C. Bα.

is being conducted on another part of the property. 1 had previously warned the persons connected with this mine that I lie workings were taken too wide and high for permanence, and full advantage was ever taken of this generous seam of coal, although worked in a manner free from accident. The. pit is on private land, and worked in a small way for local use. Mamholm Collier//. Conical Hill*. Waipahi (William Lischner, permit, owner and manager). —■ Opencast pit : seam. 20 ft. : usually worked in a safe manner. Central Otago. Coal ('reck Collieries, Coal Creek Flat, Roxburgh (Barber and Shaw, lessees; J. Barber, minemanager). —(18/11/09) : This mine continues to be kept in good condition and safe-working order. Ventilation good. A prospecting drive on tho freehold resulted in failure, only crushed and burnt coal seam being obtained. Rules posted ; plan and report-book kept. McPherson's Coal-fit, Coal Creel- Flal. Roxburgh (McPherson Bros., lessees ; A. J. McPherson, permit, manager).—(lB/11/09) : Crown lease. Underground mining now being conducted in northern coal-face. Seam estimated at over 80 ft. in thickness. Mine in good order, and well ventilated. Rules posted. Craig's Perseverance Coal-mine. Coal Creek Flat. Roxburgh (James Craig, lessee; S. E. F. Vernon, permit, manager). —(18/11/09) : Crown lease. Ventilation at working-faces becoming weak by reason of length of air-courses under natural ventilation. A new air-shaft is now to be provided at near the level-face. Stoppings in againsi heated area are quite cool, and receive daily attention. Rules posted ; plan and report-book kept. Alexandra Coal-mine, Alexandra South (Messrs. Mathias Bros, and Co., lessees ; A. E. Barnes, mine-manager).—(l/ 12/09) : Crown lease. Owing to softness of floor and bad roof in the faulted area, workings to dip are again discontinued. Pillars are being brought homeward, and roof and floor gradually meet in the waste. I drew the mine-owners' attention to the necessity for preserving support in that part of the mine underlying the Alexandra Borough Water-race. Rules posted ; plan and report-books kept. New Alexandra, ('mil Company, Alexandra South (J. Pollock, mine-manager).—(l/ 12/09) : Crown lease. This colliery is now under new ownership, having been acquired from the Alexandra Coal Company by a small private syndicate. Work going on much as usual ; partial extraction of pillars in north-western section yielding the larger proportion of output. The pillars are split and resplit in accordance with the manner in which the work was originally laid out. As the stumps of pillars left gradually sink the floor rises until roof is met, thus preserving the measures and affording a safeguard against sudden inburst of water from the strata overlying coal-seam. Ventilation good around the mine. Old workings in good order, as are both shafts and ladderways for second outlet. Rules posted ; plan and report-books kept; and requirements of the Act generally well observed. Pump-ing-time averages ninety-six hours per week, pumping—on week-days only —at the rate of 12,000 gallons per hour. Welshman's Gully Coal-pit, Cambrian (Sarah McGuckin, lessee ; J. McGuckin, permit, manager).— (12/4/09) : Crown lands. Opencast. Output decreased owing to the. difficulties of working the pit by reason of heavy stripping and pumping water. Jones's Coal-pit, Cambrian (Robert Jones, lessee). —Crown lands. This pit is being worked steadily on a small scale. St. Bathan , s'Coal-pit, St. Bathan , s (James Enright, lessee). —(13/4/09): Crown lands. Opencast pit. Stripping being imperfectly attended to, in consequence of which it was apparent that the lessee and his son were at times working under an overhanging face. I again drew the lessee's attention to the dangerous nature of his method of working, and rewarned him of the risk of serious accident which ho was undertaking. Rough Ridge ( 'nal-pil. Idaburn (Mrs. M. Heck, lessee ; W. Beck, permit, manager).—(l 2/4/09) : Crown lands. Opencast pit in good working-order. Rules posted ; copy of Act and report-book kept. Idaburn Coal-pit. Idaburn (.1. White, permit, lessee).- —(12/4/09) : Crown lands. Opencast pit worked up to adjoining boundary. Owner's intention is to open a new pit on the northern side of old workings. Rules posted. Oturchua (late Border) Coal-pit, Oturehua (Richard Thomas, permit, lessee). —(13/4/09). —Crown lands. Opencast pit. Face of lignite being opened up in a workmanlike manner. Donaldson's Coal-pit, Mount Highlay (W. and G. Donaldson, licensees). —(15/7/09) : Lignite license. Opencast pit, seam 10 ft., stripping 8 ft. to 10 ft. in thickness, worked mainly for supply of fuel to the owners' quartz-crushing battery. Clyde Collieries. Clyde ( Vincent and Dairy Creek Mines), (G. F. Turner, mine-manager).— (l/ 12/09) : Crown lease. Now under new ownership, the company having gone into liquidation, and the mine taken over by Mr. Jonathon Rhodes, a mortgagee. Workings in good order, and ventilation fair. The stoppings in on the pillared area where heating and discharge of black damp where observed are cool and tight, and there are no present indications of further trouble in that direction. Rules posted ; plan and report-book kept in the office at the mine. Ca/rdrona Colliery, Cardrona (R. McDougall, permit, lessee). —(13/1/09) : Crown lands. Working to southward on strike of seam and driving in lower measures for prospecting purposes. As has been usual, blocks of hard coal alternate with soft bands, of which latter the one at present being worked is proving to be more extensive than heretofore. The lessee subsequently reported that a good seam had been found at the northern end of the old workings. Gibbston Coal-mine, Gibbston Saddle (J. Duncan, lessee and mine-manager). —(12/7/09): Crown lease. Rules posted ; report-book kept; and plan to be brought to date. Main level driven 15 chains on strike of coal-seam, which at 350 ft. in is 15 ft. in thickness, widening out in the middle block to

3—C. 3a.

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