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following measurements were registered by the anemometer : Main intake —13.432 cubic feet of air per minute, or 1,425 cubic feel of air per man per minute. The mine is well opened oat, and the si/.c of the pillars is adequate. The mine-workings are safe, and a good supply of mining-timber is on hand. Special and genera] rales are posted, and reports entered daily. Alterations have also In , en carried out in connection with the wharf and coal-storage bin. The output of coal for the year was (i.-i 16 tons. Sixteen men were employed. T have, &c. B. Bennir, Inspector of Mines.

Mr. A. ft. Marshall, Inspector of Mines. West Coast Inspection District, to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Sir. — Inspector of Mines' Office. Westport, -Ist March. L9lO. I have the honour, in compliance with section 78 of the Coal-mines Act. 1908. to report as follows on the West Coast coal-mines for the year ended 31st December, lit') , .) ; Enner Glynn Coal-mine, Nelson (.lames Carroll, permit). —(9 II 09) : This mine has lately been reopened, after being shut down for ten years, it having been found necessary at that time to flood the mine owing to an outbreak of tire in the old workings. On withdrawal of the water from the shaft. the timber was found in comparatively good condition, whilst the main levels were found completely blocked, the water having caused the ground (which is of a soft nature) to swell and crush through the timber. In preference to opening out the old levels, the manager decided to set out a new drive to intersect the winze, which, when holed, should materially assist the ventilation of the mine. On thi' surface new pulley-frames have been erected over the shaft, a steam-engine and boiler have Keen placed in position for winding the coal and to drive the ventilating-fan. . Morrison's Freehold,, Gordon Downs (Benjamin Millan, permit). —(8/11/09) : Prospecting has been energetically conducted on this property since June. No. 1 prospecting tunnel has been driven a distance of 130 ft., but is now abandoned, whilst No. 2 tunnel has been driven a total distance of 220 It. ; but coal has not yet been proved. Smythe , * ('<><tl Lease, Motawa, Collingwood (A. Walker, permit). —(5/11/09): A considerable amount of prospecting has been done on this property, several outcrops having been exposed showing coal of good quality, whilst a pack-track has been completed to within about one mile of the proposed site of the mine. Seaford Colliery, Pdkawau (owner. E. G. Pilcher. of Wellington; P. McCaffrey, mine-manager).— (4/11/09) : Owing to the unsatisfactory shipping facilities at the old wharf, this mine closed down on the 4th July, 1908, pending the erection of a new wharf some, two miles further south, which was completed in August, and is of a very substantial character. The total length is 726 ft., and width 18 ft. Berthage is obtained for several small vessels, and the depth of water will enable vessels of a much greater draught than formerly to load. The company has built a sawmill, where all timber such as is used for sleepers and truck-building will be cut. All work is now at a standstill until such time as authority can be obtained to construct a mile and a quarter of tram-line, when it is the intention of the management to instal the main and tail rope system of haulage to convey the coal from the mine to the wharf. Taupata Estates (11. (J. Filluil, owner: W. Lewis, second-class mine-manager).—(4/11/09) : Prospecting on this estate has been carried on during the latter part of the year by the lessees (Messrs. Lewis Bros, and Forbes), but so far with very little success. In No. 1 prospecting tunnel a seam of coal 16 in. in thickness was cut. dipping to the westward at an angle of 60°. On driving, the seam showed no improvement in thickness, and the work here was therefore abandoned on the 4th September. A new tunnel was then started (i chains west of No. 1. but at 10 ft. lower level, the face now standing in hard sandstone. Pupcmgn Colliery (C. Y. Fell, attorney, Nelson ; R. McEwan. mine-manager). —(4/11/09) : In " A " mine the main dip has only been extended 307 ft. during the year, making the total distance from tunnel-mouth to face of heading "2.'!72 links. The coal at. the face is of a very good quality. In order to maintain the output from this mine it is obvious that a more vigorous system of development should be carried out. and the dip extended northward, to prove the field in this direction, before the extraction of the pillars lying to the east and rise of the main dip workings can take place. B mine : Mining operations were suspended here owing to tin , gradual thinning of the coal. However, to prove the field. a borehole was put down to a depth of 104 ft., passing through a small seam 1 ft. 10 in. thick at a depth of 96 ft., and it is now intended to continue t his borehole to a great er depth. The Radialaxe coal-cutting machines installed during last year continue to give every satisfaction, and are found to be very effective in holing in day or stone bands. This enables a much larger percentage of large coal to be won from the mine than was formerly the case when hand mining was employed. All machinery in and about the mine is kept in good order. New storage-bins have been erected at the mine, and the tramway and wharf greatly improved, at considerable expense. SeddonviUe State Colliery (.lames Fletcher, mine-manager). (12/10 09): With the exception of winning some top coal from the Bridge section, work has been practically confined to the development of the Cave area, where a holing was effected on the above date from the West section, materially improving the ventilation, the air-courses being much shorter and more direct to the ventilating-fan. which is of the single-inlet Sirocco type, oo in. diameter, belt-driven, and capable of producing 35,000 cubic feel of air per minute at a water-gauge of .', section, where five pairs of miners are employed, is separately ventilated by a 9 ft. diameter Broome fan. producing 18.500 cubic feet of air

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