C—3a

14

Loyalty Claim (Te Aroha Prospecting Association, owners). —A considerable amount of work has been done in this mine, which includes a portion of the Old Inverness ground. A large amount of work was done on the surface, and a cross-cut driven 35ft. to the reef, which is 18in. in thickness. 60ft. were driven on it, and 12 fathoms stoped out. A winze was also sunk 20ft. 55 tons of quartz crushed yielded 930z. of gold. Four men were employed. Tui Disteict. Champion Mine. —No work has been done on this mine by the company, but a tribute is let to Mr. William Comes, who has only just commenced work, with two men. Galena Mine (J. J. Broadbent, owner). —This mine was taken up to work a galena-lode, and a road has been made from the top of the spur to the workings on the eastern side of the range; 85ft. of driving has been done, but no galena shipped as yet. The owner has purchased half of Champion tramway for £300. The road was extended from the galena reef to a reef about 20 chains farther on, the appearance of which is very favourable, and a parcel of quartz taken to the Thames School of Mines assayed £9 Bs. per ton. Dbainage. Big Pump. The following extracts from the annual report of Mr. W. H. Phillips, the manager of the Big Pump, give particulars of the drainage :— " Pumping operations during the past year have been carried on continuously, the usual stoppages excepted. Pumping was resumed on the Ist January, and by the 6th the water was down to the 400 ft. level, at which depth it was retained until I received instructions to reduce the water a further depth of 30ft., to drain the May Queen, and on the 11th October to further reduce the water to the 500 ft. level. " Bepairs : A new drop-clack had to be obtained. This was lowered to its place on the 13th March; new pin and bearings of the balance-bob were placed in position, whilst the pumps were stopped for the annual boiler inspection in May last. During the stoppage the piston was also overhauled, and new springs put in where required. The pumps having been again stopped for the annual cleaning-out of the county water-race, advantage has been taken of the stoppage to take out a length of the bucket-rod, and replace it with a new one. " All the machinery has been overhauled, and one of the boilers cleaned out, in addition to two cleaned out in September last. The drop-clack has also been drawn, the valves changed, and other necessary repairs effected to place them in thorough working-order. The chimney-stack of the winding-engine having become shaky, I had scaffolding erected, and the bricks in the stack repointed from top to bottom. " The coal consumed during the past year has been principally Kamo, with a mixture of Newcastle. I estimate the quantity of coal required for the ensuing year, if pumping is continued from the 500 ft. level, to be about 3,000 tons. " The machinery and pumps are in good order, and working well. The manager, three enginedrivers, one stoker, and one pitman constitute the permanent staff, but occasionally outside labour is required." Dividends. £ s. d. Waihi Gold-mining Company ... ... ... ... 30,000 0 0 Crown Mines Company ... ... ... ... ... 3,886 9 0 New Alburnia Gold-mining Company ... ... ... 7,500 0 0 Hazelbank „ ... ... ... 2,100 0 0 Waiotahi „ ... ... ... 750 0 0 Try Fluke „ ... ... ... 2,500 0 0 £46,736 9 0 Accidents. Charles Kirby was seriously injured by a large piece of ground falling from the side and back of the leading stope, on the 11th April, 1893, in the Eureka section of the Moanatairi Mine. William Lang had his left leg fractured by a piece of ground falling on him, on the 3rd of August, 1893, in the old Newmarket section of the Moanatairi Mine. Harry Lough met with a serious accident, by which he received a fracture of the right arm and right leg, which afterwards proved fatal, on the 14th August, 1893, in the Moanatairi Mine. Samuel Stevens had one of his ribs strained by a piece of ground falling from the hanging-wall and fixing him down against the foot-wall, on the 31st August, 1893, in the Moanatairi Mine. William Jones, senior, had his right leg fractured while jumping from an old level into a stope, a distance of 3ft. 9in., on the 4th September, 1893, in the Waihi Mine. W. Christey met with an accident whilst working the windlass, through the handle slipping from his hand and striking him on the forehead, on the 9th September, 1893, in the Kuranui No. 3 Mine. William Johnstone met with an accident through a detonator exploding after being fitted on the end of the fuse, on the 21st September, 1893, in the Crown Mine. Thomas Fife had his collar-bone fractured by a piece of mullock falling on him, on the 26th October, 1893, in the Try Fluke Mine, Kuaotunu. James Clark was injured by a piece of ground falling on his back while putting in a set of timber, on the 3rd November, 1893, in the Moanatairi Mine. James Martin was injured in face and eyes by a portion of unexploded gelignite cartridge at the bottom of an old drill-hole, on the 18th November, 1893, in the Waihi Mine.