has been removed. Two large falls are still to be removed before coal-production can be recommenced. So far, the fire, which is still burning near Chasm Creek, has not given tho party any trouble. Bennett's Mine, Mokihinui. —Three miners are working a portion of the Hutt seam near the end of the railway. The area was worked about twenty-five years ago, and some pillars still remain. Marris and Murray's Mine. —This is a mine situated about midway between Seddonville and the Mokihinui mines, and the entrance is alongside the railway-line. The coal is about 6 ft. in thickness and rather soft. Two men aro employed. Mulholland and Party's Mine. —Most of the output has been produced from the Bridge section lease. The minetubs are conveyed across Chasm Creek (a span of 6 chains) by means of an aerial, and are then drawn to the top of the hill by a steam-winch. From thence the tubs aro jigged down to the flat, and arc drawn along the flat, and to near the Seddonville bins, by horse-haulage. The output is from sixty to seventy tubs (approximately 40 tons) per day. Tho loaso on the near side of the Chasm Creek was not worked for most of tho year, but during the last two months a pair of miners were producing coal therefrom. A party of prospectors have proved a seam of coal, about 2£ ft. thick, near the Seddonville bins. It is about level witli tho railway, and should be cheaply mined. Mokihinui-Westporl Coal Syndicate's Mine. —ln the upper section of this mine places have been drivon in 5} ft. of hard coal. Above this coal is from 1 ft. to 2 ft. of black sale, then soft coal above. The heading, driven straight into the hill from the outcrop, when about 50 ft. in entered troubled ground. The coal has gradually pinched, and is now only 12 in. in thickness. This party also have an aerial across Chasm Creek, but the mine-tubs do not cross this aerial. The aerial buckets hold about 8 cwt. of coal, and are worked by gravity. About 25 tons per day can be convoyed across the creek. Chester's Mine. —The middle band of stone thickened, so only the coal below this band is now being mined. A dip has also boen driven, but the coal proved very dirty and unsaleable. St. Helens Mine. —The pillars off the lower level in the bottom seam are now boing won in this small mino. Rocklands Mine, Butter Road. —The output from this mine was rather larger than usual, as some coal is being convoyed by motor-lorries to Westport for household purposes. Nelson District. Puponga Mine. —The upper west pillars are almost exhausted. Tho area betwoen the dip and rise soctions (in which prospecting was done during tho previous year) has recently been reopened, and three places are being driven there, consisting of two levels and an incline. The bottom level is in about 7J- chains, but the coal is rapidly thinning, now consisting of 12 in. of tops, 18 in. claystono, and 12 in. of bottoms. In the incline the top coal is 24 in. thick and tho middle olaystone only 3 in. in thickness. Preparations are in hand for reopening the B section, where the pillars are still standing and an area of thin coal can be worked. North Gape Coal-mine. —This mine recommenced mining operations early in tho year, and the slant dip was driven down to the fault. Places have boon driven east and west from this dip. Tho coal on the west side near tho fault is 3 ft. thick, but on tho east side is only 18 in. in thickness. Later an attempt will be made to drive tho dip through tho fault. Prospecting has boen done on a nearly vertical seam, found about a mile from the North Cape Mine, and a small shaft was sunk thereon for 40 ft. An incline is now being driven at an angle of 65" on another outero'p of this seam, which is about 8 ft. in thickness. Enner Glynn Mine, near Nelson. —The vertical shaft was sunk to the 300 ft. level, and a crosscut, 100 ft. in length, driven from the shaft bottom to the coal-seam. A level was drivon south 120 ft., but the seam thinned to 12 in. Tho level going north was only driven 60 ft. and the coal thinned there also. Only 188 tons were produced, and the mino closed down in October. Gladstone Mine, Motupipi. —The opencast workings were abandoned and tho old workings to tho oast reopened. Coal produced for local sale. Stone's Mine, Takaka. —-Only a few tons were mined during tho year. Inangahua District. Reefton Goal Company's Mine. —Three pairs of miners employed on pillar-extraction in the No. 2 seam workings. No work done in tho No. 4 seam workings. Morris and Learmont's Mine. —Tho small output was prodirced from the No. 2 mine. Victory Mine. —All the year's output was produced from tire 4 ft. of coal above the clay parting in tho bottom seam. The main heading, going south, is in about 6 chains, and the coal has thinned to 3 ft. Tho places going west are also in thin coal. A place, drivon to tho east, off the main heading, met troubled country when about 2 chains in. Tho coal thinned to about 18 in. The coal again thickened to 'i\ ft. after driving 20 yards, but has again fhinnod to about 18in. Another surface jig has been laid to a higher outcrop, and a place driven in the coal about 25 yards. The coal is dipping steeply, and, at the face of tho drive, a placo had to bo broken off going about parallel with the outcrop. Phoenix and Venus Mines. —Four men constantly omployed on solid work. Big River Mine. —Two men producing coal for power purposos from a soft seam. Merrijigs Goal-mine. —A level has been driven, about 10 yards from tho old workings, in a 6 ft. soam of clean coal. This party are extending their wooden fluming for another two miles, making tho total longth approximately four miles and three-quarters. From tho end of the flume the coal will be carted to the Taipo-iti Railway-station, a distance of about one mile and a quarter. Empire Coal-mine, Burkes Creek. —Only a small quantity of coal, produced during the early part of the year, was obtainod from this mine. Woodlands Coal-mine, Burkes Creek. —Three men have been constantly employed during the past year, but principally mining coal- from places driven to the west off tho dip drive. Coal 5J ft. thick, with a very tender roof. Birchwood Coal-mine. —A small output.was produced from tho mino early in the year. No coal was produced during the year from tho three small mines at Capleston, nor from the Ferndalo-Timaru Mine at Burkes Creek. Fatal Accidents. Thrco fatalities occurred in the West Coast Inspection District during tho year, one on the surface and two underground. On the 24th May a youth named Sydney Bartholomew, sixteen years of age, was killed by being jammed between an overturned tub of stone and the handrail on the viaduct leading from tho Denniston bins to the stone-tip. The viaduct is about 2 chains long, and is down-grade for half-way and up-grado tho remainder. The grades were about 7 per cont. Deceased was assisted by a tipper to push the tub of stone from the bins. Anothor tippor went on to tho viaduct about fifteen minutes later, and found tho tub anglewise across tho rails, and almost completely overturned, being prevented from resting on its mouth by the body of the youth. No direct evidence could be obtained, but it is surmised that the deceased had been riding on the buffer, and the tub becoming derailed he was thrown ahead of the tub, which overturned forward and on to him. On the 7th Juno a miner namod William C. Merritt was killed by a fall of coal and stone in No. 5 section E field, Stockton Mine. He and his brothor had been splitting a pillar, and had just holed through. They noticed that coal was fretting about 12 to 15 yards ahead. They went forward a few yards and listened. The place commenced to move and they ran back towards safety, but the fall caught the doceasod and buriod him. He was extricated about forty-five minutes later, but had died of syncope caused by the shock. On tho Bth July William E. Booth, a miner, having completed his day's work, was walking up the Cascade dip of tho Coalbrookdale Mine. He was passing through a low place, 5 ft. 4 in. high, and he raised his head and struck tho roof with it. He becamo paralysed, and succumbed to his injury throe days later. A post-mortem rcvoalod a fracture of the cervical vertebra.