?
January 5, 1898. |
Mr. MURRAY BAIN-Can you tell us any. thing about the arrangements you have made with regard to the new Superintendent of the Company?
The CHAIRMAN-T am pleased to say that we have appointed a Superintendent who we consider is a very good man in the place of our late Superintendent. He is Mr. C. D. Byers, who is at present acting as chief engineer on the Fushun. He is a gentleman well known by nearly everyone on the coast and by some of the prominent residents in Hongkong. He has been particularly recommended to us and I think we have been very fortunate in getting his
services.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The General Managers have also received the following telegram:-"A crushing of 400 tons of quartz from Eureka has yielded an ounce to the ton. Shaft has reached a depth of 300 feet.
RAUB.
The following is the Acting Mining Mana- ger's Report for the four weeks ending on 16th December, 18:97
**
Raub Hole.The Maiu West Crosscnt has been extended 33 ft. making the total distance from the shaft of 406 ft.
We have cut several small leaders, none of which carry gold.
The Main North Drive on the course of the
9
tains thousands of tons of ore in reserve all
ready to stope whenever required and this huge ore reserve is being added to daily as our drives extended.
Bukit Jellis-Very good progress is being made with the sinking of this shaft. It is now sunk and timbered a total distance of 150 feet, opening sets put in, and a chamber cut east 18 feet. This chamber is for a balance bob of an- other draw lift pump, it being advisable to make another lift of it before resuming sinking another 100 ft. This chamber will also answer when we crosscut for the lode at this level. An- other small crosscat has been put in west to enable us to fix a water tank or cistern.
There were no further questions and the CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report lode formation has been extended 14 ft. making hampered through having to haul the staff by
and accounts.
Mr. MURRAY BAIN seconded. Carried.
The CHAIRMAN proposed the re-election of Messrs. C. Ewens and J. Orange as the Con- sulting Committee.
Mr. MANCELL seconded. Carried.
Mr. WICKING proposed the re-election of Messrs. Fullarton Henderson and W. H. Potts as auditors for the ensuing year.
Mr. ORANGE seconded. Carried.
The CHAIRMAN-That is all the business of the meeting, gentlemen. To-morrow being a Bank holiday we shall issue dividend warrants on Monday morning. thank you for your attendance.
THE NEW BALMORAL GOLD MINING CO., LIMITED. ·
The General Managers, Messrs. John D Humphreys & Son, have received the following report from their mining manager by steamer Changsha:-
3
Mount Macdonald,
3rd December, 1897.
I have the honour to report that work is being pushed on as speedily as circumstances will permit.
Nothing fresh since last report. but have every confidence that with the opening up of the Queen Mine at the depth anticipated, viz., 350 feet, a prosperous future will result.
The work of pulling down and removing the battery to the new site is progressing most satisfactorily.
OLIVERS FREEHOLD MINES, LIMITED.
The General Managers, Messrs. John D. Humphreys & Son, have received the following report from their mining manager by steamer Changsha
Mount Macdonald,
3rd December, 1897. I have the honour to report work done daring week ending 3rd December, as follows:-
Eureka Mine-Main shaft snuk 3 feet. Total below 200 ft, level 953. Country hard and difficult to break. After sinking an ad- ditional 10 feet will open out for the 300 ft. level.
Have started several men to break ore in stopes above the 200 and 150 ft. levels, and are engaged hauling ore eight hours per day from these levels. Driving on the lode north and south will be resumed shortly.. Expect to have full complement of men working underground
next week.
G. L. 105.-Reef in bottom of underlie shaft improving, but owing to the excessively hot weather experienced lately have been
troubled with foul air. Steps will be taken to remedy this at once.
HS
Olivers Battery.-The new spur wheel to replace the broken one arrived late on Saturday, 27th ult,, and was put in position as soon possible and other portions of works that had to be removed in order to get the broken wheel off, and the new one on, were replaced, and crushing was resumed at 12 o'clock on Sunday night, and we are now crushing at the rate of about 200 tons per week.
Everything in connection with both mine and machinery is in first class order, and unless something that is impossible to foreses occurs we ought to have a long and successful run,
a total distance North from the West Crosscut of 280 ft. There is no change whatever here; the lode still continues about 4 in. thick and does not carry gold.
Stopes. I have stopped work for the present in the stopes going south from the No. 2 winze as the ore body bas pinched almost out. It may however be advisable at some future date to drive on this to thoroughly test it as it is possible the ore may inake again further south.
In the stopes going north from the No. 2 winze the lode will average about 14 in. of nice solid stone which carries good gold. This chute of ore is about worked out to the inter- mediate level above.
I intend putting on a party of men to work some of the small rich leaders still unworked in the top level.
Bukit Koman 140 ft. Level. North Drive. The lode continues about 7 ft. wide, is better defined and more solid than it was, but does not carry quite such good gold. This drive bas been extended 22 ft. north, making the total distance from the crossent 574 ft.
