C.--2,

Fatal Accidents. There was one fatal accident during the year. On the 24th March Robert Albert Barrett, miner, of Orepuki, was killed by a fall of roofstone when taking out a blocking-strip in his small alluvial mine in the old township workings at Orepuki, Southland. Non-Fatal Accidents. On the 9th January David Wylie was injured by an explosion of gelignite which occurred when he was charging a hole. The "injured man was employed by the Moonlight Extended Gold-mining Co. in enlarging a water-race which had been cut through rock. The exploded charge shattered the injured man's right hand, and amputation of the injured member was found necessary. On the 20th October, when working on the Goldfields Dredge on the Shotover River, 0. Kelly had his right arm broken close to the shoulder and his shoulder - bone fractured. The accident was caused by a winch - handle striking the injured man owing to a gust of wind throwing all the weight on to the subsidiary stem-line worked from a hand-winch. Boeing. Lake County. Millers Flat, between Arthurs Point and Arrowtown, Shotover Survey District.—As a belief had been long held that this valley was an old river-bed and possibly gold-bearing, the Unemployment Board, at the request of the Lake County Mining Executive, decided to bore a section of the valley in order to substantiate this theory or prove its fallacy. Nine holes were bored of a total depth of 633 ft., by the Government No. 2 steam-drill, using 6 in. casing and a % in. cutting-shoe, on the freehold of Messrs. W. S. Reid and Butel. The holes were put down across the buried channel along two lines selected after a magnetic survey by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The work was supervised by Mr. W. Campbell and carried out under the direction of the Mines Department. It was conclusively proved that the channel was not goldbearing, and that the valley had been formed by glacial erosion. Vincent County, Cromwell. The Molyneux Gold Dredging Co., using two machines, bored thirty-six holes, totalling 1,803 ft., on the Athenseum Reserve, Cromwell Survey District. The machines used 6 in. casing. The drill superintendents were Messrs. R. C. Crow and R. Hall, the engineer Mr. P. R. Lake. This company, using the same machines, bored eighteen holes, of a total depth of 1,486 ft., on the northeast bank of the Clutha River on Block VII, Leaning Rock Survey District. The boring was commenced at Muttontown Gully, and continued along the terrace towards Alexandra. Cromwell.—The Oroville Gold Dredging Co. bored twenty-five holes, a total depth of 1,378 ft., on the east bank of the Clutha, north of Lowburn, on Blocks I and IV, Wakefield Survey District. Drilling was done with a machine using sJin. casing. G. Mellor, superintendent. Luggate.—The Luggate Syndicate bored seven holes, totalling 225-5 ft., on Blocks VII and VIII, Tarras Survey District. Six inch casing and a7| in. cutting-shoe were used with the oil-driven No. 4 Government drill. M. Murray, superintendent. Manuherikia Valley, Devonshire. —GoU Development Corporation bored nine holes, totalling 213 ft., on Block 11, Run 2230, Lauder Survey District. Six inch casing was used. J. P. O'Brien, supervisor. Alexandra. Mining House (N.Z.), Ltd., bored eleven holes to a total depth of 609 ft. on Section 4, Block 42, Alexandra Borough. Six inch easing was used. L. E. Sinclair, superintendent. Nevis. Tin Investigations, Ltd., bored six holes, total depth 214 ft., on Run 345 a, Nevis Survey District. Six inch casing and 7| in. cutting-shoe used. E. R. Bremner, drill superintendent. Mining Trust, Manuherikia Valley, Omakau, bored twenty-two holes, to a total depth of 372 ft., on Block 11, Tiger Hill Survey District. Six inch casing used. R. M. CrOzier, Superintendent. Tuapeka County. Island Block, Benger Survey District. —Further drilling was done by Tin Investments, and ninety holes, with a total depth of 4,790 ft., were drilled in this area by Mr. McDougall's Keystone type machines, Nos. 1 and 2, using 6 in. casing. E. T. Anderson, supervising engineer. Ettrick. —The EUrick Prospecting Syndicate drilled twenty-three holes, with a total depth of 1,398 ft., in parts of Blocks I and VI, Benger Survey District, between the main road and the river. The department's No. 3 Alluvial drill, with 6 in., casing was used, William Gibson, drill superintendent; George Nelson, supervising engineer, Southland County. The Wendon Prospecting Syndicate drilled nine holes, with a total depth of 743 ft., in Run 254b, Wendon Survey District, between the road and the Winding Creek. A. Keystone type machine was used. G.E.D. Seale, supervising engineer. The Argyle Mining Syndicate is now drilling in Block X, Waikaia Survey District, on the property of Mr. John Dennis/ The department's No. 2 Steam Keystone drill (Mr. Campbell, drill superintendent), and the No. 4 Alluvial drill (Mr. Bissett, drill superintendent) have been used up to the 31st December. Drilling is still in progress. Waimumu Sluicing Co. drilled a hole to a depth of 215J- ft., in part Section 4a, Block VIII, Waimumu Hundred, using McDougall's Keystone, type drill, with 6 iix. casing. F. Birse, drill superintendent. Tin Investments drilled fifteen holes, to a total depth of 273 ft., on Mr. J. O'Donnell's freehold property, in Block 111, Mataura, and Block X, Lindhurst Hundred, using one of McDougall's drilling-machines. E. Anderson, supervising engineer. Investigations Ltd. drilled two holes, to a total depth of 211 ft., in Section 20, Block XI, Chatton Survey District, on Chand's and Whiteley's freehold, using one of McDougall's machines. G. Bissett, drill superintendent. They also drilled eight holes, to a depth of 304 ft., in Run 420, Campbelltown Hundred, Awarua Bay, using one of McDougall's machines, with 6 in. easing. D. K. Kerr, drill superintendent; and two holes, to a total depth of 306 ft., in Block XIV, Chatton Survey District, in Patterson's freehold, Waikaka Valley, using one of McDougall's machines with 6 in. casing. G. Ruston, drill superintendent. Ferens and Jeavons drilled thirty-one holes, with a total depth of 620 ft., on the Goldfields Reserve, Waipapa Beach, Otara District. Six inch casing was used. W. A. Bowden, drill superintendent. This party also drilled seventeen holes, to a total depth of 309 ft., in Section 16, Block 11, Otara Survey District, in the Ordinary Prospecting License held in the name of Ericcson and Ferens. A hand-boring plant was used with 4 in. casing. M. McGrath, drill superintendent. Wallace County. Investigations Ltd. drilled forty holes, to a total depth of 1,929 ft. 5 in., in Sections 1 and 22, Block V, Longwood Survey District. W. Tyree and H. W. Clifford, drill superintendents. They also drilled eleven holes, to a total depth of 439 ft., in the Orepuki District, adjoining the area bored at Pahia. Six inch casing was used. G. Bissett, drill superintendent. They also drilled seven holes, to a total depth of 308 ft., in the Waimeamea District, in the Waihoaka. Six inch casing was used. G. Bissett, drill superintendent. Also six holes, to a total depth of 330 ft., in the Te Temutu area, west of Orepuki. Six inch casing was used. G. Bissett, drill superintendent; and eight holes, to a total depth of 356 ft., in the Wakapatu area between the railway-line and the sea-eoast. Three inch casing was used. T. Gallagher, drill superintendent.

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