11

C—3b

Meed's Pit, Akatore, Milton. —(26/4/98): This place looks deserted. A few tons appear to have been taken at odd times from near the outcrop, and the faces are pretty well covered up with debris. No one about. Fortification Goal-mine, Milton (A. Love, proprietor).—(26/4/98): A new mine has been started on lands belonging to Mr. William Noble. The coal appears about 10 ft. thick, of which 7 ft. is being worked. The entry is by a drive from the outcrop of the seam, which has a very gentle dip to the east. Generally speaking, the mine was in fair order, and the ventilation adequate. At present the coal is hauled by a hand-winch, but a portable engine has recently been placed at the mine-mouth for drainage purposes, and will also be utilised for hauling. No report-book or plan at the mine, nor were the rules posted up. Gave owner notice re these matters under date the 30th April. (18/10/98): Mr. Love has recently sold out to the Fortification Eailway and Coal Company (Limited), who had some idea of connecting the mine to the Government railway at Milton by a branch line. At my visit three men were employed, and matters were much in the same way as at my previous inspection. No rules were posted, up, no report-books kept, no plan of the mine available, nor any supply of mining timber on hand. I immediately wrote the company in respect to these matters, requiring compliance with the law, which was promised forthwith in a letter from the company's secretary under date the 21st November, 1898. MeGilp's Mine, Milton. —(26/4/98): This pit has been working for about a year. It is an opencast quarry, and situate on Mr. MeGilp's private land. The coal is fully 20 ft. thick, and a fair amount of surface has been stripped off in advance of the working-face. Wallsend Goal-pit, Lovell's Flat (R. Hewitson). —(27/10/98) : A bed of lignite is being worked opencast to a depth of about 25 ft., and at the face is overlaid by about 14 ft. of stripping, consisting of clay and soil, with clayey quartz-gravel next the coal. A small area (for current requirements) is stripped. Mr. Hewitson will strip during the summer for next season's trade. Burnweil Colliery, Lovell's Flat (Messrs. Gibson and Lees, owners). —(6/1/98) : I visited this mine for the purpose of arranging for one of the men to act as provisional manager under a permit, owing to the firm having temporarily curtailed their operations and reduced the number of men employed to six. The mine was in very fair order, and excellently ventilated ; report-books kept up to date, rules posted, &c. Since my last visit an indicator has been attached to the windingengine, and other matters attended to. (5/5/98) : Mr. J. C. Campbell, late of Allandale Colliery, took charge as manager. (27/10/98) :At this visit the mine was idle, and, as steam was down and no engine-man about, I could not go underground. Mr. Campbell informs me that the roadway to connect the two shafts has still 5 chains to go, and that its continuation has recently been stopped owing to the fact that the coal has become absolutely worthless in this direction; and the seam as a whole not taking the market, the proprietors have decided to stop getting coal at the end of the year, and sink the shaft another 300 ft. or thereabouts, in expectation of getting a better seam. A bore-hole has been put down 280 ft. below the seam. At this depth trouble was experienced in consequence of some of the ground running; but the proprietors have informed me that the indications were such as to give them encouragement to sink the shaft. (17/11/98): In consequence of an accident to one of the miners I visited the colliery, and found it well ventilated and looked after. Report of accident under separate heading. McDougaiVs Tuakitoto Coal-pit, near Lovell's Flat. —(27/10/98) : The seam here is entered by a dip-drive, and said by Mr. McDougall to be the same as that worked at Burnweil Colliery. The pit has been worked by other people previous to Mr. McDougall without any defined system, and very small pillars have been left. Drainage is effected by a level tunnel connecting with a ditch outside, but is not low enough, consequently nearly half of the seam in the workings is underfoot. Ventilation very good. No labour is employed by owner, and no survey oE the mine has been made. A shaft was commenced some time ago near the outcrop of the seam, with the object of proving the lower measures, and was sunk 160 ft., when it was stopped for want of funds. Benhar Lignite-mine, near Stirling (P. McSkimming and Son). —(15/7/98) : The old mine is now closed for the present, and another has been opened on the opposite side of the railway, at which five men are employed. The lignite appears about 8 ft. thick, and is overlaid by clays and quartz grit. Pit in very fair order, and well ventilated. Very little timber is required. Rules not posted, nor any report-book kept. Gave notice about this on return to Dunedin. , Mount Wallace Lignite-mine, Stirling (H. H. Hull, lessee). —(15/7/98) : This is a small mine on Mr. Anderson's farm, and the principal trade is during the threshing season. The thickness of the seam is not known, but some 10 ft. is being worked to a limited extent by one man, and the place is kept in very fair order. Kaitangata Colliery. — (13/7/98) : New ground is being opened out in the main seam east of No. 4 fault. The north level in this section is standing, owing to its being ahead of the ventilating current, and has cut and crossed a small fault, beyond which the coal is giving off firedamp. The place has been properly fenced off, and a parallel roadway is being driven for ventilation. Between Nos. 3 and 4 faults top-coal is being dropped in the bords, and the old north main level, at the foot of the engine-plane, is being reopened to take out the remaining pillars. Pillar-working is still in hand south of the foot of the engine-plane, and also in the north section of the shaft-workings. Work has been continued in the lower seam through the prospecting-tunnel driven from the shaft section. The coal being worked shows a thickness of some 8 ft. only, and I am inclined to think the seam may be divided. A small blower of gas and water is met with in the floor of the main heading, and this may be from coal below. So far as the driving in coal has gone the seam is patchy in quality, but appears to be improving. This portion of the mine is at present ventilated by brattice-work, assisted by jets of compressed air, but headings are being cut to the rise to establish a connection with the long tunnel from the engine-plane workings. Safety-lamps are used, and the coal gives off a little gas. Ventilation on the whole is very fair, but it may become desirable at no distant date to sink a new