C—3b

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63. Salisbury Mine, Taieri. —(23/8/93) : The system of laying out the working-places is much improved since Blackie took charge, but neither the coal or the thickness of seam has improved. There is about 4ft. of coal hewn, and about 18in. left overhead, which makes a good roof. There is said to be a 12ft. to 14ft. seam of coal on the opposite side of the hill to that now being worked, which may be reached by following the coal through, if no fault comes in the way ; with this object in view, the present workings will be pushed on in that direction. The air is good, and the mine in good order. 64. Bruce No. 2, Milton. —(l/ 9/93) : At the time of my visit the adjoining mine on Hardwick's western boundary was one huge fire, from which the flame was coming to the surface through the broken ground. Soon after the fire was discovered, and when it was seen that nothing could be done to extinguish it, Hardwick immediately went into his old working-places on the fire side of the mine, and by very hard work blocked them up tightly with clay at the most convenient places, a short distance in from the mouth of the adit. This work had, up to the time of my visit, kept back the smoke and fire from the east side of the mine, where preparations have since been made to follow the dip of the coal eastward. In order to do so a deep drain had to be cut along the floor of the long open cutting and adit into the mine, and this work was finished at the time of my visit, as also an extension of the adit to the solid coal where it is 22ft. thick. An air-shaft has also been sunk from the surface to the top of the coal, through which an opening will shortly be made from the roof of the main heading passing under it. Hardwick estimates his loss by the fire in Young's mine at £60. It will be a great loss to Milton if the fire continues to follow the coal in the same way it is said to be doing at the Pomahaka. 65. Beat McKay, Milton. —(l/ 9/93) : On the 6th May last this mine was discovered to be on fire close to the west boundary of Hardwick's mine. Hardwick did all he could to prevent the fire reaching his workings in the immediate vicinity of the adit mouth, and succeeded in blocking up all the old openings with soil and clay. This work had prevented the fire from extending in that direction up to the date of my visit, but a short distance from Hardwick's work the fire was exceedingly strong. There is little or no water available at or near the mine, consequently the pillars in Young's old workings are likely to be allowed to go on burning till there is not one left. Mr. Young was at the time of my visit opening another pit a short distance off (half a mile) to the west, where there is an outcrop of coal 9ft. thick, and close to his old road. This coal is being stripped at present, but as the work advances into the terrace the stripping will shortly get too deep. It is therefore intended at an early date to put in a 6ft. tunnel and leave 3ft. of coal overhead for a roof. 66. Wallsend, Lovel's Flat. —(2/9/93) : This is a large open face of coal 20ft. thick, with stripping from 3ft. to 9ft. of yellow clay, kept well in advance of the coal face for safety to the workmen on the pit bottom. The coal is very solid and has to be blasted down. 68. Elliott Hill Mine, Lovel's Flat.— (2/9/93) : At the time of my previous visit McDougall had started a new adit into the mine, which is now completed, and extended some distance into the coal. The workings are neatly laid up from each side of the main heading. The height of coal hewn is about equal to the height of the hewer. The seam is thought to be 2ft. thick. 69. Paskell's Mine, Adam's Flat. —(3/10/93): The most of the old open face is caved in and the coal face covered with debris. A small hole had been sunk in the bottom of the old paddock in one corner, and a few bags of coal were stacked there. Mr. Paskell now takes out coal for his own use only. 70. Adam's Flat Mine, Adam's Flat.— (3/10/93) : This is an open face of from Bft. to 10ft. of clay stripping, and from 7ft. to 9ft. of marketable coal, but of poor quality. The coal dips slightly eastward under a rising ground, so that the stripping is gradually getting deeper as the work advances into the hill. There was a quantity of loose coal lying in the pit ready for carting away, but no one there. 71. Benhar Mine, Benhar. —(7/10/93) : This was J. Nelson's old mine, but is now being worked by Mr. Skimming, who has lately rented it and all the pottery plant from the owner. Mr. Skimming is carrying on all the works as of old. All the mining is now on the east side of the railwayline, and the main level is being driven eastward beyond any previous workings. About 12ft. of coal is being taken out, leaving a strong coal roof. The mine is very dry, but the air-current on the day of my visit was not as good as it should be: a promise, however, was made to improve it at an early date. All the small coal is used in the brick- and pipe-works. 72. Bigfoot Mine, Benhar. —(7/10/93): There is nothing new to note in this mine. One man not fully employed makes slow headway in a 14ft. face of coal in the course of twelve months, where the width of the working-place is from 12ft. to 14ft. All the small coal is used at the mine in burning bricks. 73. Kaitangata Mine, Kaitangata. —(4/10/93) : Accompanied by Mr. Shore, the mine-manager, all the working-places were inspected, as also others that were not at present being worked. The aircurrent was measured several times near the furnace, and found to average 26,400 ft. per minute, which is more than is required by the Act for the number of men at present (120) employed in the mine. The manager stated that he intended shortly to enlarge the furnace considerably, in order to be prepared for a larger number of men. A short distance from the bottom of the engine-plane, going north, the seam of coal is being followed to the westward down a very uneven dip. At the time of my visit 500 ft. had been driven through a splendid sample of coal, said to be 25ft. thick. The coal at the bottom of the dip appeared to me to be the hardest and best in the 500 ft. driven, and perhaps the best coal in the mine. Preparations are now being made to meet this dip-drive by another tunnel from the bottom of the pumping-shaft at the 700 ft. level, and the two tunnels are expected to meet at a level about 450 ft. above the shaft bottom. When the coal-hewing is in full swing in this part of the mine, it will be sent to the surface up the shaft and engine-plane at the same time. Since this seam has been tested for half a mile north-east of the engine-plane, where it is known to be much wider between the two faults than at the 500 ft. spot just reached in the dip