West Leaders.-Both bunches of leaders con-
The progress of sinking this shaft is greatly
manual labour from the present depth of 150ft. I am fixing up a winding engine temporarily and hope to have it at work shortly; this will facilitate the sinking, besides reducing the cost.
Battery-On Monday, 6th instant, we had the usual rough clean up for the previous foar weeks, the yield being 2,0971⁄2 ounces of amalga from 1.072 tons of ore crushed, which is an improvement on our previous rough clean up. The following are the particulars of the ore
crushed.
Bukit Koman, 1,038 tons. Raub Hole, 314 tons.
Total 1,072 tons
Crushing was resumed the same evening at 7.pm. with 15 bead of stamps only. Advantage was taken of the clean up to remove the old No. 2 Battery Box, which has need in use since we came bere and was completely worn out. It was replaced by one of the boxes made in Singapore. This was completed and the five head at work on Tuesday. We have now two new boxes at work which makes half our present battery almost as good as new.
Electric Installation. This work is being
tinue to carry fair gold and turn out a consi-greatly hindered by the continuous wet weather derable amount of crushing stuff.
Winze No. 1 North. This is down a total depth of 35 ft. all the way in solid stone, some of which carries good gold.
was.
South Drive. The new lode in this end has increased in size but is not nearly so solid as it It is about 4 ft. wide of bunches of quartz and quartz leaders, all of which carry a little gold. This new make of gold bearing stone is of great importance as it practically gives us a new mine in the South Drive, which for months past has been driven through blank ground. This drive has been extended 28 ft., making a total distance sonth from the main crosscut 766
ft.
The total distance of the 140 ft. level from face of North Drive to face of Sonth Drive is 1,340 ft. or slightly over a quarter of a mile with gold in both faces. This will give you a slight idea of the extent of this buge mine.
Stopes. The Leading Stope coming in over the back of the main south drive-I have re- sumed work here; the lode is small, there being about 1 ft. on the footwall side with several small leaders to the East, all of which carry fair gold and are payable.
No. 1 South Stope. This lode continues the same, there being about 11 ft. of solid ore which carries fair gold.
No. 2 South Stope is also about 11 ft. thick of solid ore which carries fair gold:
No. 3 South Stopa continues about 7 ft. wide of solid ore which carries good gold.
No. 4 South Stope is small, being only about 2 ft. thick of low grade ore.
Bottom Level North Drive-The lode is fully 5ft. thick of solid ore, in which fair gold can be freely seen in breaking down the ore. The ore here is of better quality than I have previously
seen in this face. The drive has been extended 11ft., making the total distance north from the crosscnt 200ft.
South Drive-The lode is larger being fully 16ft. wide and carries fair gold. This drive has been extended a further distance of 16ft. making the total distance south from the cross- out 274ft.
The total distance from north to south faces With the ex-
is 474ft. with gold in both faces. ception of driving the north and south faces no other work is being done in this level. At pre- sent we have a block of stone 474ft. long by 100ft high extending right up to the 140ft. level above. This block is untouched and con-
we are having, it being impossible for men to work satisfactorily when it raius almost daily. This has caused a considerable amount of sick. ness amongst the coolies, fully 25 per cent. of them being laid up with fever, etc. Taking the weather into consideration I think good pro- gress is being made with the work, all of which where at all possible is being done by contract. The following are the particulars of the work at which we are at present employed -
Cart Road from Tras to Sempam Gap. Cart Road from Sempam Gap to Power Station.
Excavating site for power station. Clearing cable track.
Sawing timber for flume, etc.
+
The construction of the roads is being pushed on all we can, as when it is completed and joined to the Government road it will greatly reduce cost of transport of material, machinery and stores, and also sawn timber for the flume, etc.
GILBERT B. WHYTE, Acting Mining Manager.
TAIKO) CLUB ATHLETIC SPORTS.
The members of the Taikoo Club always lay themselves out to favour the Hongkong public with good sport and abundant hospitality on 'This is the seventh the first day of the year. year the sports have been held at Quarry Bay throng of people to be seen lining the enclosure, and on Saturday there was the usual happy watching the progress of the events with keen interest or merrily chatting over a cup of tea or some other refreshing beverage. The man. agement of the sports was as usual in careful hands and the proceedings were throughout of the most enjoyable and interesting character. A. McKirdy carried off most of the prizes and his winning the championship cup was highly popular. At the conclusion of the sports Mrs. Poate kindly distributed the prizes.
The following were the officials:- President:-Mr. Herbert Smith. Committee:-Messrs. J. Blake, J. Harvie, J. Waddell, C. Blake, J. Coils, J. Mackay, E.. Stuart, J. Dickie, J. Lochead, G. Buckland.
Handicappers-Messrs. C. Blake, R. Stuart, J. Coils, J. Dickie.
Judges:-Messrs. C. Blake, T. Gibson, A.
Rodger.