GENTLE ANNIE QUARRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2565, 28 July 1909, Page 4

GENTLE ANNIE QUARRY.

VISIT OF INSPECTION

The members of the Works Coramittoe of the Borough Council paid a visit vesterday* to the Gentle Annie quarry fn o?de? 7 to ascertain exactly the. result of the drive that has recently been put in to test the available supply of metal. Tin's drive, measuring five feet by foui 1 , rcA. L,,i : n length, has been put “far up on tbl hmfcde, and although a colid face of metal was not stiuck, indications of an excellent supply of rubble of a really goou quality have he n the result of the operation. The quantity of metal available was not questioned by the Councillors yesterday as it was generally held, tram the outcrops of stone all over the hill. Miat there P was practically an unlimited supply, and far and away above the neeSs of the borough or the county. On the question of quality, theic was a liret some slight difference of opinion amongst those present, and a most ex haustive examination was made not alone of the stone already taken out by the drive, but also of several specimens taken from the hill itself, inside the’drive. These were broken on the snot and found to be of excellent quality, which improved as the stones tram further in were examined. Several >f the Councillors expressed the opmmn the stone was better than tnat being obtained from Patutalii quarry, but the general concensus' of opinion eventually appeared to be that the b« ; ter stone examined was, at least, equal to the Patutalii metal, while in small or large stones the quality is uniform in the Gentle Annie metal. After carefully surveying the hill from several aspects, the Councillors came to the opinion that the hill was one altogether J rubble, and that there was no further information to be gamed by additional t<? Asls only natural, with rubble/.ione there is a considerable amount or mullock or residue, between the stones, which, however,' decreases in quantity towards the centre of the hill-. It is claimed for this mullock which is composed of minute particles of metal mingled with earth, that it will be most excellent'for footpaths, while for bindine purposes o n the roads after, metallino* it will also be very serviceable. This opinion was endorsed by the overseer who was present, and who spolre in high terms as to the quality of the metal. „ , , • The fact of a solid face of stone not having been struck is not regarded as a disadvantage, but rather the reverse as it will tend to the more economical working of the quarry, no blasting being necessary. At present the metal beino- obtained from the solid rock at Patutalii costs the borough 4s id per vard loaded into the carts or Straker waggon? while for Gentle Annie it is claimed that metal can be placed ready . for conveyance away from the quarry at 2s 6d per yard for some of it, and even less for the remainder. The reason for this is that the contract price ? of quarrying' from the solid face is 2s 3d per yard, and, in addition to this, there is also the charge for spawning. With the stones of the size -obtainab.e at Gentle Annie, epawling will not be necessarv, and a proportion of the metal is” to be put on, the roads without even going through the crusher. It is the intention of the Council to transfer the metal from where it is obtained on the hillside to a point on the road by means of an aerial tramway, the starting point of which will be” a little distance below the mouth of the quarry. The metal will be allowed to run down to the starting point over a screen which will divide it into three classes, the fine stuff for binding and footpaths, another class ready for distribution on the and the third, the stone for the crusher. Adjacent to the point where the aerial tramway • reaches the road the crushing machine will be installed. The road from the quarry to town, with the exception of about half a mile, is a good metalled road, and the Council is at present applying to Government for a special grant for the purpose of completing the portion of road. The method of conveyance for the metal has not yet been decided upon, considerable diversity of opinion still existing as to the utility of the Straker waggons for the purpose. The cost of establishing a complete plant at the quarry is estimated at about £I2OO, which' includes the aerial tramway, enquiries regarding which are at present being made by the Council .

The Councillors yesterday were unanimous in their expressions of approval as to the quantity and quality of the stone, aud_.several of them stated that they were most agreeably surprised at the value of the quarry, especially in view of the fact that it can be. so ecoißnmieally worked.