Page 13 - 00 Volume 5 The Mine

The workings were safely carried on, and during the main shaft, when trees and branches in the drift
the year confined to headings and bords, no pillars
being taken out. The ventilation is fairly good, although
at times a change of wind causes a stagnation, which
soon disappears.
The books are well kept, and the Act complied
with. A copy of the plan of the workings of the mine
has been sent to me, as required by the Act. The
number of men employed is eight on the surface and on
steamer and punts, and nineteen below ground: total,
twenty-seven. The output for the year was 4,839 tons.
Ralph's Taupiri Mine.
(8th July) Only two men employed, at pillar-
work near the out-crop. General and special rules hung,
the latter without the required names. I requested Mr.
Ralph to see to this. Shaft unfenced. This was attended
to at once.
The workings in this mine during the year have
been: driving the new dip, removing a pillar in the old
mine which was under the place where the hauling-
engine formerly stood, and sinking a shaft. It was found
that, on account of the quantity of water in the new dip,
it would be more economical to work the mine by
sinking a shaft on the land between the railway and the
Waikato River; the dip was therefore abandoned, and
the timber drawn. The shaft was then sunk to a depth of
160ft., and through a seam of coal 65ft. in thickness.
The cover over the coal was of such a nature that
no difficulty was experienced in sinking, as the running
drift, found elsewhere in the neighbourhood, did not
exist in the shaft. A bore-hole was made near by, and a
working shaft about 10ft. by 6ft. is to be sunk with as
little delay as possible. The first shaft will be used as a
pumping and upcast shaft.
At my visit to the mine on the 10th December, I
found that no cages were used, and that men were
raised and lowered by the engines without being
securely stayed to the rope, as provided in section 25 of
the general rules. I instructed the manager to see that
this precaution was taken in future, and to make the
entries in the report-book in a more systematic manner.
The provisions of the Act were otherwise fairly
well complied with. The average number of men
employed was six on the surface, including manager
and engineers, and ten men below ground: total,
sixteen. The total output for the year was 2,079 tons.
Taupiri Extended Mine.
The workings in this mine during the year were
driving headings and opening fresh bords to the
southward, driving a heading to the northward to
connect with the second shaft, which was sunk about 10
chains from the main working-shaft. The second shaft,
which is 10ft. in diameter, sheathed with cast-iron
cylinders, was sunk with considerable difficulty on
account of the sandy drift and quantity of water to be
contended with.
Bore-holes had been made in a circle from the
surface down to the coal, and it was found that no
obstacles were in the way, as was the case in sinking
caused great delay. Provision was made to put on great
pressure to force down the cylinders, which were in
segments and built in the top, while the sand and drift
were removed by a dredging-machine.
No water was pumped from the shaft until the
coal had been reached, when a Tangye pump was used
to keep the shaft dry whilst the coal was sunk through
and the shaft bricked-up. Connection was made with
the heading-drive from the main shaft on the day
previous to my visit on the 11th December last. The
depth of the second shaft is 204ft., the coal being 24ft.
in thickness, and as the main shaft is only 174ft. in
depth the pumping will be from the deepest one.
The ventilation of the mine is good, the fan being
still used: 9,070 cubic feet of air per minute was
passing through the working places at the time of my
last visit for the use of fifty men and one horse below
ground.
From the 20th September until the second
opening was made the mine was worked in shifts in
order that not more than ten men were taken below at
one time.
The report-books are well kept, and the
provisions of the Act complied with. A copy of the plan
of the workings of the mine has been sent to me as
required by the Act.
The number of men employed was sixteen on the
surface and fifty below ground: total sixty-six. The
output for the year was 29,460 tons.
Taupiri Reserve Mine.
The workings in this mine for the year have been
under the Lake Kimihia. A series of bore-holes have
been made, showing the depth of the cover, which is
from 48ft. to 77ft. in thickness, chiefly strong fireclay.
The bords are worked 14ft. in width, and the pillars are
21ft. in thickness. The height of coal worked is 13ft.,
and not less than ft. of coal left for a roof. It may
therefore be considered that there is no special danger
in working under the lake so long as the thickness of
the cover mentioned continues and the pillars are not
interfered with.
Thirty-seven men are employed at the mine,
seven on the surface and thirty below ground. The
ventilation was good; 4,408 cubic feet of air per minute
passes through the workings, giving 116 cubic feet per
minute for thirty-seven men and one horse working in
the mine.
The report-book is well kept, and a copy of the
plan of the workings of the mine has been sent to me as
required by section 45, and the other provisions of the
Act complied with. The output for the year was 17,221
tons.
No very serious accidents occurred during the
year. The list of accidents reported are as
follows:-
- Benjamin Housley got accidentally struck by a
pick on 18th January, in the Taupiri
Reserve Mine.
- William Patterson was injured by a rail
bouncing up and striking him on the foot on