GOLDEN FLEECE EXLENDED Co., MURRAY CREEK.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 17 September 1880, Page 2

GOLDEN FLEECE EXLENDED Co., MURRAY CREEK.

Having in your last issue concluded my reference to the underground workings of this company, I purpose now to close my report with a general oullioe of tbe plant and surface works. For a leugth of iime after ilie erection of tbe battery tbe tbe engine was fed with wood, but the consumption of Ibis fuel being large tbe tramways supplying it in the course of a year or so giew greatly in length and tbe woik of running tbe tiucls to and fro became slow and laborious. Tbe havoc which had been been made in the sur» rounding forest also threatened to sfiec! the fu'uie source of timber for tbe underground wovliinng. It then became neces* sary to cast nbout for a coal supply, and eventually a seam was found some distance awa}-, which th^u»h small would, it was thought, ullima'ely lead to a suffient and permanent store. A tramway was accordingly laid to tbe battery, but iv tbe end the seam thinned to nothing. ness, and beie aga«n was a fre^h difficulty to cope with. Careful exploration was accordingly nwd<\ pad tbe conclusion was arrived at that in order to this time reach an undoubtedly enduring supply a tramway wou^liiave to be constructed to tbe bead of Murray Creek, a distance of something over a mile. After survey the line was accordingly commenced, but in the progress of a side cut •' ing on a spur rounding iutd Murray ,-Greek, traces of coal were unexpectedly" met with, and realising (be immense saving <o be effected i if coal could be obtained at that point, Mr Trenuery carefully followed up tbe discovery, which eventually resulted in tho finding of a magnificent seam of coal, tbe bulk of which it is impossible to estimate. The seam has been traced for several chains in length up the mou^hrn side, and where opened shows & thickness of 20ft, without any appearance of , tbe walls on either side. It appears in« (' * las though the whole mountain were posed of co;il. ■ It is of splendid lily and is being worked from an i face— quarried in fact, and is be? i all doubt inexhaustible in tbe true ning of tbe word. Another importfeature in connection with the disiry of tbe coal at this point is that it the midst of a magnificent belt? &£ st, so that all the sawn and round >ers required in tho mine will hencei be obtained at this spot, and cons •d (o the mine on the top of the

loaded coal trucks. r Coal and timber have hitherto formed two great items in the monthly payssheels of tbe company, but henceforth this expenditure will be reduced to a minimum. The tramway connecting the coal pit and battery ia 65 chains in length, and includes 35 chaios of incline, the whole of which is well and faithfully laid, having been carried out by day labor, under the personal supervision of the manager, Mr Trennery. Had it been necessary to carry the Iramroad to the head of Murray Creek, as originally designed, the line would have been 22 chains longer than it is, the saving thus effected being close upon £2*~>o, besides avoiding the use of a horse, which wouhi have been indispensible on that portion of the line. Between the coal pit and the battery a hill has to be surmounted which is seventeen and a half chains up | and the same distance down on the other side. A whim woiked by a horse is placed at the head of the incline, and the loaded truck descending to the battery on one side of the hill assists to draw the full one up from the pit on the other. Everything is well found and substantial, and the wear and tear on the line will be little or nothing for years to come. The work was a difficult one to carry out owing to the roughness of the country over which it passes, and its s?fe and satisfactory accomplishment does iir'finite credite to lite skill and .ingenuity of the management. So much then for this important branch of tbe company's works. Approaching the mine from the direction of Murray Creek, one is struck with tbe immense amount ot work done in the mine, as testified by tbe enormous heaps of rubble run out from the winding shaft. One of the lip heads is hardly less than ICOithigb. The engine raises a tiuck a minute, and owing to the many labor* saving devices in use one man is sufficient at the brace to keep the cages going. As an instance of the perfection of the mode of working, it m^y be men tioned that many hours ia the 21 are saved in the seemingly small matter of emptying a truck. The old way of running the truck to the tip head, and then draw* iDg tbe bolt and lipp ; ng the contents by hand, was one involving a great waste of lime, and very often necessitated the ems ploymenf; of two men where one would otherwise suffice. At the Fleece "tip* heads there are what are termed " turn* biers/ on to which the truck is run and tips and rights it«elf instantaneously. There is no bolt to be unfastened, as the truck by its own. weight makes a threequarter sommersault, and the rebound returns it empty on to the rails. Tbe whole thing is the work of a second, and its simplicity is surprising. The windiDg engine is a perfect model of its kind and performs its work faultlessly. The en» gine is in charge of Mr Chirles M'Quarrie, whose a'ten'ion to his duties gives tl>at confidence to the workmen which is essential to Ihe proper working of the mine. The battery numbers 15 stampers, and is in perfect working order. Mr Mathew Bradbury, whose long cons neclion wilh the mine as underground manager, entitles him to be ranked as one of the fathers of the mine, holds the responsible position of amalgamator, for the duties of which lie possesses tbe highest qdalifleoi'ons. Mr M'Grougor faithfully presides at the battery-engine, while the important post of underground manager devolves by right of his lon^ exi»e- N ence upon Mr Jacob M'Kenny. Lastly, but certainly not least we have Mr John Trennery, who practically holds the reins of the entire mtuia^ement and direction of the workings, and thnn whom it would be difficult to find anyone more cotnpo* lejji for the respoDMble office. With a practical knowledge of the direction of qnav!z n>in>ng which dales from tlie dawn of the industry in Victoria, i« coupled a oonnec ion %v?ih tlie present mine since it w;<s Gi'sfc opened, and his ever aciivo and intelligent supervision is oliserv;ib!e over U<e whole of tlie com* ponys works. Economy .tnd system rule throughout. Every man UDder charge j lifts his iil'o'lprf task to perform, and I while it is m ifiuient to evnet the full measure of his hire, it is no more tban a good mm should be able to discbarge. Thi*» sniall tribute to the excellence of •! he management I feel bow d to lankp, and less 1 couKl not say wiila on Kit' just iie.