C—2.

47

St. Andrew's Mine. —Two young miners recently put down five hand-boreholes and proved an area of unworked ground north of the old workings to contain a seam 9 ft. thick. They put in a 6 ft. by 0 ft. drive for 3 chains, and an extension of 20 chains of the traffic-road had to be made by them to connect with the new drive. Rough Ridge Coal-pit. —A few tons were won from the south-east corner of the lease during the year, further stripping of the gravel overburden was ordered to be done. Idaburn Pit. —The suction of the small centrifugal pump was lowered, thus enabling Oft. to Bft. of bottoms to be won from the western end of the pit. Very little work has been done on the eastern end, and further stripping must be done there prior to resuming coal-mining. Oturehua Coal-pit. —Work has recently been recommenced at this pit. The water which filled the pit was pumped out and the slack and debris lying in the north end was filled away. Cambrian Coal-pit. —A small output was produced during the first half of tho year, but since then nothing has been done and the pit is now almost full of water. A good deal of stripping will have to be done before any further supply is obtained from the pit.. Alexandra Mine. —The few remaining workable pillars were extracted early in the year and production ceased in June, McPherson's Pit. —Stripping is constantly being done with the three hydraulic nozzles, and a large aroa of lignite has been bared of the overburden. An incline has been put down into the 20 ft. seam of lignite below the level of the tail-race. The mine-trucks are hauled up this incline by a winch driven by a Pelton wheel. There appears to be several years of work at the present output without extending the boundaries of the pit, as the major portion of tho 20 ft. seam remains to be won. The old fire area to the south is well cut off, but occasionally it breaks out afresh and one of the nozzles has to be turned that way again. Shepherd's Creek Mine. —All the available pillars having been taken out, the old mine was closed in March last, and work was recommenced in the new area about 7 chains to the south. When in about 4 chains the main level (going west) met an upthrow fault. A place was diiven south-west off this level, but the roof of sand closed this place when in 150 ft. Two places have been driven 150 ft. to the south, and on the north side a return airway has been driven to the surface through the overlying sand. Two other places, 5 ft. to 6 ft. wide, have been driven on tho north side. This mine is being connected to the Central Otago Power Board's lines. The mine cables are installed in proper galvanized-iron conduits, and a 4 k.v.a. 2J in. centrifugal pump has been ordered. Nevis Crossing Pit. —A small block at the north end of the pit is now being worked at a depth of 25 ft. from the surface, the clay overburden having been first sluiced away to a safe batter. A jet elevator is used for lifting the drainage-water from the workings. About half a mile north of the pit a little prospecting has been done on the outcrop, but only small blocks of crushed coal was proved. Parfitt's Coal-pit. —This pit is four miles and a half in towards the hills from the main traffic-road between Wedderburn and Oturehua. The lignite being worked is 30 ft. thick, and dips to the west at an inclination of 75°. The pit is almost rectangular, being now about 18 yards long by 14 yards wide, and is over 7 yards deep. Water is brought from a low hill near by, and the available pressure of about 401b. is used to siphon the water out of the pit. A little stripping of the overburden has been done on the north ond to extend the pit in that direction. A few tons may also be got from a higher seam of lignite, 10 ft. thick, which, like the main seam, is also dipping 75° to the west. Freeman's Mine. —Three miners are still employed at pillar-work. No signs of heating are now showing, and all the stoppings around the old heated goaf are cool. Jubilee Mine. —Permission was granted to drive a pair of headings in No. 5 section under the Brighton traffic-road. Good coal, 8 ft. thick, has been proved for 6 chains south of the road. In the north-west portion of No. 5 section the pillars have been extracted and it is now scaled off with good stone stoppings. The coal is rather soft and mushy in the places going west off the main heading. The pillars are now being made larger than formerly, but a few are less than the required area. West of the main heading and on the north side of the road two places are still being worked, but, as the coal is becoming much poorer, theso places will soon be stopped. Most of the places on the east side and north of the road havo reached tho boundary. In No. 6 section five miners are pillaring, and this section will be exhausted in about six months. In No. 7 section (Hollow's Drive) the water from the thirty-year-old workings was gradually released. The present places are all narrow, and from 4 ft. to 5 ft. in height. Three miners are on pillar work in this section, which will also be exhausted in another six months. Auchmeddon Coal-pit. —Eighteen tons were won from this small oponcast pit during the year. Willowbank Mine. —The west-side pillars are nearly finished, but a little remains to bo done on the east sido. The east level, driven over 8 chains in from tho surface, proved to be 30 ft. too low in altitude. A place driven in the seam on the. line of and ahead of the east level was in coal for 3 chains, so the fault which the places below had met evidently had either cut out or deflected at a sharp angle below this place. Another drive was commenced from the surface and dipping at a grade of 1 in 12 to the south-east. This is expected to cut the seam when 2| chains in. Brighton Mine. —Late in the yoar the son of the owner commenced a dip drive at a grade of 1 in 10 near the north-east corner of the freohold land and near the road from Brighton to Saddle Hill. This drive, going north-east, is 5 ft. wide and 4 ft. high, and when in 51ft. was deflected to the east for a few feet. A level was then driven to the south-east for 21 ft. alongside old workings of over forty years ago. The dip was continued for a few yards, again meeting the old workings. Very little more work can be done there. The seam is of fairly good lignite, but rather friable. A prospect-shaft 4 ft. by 2 ft. has been sunk about 8 chains south-east of the mine-entrance, reaching the seam at 42 ft. Waronui Mine. —The available pillars in the No. 1 mine have been extracted, but they may again endeavour to work this seam south of and to the dip of the old workings. This would entail driving a new haulage-road, chiefly in coal, 2,400 ft. long. It is estimated that there are 15 acres of workable coal there. In the No. 2 mine five miners are on pillar-work in the east side, and others will soon be again working the west-side pillars. The old places having closed, a good deal of expense was incurred in cleaning up and retimbering the roads. Crichton Mine. —The main level, in 6J chains in fairly good coal, is stopped temporarily.* The back level, which is in rather soft coal, is being extended, and is expected to hole to an outcrop in about another chain. Places 8 ft. to 10 ft. wide have been driven east off the main level. These places, although going in the direction of tho full dip, are being driven level. Owing to the thickness of the seam, the roof was not reached until the places had been driven over 90 ft. Taratn Mine. — Barclay's section : This is still the only section being worked. As tho solid work was completed early in the year, all miners are now on pillar-oxtraetion or working back top coal. About 10 chains north-west of the entrance to Barclay's section and west of the upthrow fault a prospect-level going south-east was driven. A full face of rather soft coal is now showing 80 ft. in from the surface. This drive should command a good area west of the 60 ft. fault, as a borehole put down 59 ft. proved 24 ft. of coal, of which the lower 18 ft. was hard. If a short dip was driven near by to the west, it would cut the shaft seam, which is 130 ft. below the one now being worked in Barclay's section. The heating at the mine-entrance again caused anxiety early in the year, but water was pumped up to cool it. Being so near the entrance, constant vigilance has to be exercised, but it is at present well under control. Tuakitoto Mine. —Two miners are now working places west of the main level, and 45-ft.-square pillars are being formed. A ventilating-fan 3} ft. in diameter was made at the mine and is now running at the top of the shallow air-shaft. It is driven by a petrol-engino, and circulates 4,070 cubic feet per minute.