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the workings ; meanwhile the pillars, where extracted, have been worked to advantage. The brick and cement water-dams built in the year 1906 are now utilized for separating the abandoned area from the rest of the pit. New working will proceed in solid coal in the north-easterly part of the holding on lines similar to those formerly adopted. Traversed old workings ; no gases. Second outlet shaft and ladderway in good order for travelling. Rules posted ; report-books and plan kept to date. Cambrian Coal-pit, Cambrian (Crown lease ; Catherine Dungey, lessee ; Alfred Dungey, permit, manager).—(2o/4/10) : No output during the current year, owing, the lessee says, to want of orders. Negotiations are in progress for sale of this pit to the adjoining lessee, Mrs. McGuckin. Welshman's Gully Coal-pit, Cambrian (Crown lease ; Sarah McGuckin, lessee ; J. McGuckin, permit, manager).—(2o/4/10) : Hydraulic pump in working-order, also hydraulic winch, and tram-rails laid in to working-face. Stripping heavy, 20 ft. and upwards, and the lessee complains that the cost of production, together with lack of trade, makes the pit unremunerative. The lessee and other coalpit owners in Central Otago find that the introduction of down-country coal and sea-borne coal by medium of the Otago Central Railway has seriously affected their businesses. Three-mile or Woolshed Creek Coal-pit, Lander Station (Crown lease ; Robert Jones, lessee and manager).—(2o/4/10) : Pit worked opencast, and, as seam dipping sharply into the hillside, stripping rapidly increasing in depth down to 20 ft. This coal is rather above the average quality for the district, and the lessee has been tempted to work with or under the vertical face. I warned him that he was liable to meet with serious accident by continuing the work in such a dangerous manner, and a notice is being posted that the pit will be closed until restored to safe working-order. Shortage of water for stripping is set out as the cause of bad state of walls of the pit. St. Balkan's Coal-pit, St. Balkan's (Crown lease ; James Enright, lessee and manager).—(l 9/4/10): Opencast pit, walls in disorder. Season's output has been obtained by lifting bottoms. Waterdrainage into this pit continues to be troublesome, but efficient steps to cope with same are not undertaken by the lessee. Rough Ridge Coal-pit, Idaburn (Crown lease ; Mrs. M. Beck, lessee ; W. Beck, permit, manager).— (12/4/10) : Opencast pit, in good order. Stripping kept well in advance of working-face, whereby the pit is worked more safely and a larger output rendered possible within a given time. At my instance, the powder-magazine is to be shifted further back from the cartway for greater safety. Rules posted, and report-book kept. Idaburn Coal-pit, Idaburn (Crown lease ; John White, lessee, permit, and manager).—Opencast pit. The southerly side of the pit being worked out, operations are now transferred toward the northern boundary. Here the seam is mostly below the country water-level, and a pump is required for unwatering purposes. Stripping kept well in advance, and pit safely worked. Rules posted ; report-book kept. Oturehua Coal-pit, Oturehua (Crown lease; Richard Thomas, lessee, permit, manager). — (13/12/10) : Opencast. Working in the bed of the Idaburn Stream, which is turned. Nevertheless a heavy percolation of water occurs through the gravels overlying the seam, and the lower part is worked with difficulty, much being left behind. Donaldson's Coal-pit. Mount Highlay (Crown lease ; W. and G. Donaldson, lessees). Clyde Colliery, Clyde (Crown lease ; Jonathan Rhodes, lessee ; G. F. Turner, mine-manager).— (13/4/10) : Stoppings on line of " gob " where pillars drawn are in good order, and there is no leakage. ('i ia I being obtained from lower levels of dip. Ventilation good, and places being worked safely. Cromwell and Bannockburn Collieries Company, Bannockburn (Crown lease ; T. K. Harty, manag'ng director, Dunedin ; J. Hodson, mine-manager).—-(11/11/10) : The Shepherd's Creek Mine, in Thorn's Gully, having become exhausted, plant is withdrawn and mine abandoned. The new drive at ParcclPs Gully to southward is being developed to dip. Places are taken narrow with a view to future pillarexhaustion, which method has proved more profitable than the former system of wldo bords to begin with. Ventilation good, and rules complied with. The Excelsior Mine remains idle for lack of orders. Cairnmuir Colliery, Bannockburn (Crown lease ; Cairnmuir Coal Company, lessees ; A. F. Whittlestone, mine-manager). —(11/11/10) : Exhaustion of pillars to dip brought on a partial "creep" or subsidence of overlying strata. The places are seen closed firm with a gocd break on and no apparent harm done, the area having been fairly well robbed. Gravel filling sluiced in from surface contributed to this satisfactory result. Report-bocks and plan kept; rules posted and reasonably observed. Owing to the proximity of Bannockburn Creek overhead, care is taken to work only pillars away from its influence. In any case damage could result only to the mine ; the men would be safe, there being separate outlets on each side of the workings, in addition to the intake or haulage-road. Ranfurly Coal-mine, Bannockburn (Crown lease ; John Hodson, lessee and manager). —(26/3/10) : A prospeeting-drive has struck the old workings, whence a strong black damp is emanating. I warned Mr. Hodson that he should be careful, otherwise he and his two boys were liable to lose their lives. This part of the seuni had been worked and riddled in the early days, of which there is ample evidence on the surface. Hodson, it appears, is hopeful that there is an unworked part of the seam to the dip. I told him that I considered he was in a precarious position working on top of old workings of which no plans nro available.
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