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Black Diamond Mine. —The whole of the. mine output has again been won from pillar-extraction, and no new development .work at this mine is in sight. Black Lion Mine..- —A limited amount of development work has been carried out to the north-west, but the prospects of this work opening up an area of coal are doubtful. A small amount of pillar-extraction has also been continued in the north-west area. Towards the end of the year an area of coal was stripped and made available for opencast mining, and the company also proposes to carry out some boring operations to the north-west of the present workings. A bathhouse was erected during the year. Mosxbanlc Mine.—The development of Nos. 1 and 2 panels was completed and pillar-extraction in the higher portion of No. 1 panel carried out. Various efforts to develop new areas met with very disappointing results, and towards the end of the year a dip heading was commenced from the lower level of No. 1 panel and driven in a westerly direction. This dip has now been driven approximately 600 ft., and levels driven south-east from it are in goodquality coal, as also is the main dip itself. The levels driven north-west have encountered a fault, and the prospects are not encouraging in this direction. A bathhouse was erected during the year. Star Mine. —Pillar-extraction has continued throughout the year in the No. 2 east level. Development work was carried out to the south, and an additional area of coal is being developed from the No. 2 east level, which has been driven a distance of approximately 15 chains. Boring operations are being carried out to the south of the present workings, but so far no workable coal has been proven. Birchwood Mine. —The bulk of the output at this mine has been obtained from pillar-extraction. In the No. 1 west section, development work is proceeding to the west. A fault encountered in this section, was proven and the coal-seam shown to be 16 ft. thick beyond, the fault-line and at a slightly lower level, the fault being a down-throw fault of small displacement. Development work at this mine has not kept pace with pillar-extraction. Wairaki- No. 1 Mine : Pillar-extraction has been continued in the several sections of this mine throughout the year. No. 3 Mine : The main south-west headings have now been driven a total distance of 23 chains, and at present are being driven through faulted ground to a point where the coal-seam has been proven by a bore-hole, this bore-hole being approximately 6 chains ahead of the development places referred to. Other development work during the year was the completion of the No. 2 panel from the No. 1 west level, and also the development of a panel to the dip of the same level. The dip headings into the last-mentioned panel have been driven approximately 7 chains and a fairly large area of coal developed. The development of this mine can be said to be satisfactory, as also are the prospects for the mine. Linton. —No. 1 Mine : Development work at this mine has been confined to the Nos. 9 and 10 sections. In the No. 9 section, main development headings have been driven north-east for a distance of approximately 500 ft. In the No. 10 section the main development headings have been driven a distance of approximately 900 ft. south-west. At this point a fault was intercepted, but the coal was again proven on the west side. The main dip headings have been standing on a fault throughout the year. In the Nos. 6, 7, and 8 sections, pillar-extraction was continued throughout the year. A new travelling roadway for the workmen was constructed, and an additional separate return airway was also constructed for the Nos. 9 and 10 sections. No. 3 Mine : The main development north headings have now been driven a total distance of approximately 2,000 ft. All coal to the rise, and to the dip from the main headings up to a point 1,300 feet inbye, has been developed and some of the pillars extracted. The inbye end of the main development headings is now standing in coal at least 50 ft. thick, but is not far distant from a fault. Development work in the inbye section is being continued to the northwest. The strata thereabouts is faulty and of irregular contour, thereby presenting difficulty in arranging the development work. Fatal Accidents On the 16th March John Dahren, miner, Birchwood Mine, was killed by a fall of top coal during pillar-extraction. On the 7th July D. L. Baird, miner, Black Diamond Mine, sustained a fractured humerus as a result of being struck by a piece of coal falling from the rib of a pillar place. Complications set in as a result of the accident, and he died on the 26th July. A Serious Accidents On the 16th February James Brown, trucker, Kaitangata Mine, sustained a fractured pelvis as a result of being crushed between a truck and the " rib." On the 9th June W. J. McFarlane, trucker, Linton Mine, sustained extensive crushing and lacerations to the forearm. He was running back to the jig wheel after pushing the full boxes over the brow of the incline when he slipped, clutched the on-going rope, and was dragged into the jig wheel. On the 11th June F. M. Bee, shiftman, Mossbank Mine, sustained a fractured patella. He was struck by a runaway box on a " cuddy " incline. On the Ist July George Finch, trucker, Kaitangata Mine, sustained a fractured leg. He slipped and fell whilst ascending a steep incline. On the Ist September L. W. Hunt, miner, Black Diamond Mine, sustained a fractured pelvis as a result of being struck by a fall of top coal in a pillar-splitting place. On the 21st September James McAuley, miner, Kaitangata Mine, sustained a fractured vertebra as a result of being struck by a fall of top coal whilst renewing a prop in a pillar place. On the 9th October James Kaye, trucker, Kaitangata Mine, sustained a fractured skull, fractured ribs, and various contusions and abrasions as a result of being crushed between the roof and a full box. From the evidence available it would appear that Kaye was riding on the boxes ascending the incline. On the 21st December W. O'Brien, roadman, Mossbank Mine, sustained a fractured pelvis as a result of being crushed between the rib and a rake of trucks which were being hauled from a lay bye. Dangerous Occurrences Wairaki Mine. —Heatings occurred in the No. 1 Mine on the 17th March and the Bth June. The heated areas were promptly and effectively sealed off. On the 17th June and 31st August fires broke out adjacent to fire stoppings in two sealed-off sections in the No. 1 Mine. In both cases new stoppings were erected and the areas effectively resealed. Mossbank Mine. —Heating occurred in the No. 1 panel pillar section on the 25th August. The area was temporarily sealed off, and a premature attempt was made to reopen the area some weeks later. The result was an immediate reheating, and a permanent sealing-off of the area was finally directed and carried out. Black Diamond Mine.—Heating occurred in the lower pillar area in September, and after some delay the area was effectively sealed off. Prosecutions On the I.oth March a coal-mining company was prosecuted for failing to comply with the direction of the Mining Controller to transfer portion of the output of its colliery to the Railways Department. The company was convicted and fined £50, £25, and costs respectively on two informations. On the 9th June a trucker employed at the Linton Mine was convicted and fined £3 and costs for a breach of section 98 of the Coal-mines Act, 1925. On the 15th September two truckers employed at the Kaitangata Mine were convicted and fined £3 and costs and £2 and costs respectively for breaches of section 98 of the Coal-mines Act, 1925. Ohai Rescue-station The rescue-station has now been equipped, and several brigades of trainees have satisfactorily completed their training course.
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